Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-02-06
PRIDE THEMSELVES ON BEING 30.
HEMIANS.

| HEMIANS.
on from what Mr.. lubbock calls time
immoral which does concern us and
which L must describe TO you.
One of their rules-a very excellent
one-is that of no long speeches. Ten
minutes is the maximum of time which
| is allowed to any man, guest or mem
Der, prime minister or paragrapher.
and to keep this golden rule inviolate
the original Ishmaelites initiated a Gus
tom which is still religiously followed.
at every meeting of the club there is
placed on the table in front of the
chairman little metal cube about the
] size of pint-pot. When any one
rises to speak, the chairman presses
a spring at the top of the cube which
sets an inside piece of mechanism in
motion. This piece of mechanism is
timed TO run for exactly ten minutes,
and If by that time the speaker has
not finished and the chairman has
not reversed the action, bell strikes.
at the sound of which the speaker.
whoever he may be- must sit down.
1t is rule that might with advantage
be introduced into other institutions.
TO be interrupted or called to order
by member of ones audience-even
by ones chairman-is not pleasant.
But no one, no matter how touchy,
can accept pull up from an irre-
sponsible piece of dead mechanism
other than good-humoredly.
But what has 81 this to do with
us, you say. Well, I'm coming to it.
The 18th of next month is to be a
field day with the Ishmaelites. and
they have succeeded in MODELLING the
prince of Wales as their guest. And
who do you think is to be the chair
man? gentleman who has been
honored with considerable amount
OF attention from the syndicate al
ready-no less a parsonage than our
friend Lord Cranthorpe. Gentlemen.
wouldn't 1t be tempting Providence,
who has, so to speak, delivered these
two men into our hands, to let slip
such an opportunity of retrieving the
failure which attended our previous
attempt on the life of Lord Cranthorpe
and the royal family? The idea is not
mine, but our excellent friend Hub
locks; but am bound to confess that
IL he succeeds, as he believes he can.
in efecting the assassination of the
prince and of Lord Crantborpe at one
stroke, he will have struck blow at
the powers that be, the powers with
which Ne are at enmity, that would
UNNECESSARILY encourage the anarchist
spirit which 1t is so much to our inter-
est to foster, and that will bring in
the subscriptions as nothing else we
have attempted lately has done"
'How is il to be managed?" asked:
and who's to do it?''
lubbock offers to take the sole re-
sponsibility and the sole risk upon his
own shoulders" was the answer. "Iie
knows that it has been a rule of the
syndicate that every new councillor
Shall qualify for the honor and COM
NIT himself irrevocably TO the re-
sponslbilIty attending a place on the
council by undertaking the first piece
Oh rlsAy work that is 10 be done after
MS election. 1t is true that lubbock
mas already qualified by undertaking
the TASK OF securing the bag contain
ing the money which was tossed out
Oh the window the other day. He
hopes and hope that the fact that he
accomplished the difficult enterprise
ana conveyed and delivered the cash
safely and intact into the hands of the
council has satisfied the councillor who
at our last meeting raised the ones
uon OF Hubbocl's honesty, 1 beg par
uon, honor. But he is anxious still
iurther TO prove his zeal by striking
what am bound to confess seems TO
me peculiarly daring and deadly blow
tsat Il.
at royalty and at the aristocracy. We
VINO constitute this council are paid
10 wage war against the upper classes
and the capitalists, and if lubbock
succeeds, think it will go far to sat
isfy our clients and subscribers that
we are giving them something for
their money"
yes! yes!" interpoSed Councillor
number Six rather testify, being an
noyed, perhaps, at the reference which
had been made TO him. 1T seems to
me there's TOO much jaw about these
meetings. You don't need TO explain
all these things to US over and over
again as II we were pack of school
boys. Ever since We lost our old chief.
You Jump at any chance of lecturing
US, same as some old women do who
want TO hear their own voices. We
all know that TO blow up the prince of
Wales and the other aristocratic per
lsher, Lord Cranthorpe, along with
him will set business moving in the
subscription line and we don't want
to be told it all over again at every
council meeting. The show amt a
prayer-meeung. The point is, can the
things be done? If so, how?"
Number Two took the interruption
In better part than | had expected.
Very well, my friend" he said.
good-humoredly, Il don't want to in
hict too many details upon you, I'm
sure. Only as We all share the re-
fsponsibility as well as the profits, it
seemed only right 10 me that council
lors shall be fully acquainted with
what was being done iii their name.
When you know beforehand how the
thing is to be done, you will be able