The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-13

secret, tried in secretZif necessary. ex-
ecuted In secret Under no circumstances
OF crime should his name or any indica-
ton of his identity be disclosed An
archfsts do not fear death If their names
and exploits can fill the columns of all
newspapers for a certain number of
weeks. Like other weeds, they flourish
in the light; like other weeds, they would
Wither In the darkness Of unbroken
secrecy"
He read these words with emotion, and
then burst out:
Sir, is 1t possible that this horrible. this
inhuman suggestion emanated from your
self7'
Mr.. Weeks shrugged his shoulders.
''subeditors do not usually inspire leading
articles
All, you evade me. You are the mon
ster who preach this ghastIy doctrine of
perpetual obscurity."
You canont have me every way, nv
friend. cannot very well be the home
secretary, a subeditor Of the Morning OBJ
server, and also leading writer You
must sort out my identity a little before
you can expect me to defend myself
Come, now" went on Weeks, pleasantly,
suppose for a moment that 1 am Mr.
B. What was your object In kidnap-
ing me?"
Il intended to exact a pledge that you
would drop the anarchists expulsion
bill"
Hum! So you are an anarchist are
you? l thought anarchists were snuffy
foreign paupers who were more afraid of
soap than of dynamite
Sir, am I unclean? Am I-snuffv?
Does this room look as If 1 were a pau
PERI"
no. That is what surprises me-"
ou are insular, you English
We must be. but you people are sur
prfsingly ignorant of US. Do you really
suppose that an English minister can
drop an important bill in the middle of
session because you tell him to- He
would have to reckon with the party"
What party?"
with Mr.. B-s party. With tbe
great Liberal party"
nave never heard Of It," said this
amazing anarchist
Mr. Weeks gasped. Was such Ignorance
poSslpieF Yet the man seemed honest.
He had the look of an interested in
quirer.
Ihen Mr.. Weeks pulled himself together
ana began to speak. He was awkward at
nrst' as one might be who tried to ex-
PLAIN qu1ck-flring guns to a savage in
nocent OF gunpowder. But after while
ne 1elt his way to first principles, and
on these solid foundations he built I'm tbe
-NN~N@Se~A
ence was interested and rather amused
at nrst, then he became bored, and at
last nothing but unnatural politeness
Kept him from falling asleep. IT was
midnight before Mr.. Weeks. who had haen
going strong, stopped
mat is enough as an introduction.
ne SAID. The next time you favor me
tails
The anarchist, bowling courteouslv
Went away in silence, and Mr.. Weeks
petook himself to bed. He was con-
sclous or having spent a delightful even
ing.
For more than week the chief an
archlst visited Mr.. Weeks every dav to
see that he was safe and in good health
lie did not always wish to stay but
Mr.. Weeks prevailed over him. The
poor mans politeness was his ruin.
Every day Mr.. Weeks pinned his mis-
erable auditor into an arm chair, piled
him with cigars and whisky-but not
enough of the spirit for obliyion-and
talked at him. Heavens, how he talk
ed! To the anarchist the evenings pass
ed in wild whirling orgy of words,
words. He pictured home rule. registra-
tion reform, the question Of the lords,
as so many bricks designed solely that
he might be pelted with them His
mind ached, and his body in sympathy
felt bruised. He could talk himself on
occasions, and cry ''Vive Panarchie!'
with conviction, but the hard, unemo-
tional, mechanical lecturing of Mr..
Weeks struck a chill to his heart Poll
tics to his mind was less systematic and
more exciting.
Mr.. Weeks, in spite of his natural irri-
tation at restraint, profoundly enjoyed
his captivity. Engaged in a sacred duty,
he was grandly unconscious of the an
archists merciless boredom; he re-
garded him as a possible convert, and
his soul glowed with missionary enter
prise. He was magnificent, II slightly
inhumane.
On the last day Of Mr.. Weeks detention
his visitor came in earlier than usual.
The man had lost some of his bloom
during his late severe experiences. His
clothes hung on him without fit; he was
deteriOrating fast.
Mr. b has come home" he said
simply.
And 70" cried Weeks.
''You r1Iey go when you please"
''You are very good. On my word,
am quite sorry to stop our charming
evenings"
"Mr. Weeks has been most obliging-
and instructive"
but how about B-?" asked Weeks
anxiousIy care you going to have an
other try at him2"e
81 think not. We could only threaten
to kill him, or to blow up his house
and family, If he refused us. But these
things would seem small to him. Has
he not endured many years Of your
house of commons"
What do you mean?'
But Mr.. Weeks never received an ex-
planation.-Bennet Copplestone In the
Cornhill Magazine.