The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1906-06-09

left on one the impression that he was
a man to exercise authority and en-
force it. An air of Difference marked
the manner of the others towards him,
and they addressed him as Signor x.
Silence and an air of waiting reigned
in the tiny room. The man just count
ed the numbers of the arrivals as they
flied in, and noted them down on pa
per he held. When the last closed the
door behind him he raised his hand
with a quick gesture. The man sitting
nearest rose and rapidly but silently
barred and locked it, and resumed his
seat. The meeting had opened, and
no one who had been permitted to cast
dow would have failed to put it down
as one of a strange character.
The man they called Signor X tap
ped thrice On the table before him. If
1t was q call for silence it was unnec-
essaly, for they were all mute and
waiting. He said something in a
strange tongue-a few muttered words
like an 1ncantation-to which they al,
bowed their heads reverently and NUT
tered response. 1t might have been
a grace before meat from the manner
OF it. But there was no giving OF
thanks in any Of their looks.
There was another instant of silence
and then Signor X spoke. His voice
was Observation-Disclosures, yet so low
that it scarcely carried to the door.
Every member present could catch ev-
cry syllable: yet an ear at the keyhOle
would have found itself baffled. The
circle of men appeared we'll used to it.
They bent their heads and turned one
ear in an attitude of deep attention.
This also, to the eye of beholder,
would have had an effect singular and
important. Signor x spoke on.
ITO most OF those present." he said,
lit is needless again to go over GER
tain facts with which they are famil-
lar but there are some few present to.
night who have but just come to this
place, and to whom the object of our
meeting tonight has yet to be dis
closed. For their instruction | will re-
capitulate the facts have alluded to.
1t Will take but brief allotment of
our time
There was stir of assent, a voice.
less encouragement TO continue. which
he acknowledged by mere movement
of his head. One of the last arrivals
threw his hat slightly back from his
forehead to allow him TO see more
clearly acEosssthess
whether new arrivals or DID," con.
tinued the president, I'VE are all aware
of one vital thing. We have learnt
that an explosive has recently been in
vented of such power and influence
that it will affect the universe. It is
vital to us as Il society that the secret
of this tremendous force should be.
come our own. We cannot afford to
let IT. pass us. We're it ours alone the
world would crouch before us, we
should have an nndisputed dominion !;
but. unfortunately, it is too late for us
to hope for a monopoly. Could we
have obtained such information as we
have now some few months earlier we
might have found ourselves the sole
masters of the secret. That was not
to be, but there is still work enough
before us, for we are determined that
We shall share the power with the ma
ton that would keep it for it's own.
The government of this country is
about to take the power into its own
hands and use it for it's own purposes
We intend TO make it our own as
we'll
To achieve this it is needful, need
hardly say, that we should possess
ourselves of it without delay. Every
day that it remains unpossessed by us
adds to the difficulty of our getting it
into our hands. The state is even now
experimenting and testing, and only
waiting to he satisfied before it &C
cepts the invitation which is to revo-
lnIl0nize modern warfare. Once it de-
termlnes to take it, there will be far
greater difficulties in approaching it.
The secret will be guarded like the
tree of the Hesperides. But as yet
there is way which will before long
be barred. The owner of the secret is,
as we all know, somewhere in this
place. He still has duplicate papers
of the invention, which he will even.
tually be called upon to destroy, or to
hand over to the custody of this coun,
try. While those papers are here we
have still our chance"
Another faint stir ran through the
room. It was like the rustic of dried
leaves upon a dried forest Dough. Sig
nor X held up his hand, for he had
not done speaking. There was silence
instant. complete, again.
10 obtain possession of these docu.
ments, then, must be our most earnest
endeavor, and we must be speedy and
swift. We have already been able to
do good Woodwork which have this
evening to report to you-but it is only
the first step. We have ascertained
without doubt that the papers are still
here-at the House of Government, so.
ca1led-and we have located them in