Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-01-16

ly, Il shall be happy TO withdraw my
proposal"
Il thought not" he went on when
Number Five shook his head, then in
that case perhaps you will yourself
undertake the carrying out OF the plan
which l have had the honor to submit
TO the council"
He stopped as he spoke, and lifting
the brown bag, of which mention has
already been made, opened it. and TAX
ing out red celluloid ball he held 1t
at arms length to Number Five. who
backed uneaSily and stood staring at
the thing with any thing but eyes of
desire.
Wont you take it?" jeered Number
Two, advancing a step. 1T will be the
simplest thing in the world DOW to
carry out the arrangement All you
have to do is TO slip the end Of the
wire through the ring at the top of the
ball, and let it slide down till it
reaches the slackest part. You see it
is made exactly like the other colored
balls they are using, and no one could
tell, without opening it, that it con-
tanned bomb instead of an electric
lamp. You are so anxious to serve
the council, and so ready with your
criticisms, that no doubt you will be
glad to accept the responsibility of
Stringing that pretty bead on its neck
lace, and cutting the wire at the crit
ical moment. The man who under
takes the business may of course lose
his life in the explosion, or may be
detected or arrested, as / fully recog-
nized when | offered to play the part
of Guy Faux. But I'm quite willing
to resign in your favor, since you are
SO eager to distinguish yourself The
post of honor is always a post of dan
ger-both in war and in conspiracy
but you, no doubt, won't count the cost
so long as you gain the importance
you SO covet Do you accept my Of
fer?"
NO" said Number Five eff your
plan ucceeds-though / don't think
such lot of it as you do-you'll take
all the credit; and IL 1t fails, as l be-
lieve it will, 1 shall have to pay the
costs. Much obliged to you'll No
thanks! When 1 play Guy Faux, as
you call 1t, 1t will have to be plot
of my own-not somebody else's-
planning. You're not the only man on
this council with ideas. and If the other
members would like me to think out
plan or two I'm ready to 10 it. But
you've dealt out the cards in this lit
tie game of yours, and now you'd best
play your hand out All the same.
and to show that it isn't funk that
keeps me out of it, I'm quite ready to
act as your assistant in this Jubilee
business, and TO share whatever risk
you run in 1t"
1T is quite true that !. ought to have
an assistant" replied Number Two,
coldly. THE wire rope which | have
to undo will be very heavy, and shall
need some one to hold it for me while
l thread the ball; for if by any chance
the thing slipped out of my hand the
result would be too previous to be
pleasant But if you will pardon my
saying SO, l would rather that some
other member than yourself volun-
teered to assist me. You have already
expressed your disbelief in the sue
cess OF my project; and it does not
do to have half-hearted workers in
such business. We are already half
way TO victory when every one con-
cerned is confident of success, and.
conversely, we are halfway to a fail
ure when one of the workers antici-
pates breakdown. Besides, though |
am not very superstitious. something
tells me that your presence on the
occasion would bring us i'll luck. Is
any other member of the council will
N mo in, he. l. n
am about to striker"
Here was my chance.
81 am" said.
AS | spoke | stepped forward and
raised my right hand in military
saiute-wLy, cannot think, unless the
whole thing seemed TO me less like real
life than melodrama in which | was
sustaining part. The action, how
ever, appeared to please him.
That's good" he said. "A soldier
too, and accustomed to act under or
ders without asking questions. YOU
NUMBER"
Number Seven" replied, prompt
ly, as if on parade.
'All right. Number Seven. Here's
the exact address of the house in oues-
tlon' Can L count on your calling
there at nine o'clock sharp on the
evening before the jubilee?''
You can, sir" / said.
"All right Remember Nine o'clock
ssharp the night before the show. Give
three single knocks and I'll open the
door to you myself. That's all need
say to you now, | think"
Taking this as my dismissal, I sa-
luted in silence and stepped back.
Then Number Two turned to the rest
OF the company again. There is one
point that | ought to bring to your
notice, gentlemen" he said. 1T was
a rule OF our late chiefs that the coun-
Gil never met in the same place twice.
This is the second time that this
wagon has been our trysting-place, and
though l have no reason to suppose it
is not perfectly safe, think we should
do we'll to make a change There is
a disused shed in some brick-fields adj
Joining the camatnru or