Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-05-13


kline you mistake me, perhaps, for one
of the others. But now, not word oi
business until the council meets. Try
your chefs soup /; you will find it excel
lent, think"
Who Mr.. Petrokine and the Others
might be l could not conceive. Land
stewards of Dimidoff's perhaps ; though
the name did not seem familiar TO my
companion.
by the way" he remarked, as We
smoked cigar over our wine, 1--WE should
never have known YOU but for the Eng
lish labels on your luggage it was the
luckiest thing in the world that Alexan-
der noticed them. We had had no per-
sonal description of you; indeed we were
prepared to expect somewhat older man.
You are young, indeed, sir, to be intrust-
ed with such n mission"
my employer trusts me, l replied ;
"and we have learned in our trade that
youth and shrewdness are not incompati-
ble."
"Your remark is true, sir" returned
my newly made friend but l am sur
prised to hear You call our glorious asso-
citation trade Such term is gross IN,
deed to apply to body of men banded
together to supply the world with that
which it is yearning for, but which, with
ont our exertions, it can never hope to
attain. A spiritual brotherhood would
be n more fitting term"
.'By ,Ioyei' thought l, show pleased
the boss would be TO hear him? He must
have been in the business himself, who
ever he is.
"Now, sir" said Mr.. PetrOkine, ''the
clock points to eight, and the council
must be already sitting. Let us go up
together, and L will introduce you. |
need hardly say that the greatest secrecy
is observed, and that your appearance is
anxiously awaited"
NV guide swung open large door at
the end of passage, and found myself
in n room larger and even more gorgeous
" fitted up than the one in which l had
dined. A long table, covered with green
baize and strewn with papers, ran down
the middle, and around it were sitting
some fourteen or fifteen men conversinS
earnestly. The whole scene reminded me
forcibly of gambling hell L had visited
some time before.
Upon our entrance the company rose
and bowed. l could not but remark that
my rompanion attracted no attention,
while every eye was turned upon me with
a strange mixture of surprise and almost
servile respect A man at the head OF the
table, who WIS remarkable for the ex-
treme pallor of his face rs contrasted with
his biue-b black hair and moustache, waved
his hand to a seat beside him. and | sat
down.
81 need hardly say" said Mr.. Petro-
kline, 'that Gustave Berger, the English
agent, is now honoring us with his pres
ence. He is young indeed, Alexis, he
continued to my pale-faced neighbor,
.'and yet he is Of European reputation.
Come, draw it mild - thought /, add
ing aloud, If you refer to me, sir,
though am indeed acting as English
agent, nv name is not Berger, but Rob
inson-Mr. Tom Robinson, at your ser
vice"
A laugh ran around the table.
$50 be it, so be it, said the man they
called Alexis. 81 commend your discre-
ton, most honored sir. One cannot be
too careful Preserve your English So
| briquet by all means. | regret that any
painful duty should be performed upon
this auspicious evening but the rules of
our association must be preserved at any
cost to our feelings and dismissal is in
evitable tonight
what the deuce is the fellow driving
at ?" thought l. "What is it to me if he
does give his servant the sack? This
Dimidof, wherever he is, seems to keep a
lunatic asylum"
Take out the gagl' The words fairly
shot through me, and l started i'll my
chair. 1t was Petrokine who spoke. For
the first time | noticed that burly, stout
man, sitting at the other end of the table,
had his arms tied behind his char, and
handkerchief round his mouth. A hor-
, rihle srsg,cinn hogan to creep into my
heart. Where WAS /? was | in Mr..
Dimidoff'sl Who were these men with
their strange words?
Take out the gagl' repeated Petro-
kline and the handkerchief was removed.
Now, Paul Ivanovitch," said he,
what have You TO say before you go?"
Not dismissal, sirs," he pleaded :;
mot dismissal anything but that
will go into some distant land, and my
mouth shall be closed forever. / will do
anything that the society asks but pray,
pray do not dismiss me-"
"You know our laws, and you know
your crime, said Alexis, in cold, harsh
voice. "Who drove us from Odessa by
his false tongue and his double face !?
Who wrote the anonymous letter to the
Governor? Who cut the wire that would
have destroyed the arch-tyrant You
did, Paul Ivanovitch and you must
die
leaned back in my chair and fairly
gasped.
"Remoye him p said Petrokinc and
the man Of the droschky with two others
forced him out.
l heard the footsteps pass down the
passage, and then n door open and shut.
Then came a sound as of n struggle, end
ed by heavy crunching blow and Il dull
thud.
$50 perish all who are false to their
oath, said Alexis, solemnly; and n h0arse
"Amen" went up from his companions
Death alone can dismiss us from our
order" said another man further down :;
''but Mr.. Berg-Mr. Robinson is pale.
The scene has been too much for him
after his long journey from England"
"Oh Tom, Tom y thought ], ''if ever
you get ont of this scrape you'll turn
over a new leaf You're not fit to die,
and that's fact" 1t was only too evi-
dent to me now that by some strange
misconception had got in among gang
of cold-blooded Nihilists, who mistook
me for one of their order | felt after
what | had witnessed, that nv only
chance of life was 10 try to play the role
forced upon me until an opportunity for
escape should present itself SO tried
hard to regain my air Of self possession,
which had been SO rudely shaken
81 am indeed fatigued, ~ replied, "but
L feel stronger now. Excuse my momcn-
tary weakness"
at was but natural" said a man with
a thick beard at my right hand. "And
now most honored sir, how goes the
cause in England"
Remarkably well, - answered.
HAS the great commissioner cGndes-
cended to send "A missive to the Solteff
branch - asked Petrokine
Nothing III writing" replied
But he has spoken Of it ?"
Yes; he said he had watched it with
feelings Of the livelicst satisfaction" |
returned
- 'Tis well tbs well - ran round the
table.
felt giddy and sick from the critical
nature Of my position. Any moment
question might be asked which would
show me i'll my true colors. ] rose and
helped myself from n decnnter of brandy
which stood on a side table The potent
liquor flew to my excited BRAN, and ns
sat down felt reckless enough to be half
amused ut my position, and inclined TO
play with my tormentors. | still, how
ever, had all my wits about me-
''You have been to Birmingham >" ask
ed the man with the beard
''Many times, said l.
Then you have, Of course, seen the