Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-01-23

and the other conspirators had natu-
rally drawn as close TO him as possi-
bic, in their eagernesS to see what had
happened or to render help. Sudden
ly the man who was holding the match
dropped it with yell
Damn your clumsy, dumping feetI"
he roared, as he stumped backward
and forward -whistling with main
Here am | with an ingrowing nail
that has given me hell and Old Harry
for weeks, and you must needs go set
your hobnail hoof upon it,"
Beg pardon I'm sure" answered a
voice from the darkness.
Beg pardon be damned" came the
reply. "A mans no right to bring feet
like those among gentlemen. They're
only fit to hire out, instead of steam
rollers, to crush stones on a country
road"
In the meantime another match had
been struck, and the man with the in
growing nail found another grievance.
BE damned if he amt standing on
the candle with 'em now" ne grum-
bled. Here, move 'em, will you, if
you can do it without knocking any
body down. You'll kill some one be-
fore you've done, if we don't have a
light l feel like black-beetle on a
kitchen floor, l do, when you're walk
ing about with those boots on"
us he hurt?" asked some one, when
the candle had been rescued and re-
lit, and attention was once more turned
to the PROSTATE man upon the floor
mo, he amt hurt; he's only dead,
that's what he is said the fellow with
the ingrowing nail, whose number on
the council l subsequently discovered
was Number Six. 1T would take a
power O. hurting to trouble a man
who's wearing a necktie like that
You might as we'll talk of hurting a
skewered chicken"
Gentlemen" said Number Two,
you are my witnesses that 1 struck
in seif-defense. 1t was he who drew
steel on me, not l on him. Besides,
even If this hadn't happened, the necks
of none of us would have been safe if
he had been allowed to leave this place
alive tonight. How he did it l don't
know, but there's no question but that
1t was he who changed the ball that
had prepared for Jubilee day. l saw
him with my own eyes sitting in the
building exactly opposite. And what
would have been easier for a man who
knew our plans, and had the run of
the building opposite. than to play
tricks with the other end of the festoon
upon which the ball was hung? No
doubt, after l had fixed the bomb and
gone away, he managed to lasso it in
some fashion and then haul it up and
change it. II you remember l invited
him to assist me in carrying out the
project. But he was too clever for
that. He knew that il anything went
wrong / should naturally suspect him
(and, in fact, l was inclined at first to
suspect Number Seven, who assisted
mel and so. after this fellow had &C
quainted himself with my proposed
plan, he goes and installs himself in
the building that faced my headquar-
ters, so that he can spoil the game
without mourning suspicion. 1t was
very prettily planned, and, no doubt,
IL we knew the truth the poor man
who went to his account over that at
tempt on Lord Cranthorpe was a vic
tim OF this same Judas's treachery."
AS he spoke he spurned the body on
the floor with his foot.
1t seemed to stir.
Damned ] don't believe he's dead,
after ALL" said Councillor Number Six.
Kneeling down and placing one hand
on the PROSTATE mans shoulder, he
began to undo the buttons of the waist
coat
"Umphi" he grunted. There's a
pound or two of stiff horsehair pad
ding in the mans shoulders. You can
feel it jutting out where the coat joins
the sleeve. Wanted to make himself
look broad and military, l suppose.
"A rum fancy. Now let's see if his
hearts going" Opening the shirt at
the collar, he slipped an open palm
over the victims left breast.
Then he sprang to his feet with a
startled cry. My Godl mates" he
said. ut isn't a man at ali, but
womani"
"a woman," chorused the con-
spirators.
Yes, 1T is woman right enoughi"
said the fellow. He stood for a mo-
ment or two staring meditatively at
the body, and then, with eyes mar
rowed to Sits, he looked curiously at
each OF us in turn, as If expecting to
find on one of our faces something
which might indicate a previous
knowledge of the victims SEX In this
he was disappointed, for l watched the
faces of the others meanwhile, and
could detect no such sign as he sought.
This, in fact. was hardly to be won
dered at under the circumstances.
Some physioSnomists tell you that if
you suspect man of lying, or an enc
my of fiinching, you should look him
in the eyes. Do SO by all means. but
better still, watch his mouth Many
men will braZen il out boldly with
their eyes, but all their hardihood can
not quite control the traitor mouth
from betraying secrets to those who
can read the signs Alright Several
times eyes have looked unwaveringIy