Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1904-01-16
Copyright 1880 BY Herbert S. Stone Co

/
| sponsibility, decided to make an at
tempt to anticipate the decree of the
council, and to blow up Lord Gran
thorpes housewife what result Won
, already know"
| Except Tor something between a
gasp and groan on the part of one
listener, and on the part of the Others
simultaneous sigh which bore evil
oence to the painful interest with
which they had heard the narrative
there was dead silence for some time
after Number Two had ceased. Then
a councillor said somewhat uneasily-
And the dynamite which you re-
tanned in your own possession?"
It's here" replied Number Two
shortly, holding up-with what I felt
was quite misplaced and unnecessary
energy-a brown leather handbag
which he had been carrying in his
hand
L am bound to confess that the conn
ell did not display the interest which
might have been expected. Even so
observant member as myself was
conscious of curious dissemination
TO come to nearer acquaintance with
the contents of the brown bag; and
there was an unmistakable, If unos-
tentatious, disposition on the part of
my colleagues to gravitate in the di-
rection of the door. One member had
In fact put a hand upon the latch.
when Number Two added, with Just n
suspicion Of smile:
"And-as 1 don't want to join Num-
Der Three just yet awhile-quite Sc
curely packed, l assure youi'
The man who had put his hand up-
on the latch, being thus relieved Of his
anxiety for the safety of an honored
colleague, took occasion to rebuke any
tendency towards timcrousness on the
part of his fellow-conspirators, by re-
marking witheringly that he'd be glad
IL the members would leave him room
% stand up in, and would not push
him against the door. And when the
councillor who, upon the production of
the brown bag, had displayed most
eagerness to edge towards the exit,
! had relieved his feelings by expressing
b wish that the next time "any one
had anything to be afraid about he
hoped they wouldn't compel him to
move by treading upon his toes" and
D third councillor had conceded jocose-
ty that he was bound to say he'd had
bit of start" the meeting resumed
Its normal aspect.
Yes, gentlemen" continued Num-
Der Two somewhat inhatedly. that
bag contains the larger portion of the
explosive OF which you commissioned
me to obtain possession. now leave
1t to you to decide whether | have or
have not failed in accomplishing what
had undertaken"
oh, yes, you have scrambled
through the business" said a long
laced, rather round-sh ouldered man.
who was, | afterwards learned. Coun-
cillor Number Five: you have scram-
bled through it right enough, though
ut the cost of the life of fellow coun-
cillor."
That was not my fault" retorted
Number Two angrily 1T is due to the
fact that this council is at present
without a head. Number Three was
INSTRUCTED TO assist me, but was not
enjoined to obey me implicitly. Had
II been so he would not have dared TO
go beyond his instructions. as he APP
pears 10 have done last night; and
then we should not have lost good
dynamite and valuable life TO no
purpose. l pointed out at the last
meeting Of this council how important
1t was that some member ne selected
to take the place of our late leader;
and just so long as we remain without
q head, just so long may we expect
nothing but such unhappy fiascos as
happened last night"
The moral of all of which is" put
in Number Five dryly, that you are
trying to force the hand of the council
In order that you yourself may be APP
pointed to the post about which you
gre so eloquent. But there are others
who are quite as fitted to take the
reins."
Yourself, for instance" sneered
Number Two angrily. Il had surmised
that you were jealous of the fact that
am your senior on the council; but
Your motives for trying to belittle what
| have done are so apparent that the
lcouncil will know how to estimate
them at their proper worth"
mo doubt our fellow councillors are
competent to estimate your motives
Five indifferently. I'm the meantime,
may l inquire how our dead chiefs
bag came into your possession?'
The question had the effect of turn
ing all eyes, my own included, upon
the article referred to. / saw, to my
CONSERVATION, that it resembled in
every way the very bag which, after
Number Ones fatal fall from the train,
had taken from the rack where he
had placed 1t, and had hidden in
hayrick before paying my first visit
to the conspirator's wagon. Before
leaving Leigh, however, had regained
possession of the bag, and had carried
1t with me to my chambers in Buck
ingham street, where had locked 1t
away, in case 1 might want it at any
/ time as evidence. If Number Five
were right, and the bag which Number
Two was holding We're indeed-as APP
peared to be the case-the very article