Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1881-07-01
4 NIGHT AMONG THE SIHILISTS

IOT MT. IJlcKBOil OucSsd, dGGf1b vi Dbl
ey &Co., corn merchants, was a bit o
Tartar, as | had learned to my cost
whats the row now2o / demanded 0
my fellow clerk; "has he got scent 0
our Nicolaief escapade or what is it.
mo idea, Gregory; the old DO.
seems to be in a good enough humor
some business matter, probably. Blu
don't keep him waiting So, sum
moning up an air Of injured innocence
to be ready for all contingencies,
marched into the lions den.
Mr.. Dickson was standing before tn,
fire, in Briton's time-honorcd attitude
and motloned me into chair in from
Of him. Mr.. Robinson" he said, :"
have great confidence in your discre
ton and common sense. The follies 0
youth will break out but | think yot
have sterling foundation to you
character underlying any superficial
levity."
| bowed
believe" he continued, "you car
speak Russian pretty auently.o
| bowed again.
II have" he proceeded, "a mission
which | wish you to undertake, and OF
the success Of which your promotion
may depend. | would not trust it to |
subordinate, were il not that my duty
ties me to my post ut present
you may depend Oh my doing my
best, sir, | replied.
Fright sir, quite What / wish yot
to do il briefly this The line Of rail
road has just been opened to Soltei1
up the country some hundred miles
Now ! wish 10 get the start Of the othel
Odessa firms IN securing the produce o
Int district, which | have reason to be
lieve may be had at low price. You
will proceed BY rail to Solicit and inter
view Mr.. Dimidofl, who is III,
largest land proprietor in this town
Both Mr.. DimidoH and myself wisl
the whole thing 10 be done rs quietly
and secretly as possible; in fact thai
nothing should be known about the
matter until the grain appears in Odes-
sa You will find yourself expected u
the end Of your journey, and you vii
start tonight. Money for your expen
ses shall be ready"
W
the office, I'm of on secret mission
my boy, an affair Of thousands o
pounds, lend me your portmanteau
mines to imposing; and tell ivan to
pack it, a Russian millionaire ex-
poets me 1T the end Of my journey
Don't breath word Of it to the Simp-
kins or the whole game will be up.
Keep dark
| was SO charmed at being, rs It We're,
behind the scenes, that ] crept about
the office Ill day in sort Of cloak-and
bloody dagger style, with responsibility
and care marked on every feature; and
when 1T night stepped out and stole
down 10 the station, the unprecedented
observer would certainly have guessed
from my behavior, that ! had emptied
the contents Of the strong box into that
little valise Of Gregory's. He was i'm
prudent, by the way, to leave Eng
fish labels pasted al over it. However,
/ could only hope that ''Londons' and
"Rirminghams' would attract no at
tention or, 1T least, that no rival corn
merchant might deduce from that who
! was and what my GRAND might be.
Having paid the necessary rouhles
and got my ticket, eseoned myself III
the corner Of i snug Russian car, ard
pondered over my extraordinary good
fortune. Dickson was growing old now,
and if could make my mark in this
matter it might be 4 great thing.
Dreams arose Of 4 partnership in the
firm. The noisy wheels seemed To
olank out Bailey. Robinson 4 Co.,
Bailey, Robinson 4 Co, III u monoto-
nous refrain, which gradually sank into
4 deep sleep. Had | known the eN-
perienee which awaited me ut the end
Of my journey it would hardly have
been peaeeahle.
! awoke with IN uneasy feeling that
some one was watching me closely, nor
was | mistaken 4 tall, dark man had
taken up his position on the seat oppo-
site, and his black, sinister eyes seemed
to look through ME and beyond me, as
il he wished to read my very soul.
Then | saw him glance down 1T my
little trunk.
Good heayensm thought |, heres
Simpkins' agent, I~suppose. 1t was
careless Of Gregory to leave those con
founded labels on the valise."
| closed my eyes for time, but on
reopening them | again caught the
strangers earnest gaze.
From England, | see," he said in
Russian, showing row of white teeth
in what was meant to be an amiable
smile.
Yes replied, trying to look IN
concerned, but painfully aware Of my
failure.
Travelling for pleasure, perhaps
said he.
Yes" | answered eagerly Certain
IL, for pleasure; nothing else
of course not" said he with shade
Of irony in his voice. "Englishmen IL
ways travel for pleasure, don'tthey2 Oh
no, nothing else
His conduct was mysterious, to say
the least Of it. 1t was only eSplainable
upon two hyuotheses-he was either
4 mailman or he was an agent d
some firm bound upon the same errand
Is myself. and determined to show me
that he guessed my little game They
were about equally unpleasant, and up.
on the whole | was relieved when the
train pulled up in the tumble-dowr
shed which does duty for a station in
the rising town OBSOLETE Solicit, whose
resources was to open out, and whose
commerce / was to direct into the
great world channels. almost expected
to see a triumphal arch as / stepped or
to the platform.
/ was to be expected at the end of my
journey, so Mr.. Dickson had informed
me. / looked about at the molly crowd
but saw no Mr. DimidoH Suddenly j
sloyenly, unshaved man passed me
rapidly, and glanced first at me and
then at my trunk-that wretcheG
trunk the cause Of all my woes. He
disappeared in the crowd, but in little
time came strolling past me again. anG
contrived to whisper As he did so
Follow me, but at some distance" i'm
mediately setting of out of the station
and down the street at rapid pace
Here was mystery with veDgence
! trotted along in his rear with my
valise, and on turning the corner found
. rough droschky awaiting for me. My