Evening star., 1898-05-28

dertaker's profession. In the midst of the
uprcar, the foul smoke, reeking atmos-
phere and stencil of stale beer, half
dozen wel-fed reporters sat writing al
long table which stood directly in front OF
the base of the tribune. Their sleek. ruddy
faces. their well-groomed persons, silk
hats, ivory-handfed walking sticks, fa1
cigars tucked under waxed mustaches, pre-
sented a picture at once incongruous and
reassuring. Oblivfous to the crowd. the
stencil, the furious fulminations from mill
| liant anarchists. denouncing everything
including the Maker of everything, these
reporters scrubbed away at their pads
sharpened pencils fiicked the ashes from
good cigars under the very noses-in tn
very faces-of the most irresponsible crowd
o. rufians that ever gathered to encourage
each others criminal instincts. Mortier be-
gan to speak, rising on his crooked legs
his long throat swathed in a red handker-
chief. Under the grotesque dome of his
bald forehead his villainous face contracted
till the scrubby beard bristled When he
opened the black cavern of his mouth
single tooth broke the monotony of his
grinning gums.
He spoke for a long time his piercing
voice splitting the choked atmosphere till
the crowd howled again and the dreadful
tumut broke back from the echoing raft
ers into a very hell of sound
Ffourens followed, speaking first earnest
~ then with frfghtful impetuosty. He
| leaped to the platform before his desk and
stretched out his arm Every movement
set the gaslight gittering and shimmerinr
over the gilded arabesques on his uniform
The crowd roared. mad with exultation.
Then Buckhurst rose.
At the first quiet word hush fell ove-
the hall: His voice was placid. passionless,
cool and grateful as summer showers
'CltiZens.' he said, you have organized
your battalion, you have added your voices
to the voices of the other two battalions: a
legion has been formed. Major Flourens is
your leader.
The government says that he is not. We
dlHer more seriously stll-when the time
comes. AT present we can afford to wate
But time is very near when orders that
come from the Palais Bourbon will he
countermanded by orders issued from the
Hotel de Vile. The Undertakers need a
larger hall-the Hotel de Vile is not too
large"
The frantic cheering checked him for a
moment. Then he resumed
For a time it Is best that we go to the
ramparts, that we fight the Prussians un-
der the tri-color This is policy--for the
moment. BIt-pol policies change, so DO flags,
SO does what is now called patriotism
Citizen Mortier has reminded you that
universal broth ,rLood is rot compatible
with patriotism that the red flag of revolt
is the universal banner of human brother
hood, that there is nobler game for your
rifle bullets than the hearts of battle
driven peasants, who, although Prussians,
are your brothers and your comrades i'm
arms against the wealth of ali the world
1t is well to bear this in mind-and wait.
And now, as you have elected Major
F!ourens chief of the new legion and as
you have elected me commandant of your
battalion, / ask you fer the privilege of
naming to you two of my fellow country
men for election as captains in the Sd Bat
TALON"
Name them! Name themw shouted the
crowd I ID
Bourke leaned over the balcony, clutch
ing Harewood's arm.
BY heaven! he WHISPERED, "do you sea
who he's going to Manner
Hardwood, mute with establishment, STAR
ed down at the platform where two men
had mounted from the crowded floor and
row stood facing Buckhurst
The two men were Speyer and Stauffer
Amid whirlwfnd of applause their
names were presented and accepted. Buck
dramatically returned their salutes Nor
tier. his ape-like face stained a duh red
with excitement. sat behind his desk on
which lay pile of red cecardes. His little
insane eyes snapped Speyer and Staufr-
er marched up tod be invested with the
badge of anarchy. s' The crowd howled.
drums and bugles crashed out the meeting
was at an end.
Suddenly, in the midst of the tumu,t
Harewood felt that somebody on the
swarming floor below was looking straight
at him. He turned his head unea silly
Buckhurst's colorless eyes met his own
For full minute they gazed silently ot
each other across that smoke-reekjne
chaos The bngles' ear-splittinG racket the
cfaSnlng OF DraZen drums, the echoing howl
died away In Harewood's ears. He only
heard a clear, penetrating voice repeating.
Silence. silence, If you please gentlemen"
and Buckhurst, with his eyes stin fixed ON
him, touched Speyer on the elbow. Stauf-
fer. too. was looking up now. Speyer had
turned livid when he saw Harewood
Come" muttered Bourke, I'VE might as
well get out of this, and he moved toward
the stairway, Harewood following.
AS they reached the last step and started
to push through the crowded doors, a hand
fell lightly on Harewood's shoulder. Buck