Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-02-13
CHAPTER XXI.
THE MAN WHO WAS BLACK
BALLED"

Neeu say III was i who was answer
able for the failure Of Mr.. Hubbock's
uttle scheme?
have been member Of the IshmaeI
club for 10 years, and have twice
served upon the committee. When
Number Two informed us that he was
Mr.. Richardson Hall, knew at once
that had heard the name before. and
lad Oh one occasion confounded IL
with Roland Hill. What that occa-
sion was, however, I could not recall
until Number Twos sneering and lying
ellusion to the Ishmaelites gave me
the cue. Then I recollected that when
I was on the committee of the club,
Mr.. Richardson Hall had twice con-
srived to get himself proposed as a
member. The first time he was sum-
Darily rejected on the Qualification
rule, and so did not even face the pre-
hminary stage Of being "up" for cleo
0on. Twelve months after he became
q candidate for the second time. and
on this occasion he was apparently de-
eermined to succeed, for he made the
support OF every member, with whom
ne was on speaking terms, q personal
favor, and indeed left no stone un.
turned to attain his end, and so man.
aged to squeeze through the prelfm-
tnary qualification scrutiny. When.
however, the committee met for the
nnal consideration of candidates, MIR.
RICHARDSON Hall was for some reason.
which no doubt was good, promptly
blackballed.
This fact, while it accounted for the
rr-fAI
to the club. made me all the more re-
solved to checkmate Mr.. Hubbock's
little demonstration.
Rather than that the guest of q
club. of which l am a member, should
come to harm under its roof, I de-
cided-should every other means fail
TO make known to the police the whole
story OF my connection with the syn
dictate. But 1 was reluctant to resort
TO so extreme a measure unless COM
PEELED, and as thought saw my way
TO a simpler solution OF the difficulty.
! went to work accordingly. To find
the instrument-maker at Geneva to
whom the ten-minute gong had been
entrusted, in order that a musical box
might be placed inside. was easy
thanks to the thousand pounds which
had recently pocketed-to persuade
him to supply me with a duplicate
gong. The duplicate was to resemble
the original in every way, and, like
the original, 1t was to contain a mu-
steal box, which, when wound I'D.
would, at the expiration OF ten min
utes, play God Bless the Prince of
Wales!"
What was not SO easy was the sub
sutution of my musical box for the in
ternal machine with which lubbock
had promised to replace the original
gong. That he would not effect the
change until Immediately before din
ner knew, so that | had practically
only few minutes in which TO ac-
eomplish my task
While the rest of the members were
IN the reception chamber waiting the
arrival OF the prince, / made my way
70 the dining-room, with the gong
which had procured in Geneva under
my cloak, and under pretense of look
Ing where my seat was placed, began
TO examine the tables. But as the
walters were coming and going the
whole time, no opportunity offered for
making the exchange, finding which,
! determined TO take the bull by the
horns; so boldly walking to the head
OF the table, l lifted the gong, and
began turning it round and round, as
II curious to learn the mechanism.
NO one but walters being in the room,
and they, l suppose, hesitating to in
terfere lest they should be rebuked
for insolence to a member, / strolled-
the gong still in my hands-towards
the window, as if to avail myself OF
the light. Then turning my back for
moment, I contrived to effect the ex-
change; and placing the musical box
on the table, left the club with Hub
books Internal machine under my
cloak, and having taken the thing to
place OF safety, returned in time to
be present at the dinner
l was present also next morning at
the meeting, when lubbock had hoped
TO receive the congratulations of his
fellow-conspirators. Why the expect
ed explosion had not taken place is
no mystery to the reader; but Hub
books mystiication and modification
were equally great
To have TO report utter, if unaccount-
able failure was humiliating enough;
but the smiling incredulity with which
Number Two refused to accept any
other explanation than that lubbock
had become f1urried, and in his haste
had placed the wrong machine on the
table. added UNNECESSARILY to the poor
mans wrath. Grinning with impotent
rage and irritation, he again. and again
declared that the failure was due to no
mistake of his.
He might as well have talked to a
brick wall
My good lubbock, my excellent
lubbock, 1t is quite unnecessary for
you to excite yourself about the mat
ter said Number Two, smiling i'm
perturbably. ANY of us might have
zone as you did. Outwardly the two
macllneS-tha rOucicol how o.l