The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1903-08-07


He accepted the proposal In his smooth
flowing language-spoken with vehe-
ment agitation. which betrayed itself In
the wildness and the suddenness OF his
foreign gesticulations. but never In the
raising OF his voice-I now heard the
struggle that is left for this story TO
record.
You know nothing of my motive for
leaving Italy" he began. except that II
driven to this country by the persecution
of my government. ! should not have
kept those reasons a secret from you or
cause no government authority has pro-
nounced the sentence of my exile. You
have heard. Walter. Of the political So
on the continent Of Europel To one OF
those societies I belonged in Italy-and
belong still In England When J came
to this country ! came by the direction
OF my chief. / was overzealous. In my
younger time; l ran the risk OF compro-
missing myself and others. For those
reasons / was ordered TO emigrate TO
have waited-I wait still. Tomorrow j
may be called away; ten years hence !
may be called away. 1t is all one TO me
ing and walt support Toas s's so esh by esSs au
shall hear why presently In making my
confidence complete by telling you the
name OF the society to which / being.
II what / say to you now is ever known
by others 10 have passed my lips. as cer-
tainly as We two sit here, / am a dead
man"
He whispered the next words in my
ear / keep the secret which he thus
communicated. The society TO which he
belonged will be sufficiently individual.
lied for the purposes OF these pages II
call IL The Brotherhood" on the few
occasions when any reference 20 the sub
ject will be needed In this place.
went on, lis, briefly, the object OF other
political societies OF the same sort-the
destruction of tyranny. and the asser-
ton OF the rights OF the people.
The principles OF the Brotherhood are
two. So long as a mans life is useful,
or even harmless only he has the right
10 enjoy IL. But II his life infiicts In
jury on the well-being of his fellow w-men.
from that moment he forfeits the right.
and II is not only no crime. but a posi-
tive merit TO deprive him Of IL. II Is
not for me to say In what frightful cir
cumstances OF oppression and suffering
this society took its rise. II 10 not for
you 10 say-you Englishmen. who have
conquered your freedom so long ago that
you have conveniently forgotten what
blood you shed, and what eUtremtties you
proceeded TO. in the conquering-it is not
for you TO say how far the worst OF all
exasperations may, or may not, carry
the maddened men of an ensiaved nation.
The iron that has entered into our souls
has gone too deep for you TO find IL. Leave
the refugee alone! Laugh at him. dis
trust him, open you eyes In wonder at
that secret self which smolders in him,
sometimes under the everyday respect
ability and tranquility OF a man like me;
sometimes under the grinding poverty, the
fierce squalor. OF men less lucky, less
pliable less patient than I am-but Judge
us not. In the time of your first Charles
you might have done us Justice; the long
luxury Of your own freedom has made
you incapable OF doing us justice now"
All the deepest feelings OF his nature
seemed 20 force themselves TO the sur
fac In those words; all his heart was
poured out to me, for the first time In
our lives-but still his voice never rose:
still his dread OF the terrloel revela-
ton he was making TO me never left
him.
so far" he resumed. you think the
society like other societies. Its object lin
your English opinion) is anarchy and
revolution. 1t takes the life OF a bad
king or a bad minister. as II the one and
the other were dangerous like wild beasts
to be shot at the first opportunity. I grant
you this. But the laws OF the Brother
hood are the laws OF no other political
society on the face of the earth The
members are not known to one another.
There is a president in Italy; there are
presidents abroad. Each Of these has
his secretary The presidents and secre-
taries know the members; but the mem
bers. among themselves, are all strangers,
until their chiefs see fit, in the political
necessity of the time. or In the private
necessity OF the society, TO make them
known 10 each other. With such q
safeguard as this, there is no oath among
us on admittance. We are identified with
the Brotherhood by a secret mark. which
we all bear. which lasts while our lives
last. We are told to go about our ordi-
nary business and 10 report ourselves to
the president. or the secretary, four
times year, in the event Of our ser
vices being required. We are warned.
IL we betray the Brotherhood. or II we
injure IL by serving other interests. that
we die by the principles OF the Brother
hood-die by the hand of n stranger, who
may be sent from the other, end OF the
world to strike the blow-or by the hand
Of our own bosom friend. who may have
been member unknown TO US through
all the years OF our intimacy. Some
times the death Is delayed; sometimes II
follows close on the treachery. 1t Is
our irst business to know how TO wait
our second business TO know how TO obey
when the word is spoken. Some Of US
may walt our lives through. and may
not be wanted. Some OF US may be called
To the work. or>to the preparation for the
work, the very day Of our admission
myself-the little. easy. cheerful man you
know who OF his own accord would hard
ly lift up hts handerkerchief 10 strike
down a fy that buzzes about her
face 90 I. In my younger time.
under provocation 40 dreadful that will
not tell you OF II. entered the Brother
hood by an impulse. as / might have
killed myself by an impulse. I must re-
main in II. now--it has got me. whatever
I may think of IL in my better circumstan-
ces. sand my cooler manhood.t to my dying
day While I was still In italy, Twas chosen
Secretary. and ell the members Of that
time. who were brought face 20 face
with my President. were brought face 20
face also with me"
began 10 understand him; saw the
end toward which his extraordinary dis
closure was now tending. He waited a
moment. watching me earnestly-watch-
ing Till he had evidently guessed what
was passing In my mind, before he re-
sumed.
You have drawn your conclusions al
ready" he said. II see n In your face.
Tell me nothing; keep me out of the
secret ~ your thoughts. Let me make
my one last sacrifice ~ myself for your
sake-and then have done with this sub
- wnsst a. 10.