The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-11-12

When the. servants had been dis
missed and we three men were alone,
Dom Miguel a1lfcSaed me Wich unre-
strained Trankness
II suppose you know little of our
revolutionary movement Mr.. Har-
cliffe, he began.
Very little, indeed, Z responded.
briefly.
cit dates back for several years, but
has only. recently attained to real Inn
portanca. Gradually. our people of all
degrees have awakened to the knowl-
edge that they must resist the tyranny
OF the imperial government, with its
I horde OF selfish and INSCRIPTIONS re-
tanners. The emperor is honest enough,
but weak and his advisors leave him
no exercise of his own royal will
Spurred by the nations distress the
Revolution has at last taken definite
IorIns and at present centers in me.
But as our strength grows our dan
ger increases. The existing govern
ments knowing itself threatened, has
become keen to ferret out our secrets
and to discover the leaders of the
Cause, that they may crush all with
one blow" He paused, and ficked the
ash from his cigar with a thoughtful
gesture For this, and many another
reason. need the assistance of a. secre-
tary whom I may trust implicitly
Who will, If need be. die rather than
betray my confidence
glanced hesitatingly at the man
opposite me. It seemed strange that
]
sonal matters before a third party.
Paola was trying to balance a spoon
upon the edge of his glass. He met my
gaze with the usual vacant smile upon
his face yet in the instant I caught
q CLEAN IN his eye so shreWd and COM
prehensiye that it positively startled
me. Instantly his face was shrouded
! in a cloud of smoke from his cigar
and when it cleared away the idiotic
leer that appeared upon his counte-
nance indicated anything rather than
intelligence.
Dom Miguel looked from one to the
other of US and smiled.
Perhaps I should tell you," said he,
earnestly, that no man is higher in
our counsels or more thoroughly es-
teemed by all classes of patriots than
Francisco Paola. You may speak IN
/ his presence with entire freedom
At this the popinjay twisted the end
/ Of his moustache and bowed with mock
dignity. I stared at him with an as
! constituent tinged with disgust. His
/ eyes were now CLASSY and his gaze vac
uous. The eternal smile expressed
merely stupidity and conceit.
I turned to Dom Miguel, who grave
| " awaited my reply.
sir said I, you are my fathers
old friend My uncle, who was my
fathers partner and is now my own
| associate in business sent me to you
4 with the injunction to serve you to the
1 best of my ability. This, by way of
gratitude for many favors shown our
/ house by you in the days when a friend
I counted largely for success. Being an
American, [ love freedom Your cause
shall be my cause while remain with
you. OF my power to serve you there
may be question; but my loyalty you
need never doubt"
i Dom Miguel reached across the table
and grasped my hand warmly. Paola
poured himself a glass of wine and
/ drank to me with nod of his head.
when first 7 saw you,' said de
T ~ we
| gained a strong ally, and God knows
| we need trustworthy friends at this
juncture. The great Revolution, which
lis destined some day to sweep Brazil
I from Para to Rio Grande do Sui, is
/ now IN my keeping. In my posses
i sion are-pa pers wherein are inscribed
the names of the patriots who have
| joined our Cause; to me has been in
/ trusted the treasure accumulated for
years to enable US to carry out our
plans. Even those plans-carefully
! formulated and known to but a few
of my associates, the trusted leaders
4 are confided to my care. / cannot risk
a betrayal that would imperil the Rev
olution itself and destroy all those con-
cerned IN it, by employing for secretary
a Brazilian. who might become a spy
| of Dom Pedro. or be frightened by
4 threats and imprisonment
/ Leaning forward, he regarded me
earnestly. His eyes, so gentle in re-
pose, now searched my own with fierce
I 1uIEuSllN
Il cannot even trust my own house
hold he whispered; my own flesh
| and blood has been suspected Of trea-
son to the Cause. There are spies
/ everywhere, of both sexes, among the
EIowly and the gentle. So I accept your
services. Robert Harcliffe, and thank
you in the name of the Revolution
It was all rather Theatre, but could
| not question the sincerity of his speech,
and it succeeded in impressing me with
| the gravity of my new position.
Come said Paola, breaking the
| tense pause, ''Iet US rejoin the ladies' .
Five minutes later he was at the
piano. carolling a comic ditty, and /
! again wondered what element this
might contain that could win the re-
spect of a man like Miguel de Pintra.
! Evidently I must, to some extent, CLEAN
/ a definite knowledge of the Revolution
and its advocates through a process of
/ absorption. This would require time,
as well as personal contact with Dom
Miguel and his confreres, and my only
hope of mastering the situation lay in
a careful study of each parsonage I
met and cautious resistance of any
temptation to judge them hastily. New
ertheless I met and a cauI ontr, OPTIC
theless, this knocking, progressive
Francisco Paola had from the first mo-
ment of his acquaintance become an
astounding puzzle to me, and so far I
could see no indication of any depths
to his character that could explain the
esteem in which he was held by his
chief.
But now his sisters sweet upturned
face drew me to her side, and I
straightway forgot to dwell upon the
problem.
(To be Continued Next Sunday.)