Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-02-11
THE DAILY
SHORT STORY.
A Thrilling Encounter
IoriginaLl

trOduced III congress! asked PERKINS
OF Mickler as they were lighting cigars
after dinner.
II don't think about the anarchist
question at ALL" AIickler replied. 1t
gives me cold chill every time hear
the word anarchist"
Perkins looked up, somewhat sur
prised at the involuntary shudder that
accompanied his friends words.
Il don't expect you to feel as L do
about the NATTER AIickler continued,
because you haven't had the same eX-
perience. You haven't lived under the
impression that at any moment you
might be dropped by stab in the
back"
Perkins scrutinized the speaker for
time. then said: well, tell me about it.
Singular that you've never mentioned
il before"
Il believe I WILL" replied the other.
I've kept the secret all these years.
and I'm dying to tell some one. Be
sides. fancy the danger is pretty well
over. 1t happened when / was in Lon
don, twelve years ago this winter.
was taking a postgraduate course in
the university. but instead OF paying
much attention to lectures l was lead
ing a gay life with lively set of stu
dents. One night attended Il supper,
during which we had all put away a
good deal of wine. and about o'clock
i'm the morning started for my rooms.
They were in building occupied, as
l understood, as bachelor apartments
in all stories except the first or ground
floor. Bidding good night to q compan-
s-str ,f.fn oil I'm
the stairs. The cold air. following
upon that OF the warm room l had been
supping in, intensified the effect of the
liquor / had drunk. and instead Of stop
ping on the third floor. where l lodged.
l went on up to the fifth. Feeling my
way i'm the dark hall to my room,
found knob in the correct position
and. turning it, threw open the door"
Mickler paused and knocked the ash
es from his cigar nervOusly.
well, old man. go on
''rhe room was brilliantly lighted
though the shutters to every window
We're closed. and dozen men were
sitting around n table. AS the door
opened every man started up, and
twelve revOlvers We're pointed at my
head.
"The party around the table were as
much surprised rs l was. As soon as
I could find my tongue l stammered
my excuse for interrupting them, ms,
surfing them that had rooms on n low
or floor, had climbed too high and had
supposed l was entering my own door.
One of the number said to me. stand
perfectly still Then. turning To one
OF his companions. he asked. How
came that door to be left unlockedT
"'When Ehrheart went for Il pitcher
of beer Il few minutes ago replied the
man, trembling. L was in the inner
chamber. 1 did not know that any one
had gone out
lyon shall pay for this returned
the other. who was evidently the chief.
Then. turning 10 me, lie said:
Remain where YOU are
"BeckoninG TO two other members OF
the circle lie led them out Of the room.
l knew they had gone to decide upon
my case. Would they conclude TO muir
der me? When they returned. 1 ex-
pected to hear that L must die. The
leader stood. looked at me in silence
for n time, then said:
Young man, YOU have committed
n blunder that may cost YOU your life.
You are free to leave this room. but
members of our circle will he appoint
ed to keep an ever open eye upon you.
If you ever tell any human being of
what you have seen here, you will be
put TO death at once. The only way
for you to ike is with the secret locked
in your breast. If you reveal it. You
cannot be sure that the person in
whom YOU confide is not Il member of
our society, and If your confederate is
not a member and tells another he will
run the same risk for you both. Go"
There was no need TO promise secre-
cy. No promise was asked. l was
simply informed that if / let the secret
out / must die. l turned. fearful that
/ might get knife in my back, went
down the stairs, never stopping Mt my
room, going out into the lighted street.
There 1 stood for q few minutes, not
knowing what to do. A man came out
of the building and without noticing
me passed on. knew he had come to
shadow me, and he did. i dared not
go back to my room. so 1 went to ho-
tel, where L put up for the night, or,
rather, the morning, for it was nearly
day.
During the rest of my stay in Lon
don / was Swallowed constantly. Only
occasionally would 1 notice any one
keeping me under surveillance, but /
knew the terrible eye of the anarchist
circle 1 had stumbled on was con-
stantly on me. 1t was not more than Il
week after my return to America be-
fore L received an anonymous commu-
nication notifying me that would be
under the watch of the American an
archists. For ten years continued to
be Swallowed by these people. and
whenever 1 changed the place of my
abode received notice that the society
was informed of my change. 4 cou-
pie of years ago 1 made my last change. |
and this time l was surprised at not
receiving the customary notice. L as
sumed that. having kept an eye on me