The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-08-10

you are wearing that green cloak %
In a few words I explained how I
came to be possessed of the coat.
The eyes behind the mask smiled.
Yes" he said, I see now how the
whole thing has happened We We're
on the lookout for a member of our so
ciety-a member who has violated his
oath and acted orously toward his
comrades He was known only to the
members of our inner circle, but our
humber instruments were told to look
out for man in green cloak ana to
bring him hither. I much regret that
you should have been the victim of so
unfortunate a mistake It is a pity, too,
that the traitor has temporarily escap-
ed US; he must have received warn
ing. At what point did you say he left
the train2"
he nodded gravely. 1T is of little mo-
ment," he said; the scroundrel viii not
get far
And now" continued my mysterious
interlocutor, L can see you are eaten
up with curiosity as to who and what
we are Is it not SOP I thought sol
But unfortunately, 1 am not at liberty
to tell you anything. I want you now
to give me your solemn promise, on
your honor as an Englishman, to say
nothing to any person in Venice of
your adventure of tonight. know you
English. and I know that if you pass
your word you will keep it. Having
given me this promise, you shall be
conveyed to your hotel without delay,
and we shall be happy to recompense
you for the inconvenience we have
caused YOU
The politeness of the mamie was
evidently gentleman to his ffnger-tips
fascinated me. and I gave my parole
quite willingly. Forthwith, with a few
words of apology, he placed the cover
INV Han n in, nd Icd
through the main room to the ancient
quay on which I had first landed, and
so into the gondola.
Farewell, Signor Raymond he said;
rely on you" Then, in a whisper:
TT is not every one who enters the
judgment hall of the Malta and leaves
it alivei''
Ten minutes later my gondolier re-
moved the cloak from my head and
took the strap off my wrists. Three
minutes afterward he dumped me and
my baggage down on the broad steps
of the hotel, and, with a couple Of
sweeping strokes, vanished into the
night The landlord of the hotel was in
a milo state of Wonderment as to where
mad been, but, mindful of my promise
told him nothing, and tumbIed off to
bed as soon as possible. As I was I'M
dressing an envelope fell out of my
side pocket, and, on picking It up, I
found enclosed italian bank notes to
the value OF 250 Ire-rOughly 1OThere
was nothing else in the enevelope and
could only surmise that the money
had been slipped into my pocket by
way of compensation for my weird adj
venture.
One thing more. Two days later I
was chatting with a merchant in his
office close to the Rialto when my eye
caught a paragraph in an Italian paper
on his desk. It was very brief It
simply recounted how a man, unknown,
who had been arrested for vagrancy,
had been found stabbed to the heart
In the jail at Verona. The dagger with
which he had been killed bore an in
scription which showed beyond doubt
that the deed was the work of the
dreaded Malta
The merchant saw the paragraph and
shuddered. Fancy being killed even in
a prison CELL" he said. No one can es-
cape the Mafia!"
And I shuddered with him.