The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-20

'&%5$@5=s < Aladdin of London, or the Lodestar r~
Co oyright 1907 by Max Pem- berton, all llrights reserved


, \ general sense of unrest made itself felt everywhere as though all understood the danger which threatened the city and ] the preearious existence it's defenders must lead When they quilted the thea ire and turned into one of the military clubs for supper. the common excitement was even more marked and ubiquitous enough to arrest the attention even of , such a faneur as Sergius.
 These fellows are sitting down to sup per with bombs under their chairs" he said sotto voce That is to say, each thinks that bono is there and hopes that It will kill his neighbor We have no sympathy in our public life here--the conditions are altogether against il. lm- agine 800 men upou &he deck of ship which has struck q rock, and consider what opportunities there would be to de- plore the drowned. In Russia each plays for his own safety and does not care a rouble what becomes of the man next door. Such fact is both our strength and our wealness-our strength because opportunities make men, and our weakness because we have no unity of plan which will enable us to fight such combination as is now being pitted against us. I myself believe that the old order Is at an end. That is why l have a villa in the south of France and some excellent apartments in Paris"
 You believe that the Revolutionaries will be victorious?" Alban asked in his quiet way.
 "I believe that the power Is passing from the hands of all autocratic govern- ments, and that some phase of social ism will eventually be the policy of ail civilized nations."
 Then what is the good of going to England, Count. if you believe that it will be the same story there?'
 Tt is only q step on the road. You will never have a revolution in your country, you have too much common sense. But you will tax your bourgeois until you make him bankrupt. and that will be your way of having all things in common. In America the working man is too well off and the country is too young to permit this kind of thing yet It's day will be much later-but 1t will come all the same. and then the deluge Let us rejoice that we shall not see these things in our time. It is something to know that our champagne is assured to us."
 He lifted a golden glass and drank a vague toast heartily. Others in the club were frankly intoxicated and many heated scene marked the progress of unceremonious and impromptu revels Young officers, who carried their lives in their hands every hour, showed their contempt of life in many bottles. Old men, stern and gray at dawn, were so many babbling imbecies at midnight. The walters ran to and fro ceaselessly, their faces dripping with precipitation and their throats floarse with shouting. The musicians fiddled as though the end of all things was. at hand and must not surprise them at broken bar. In Rus sia the scene was familiar enough, but tf hA nrpb he ci1lp and volting. Alban felt as one released from pit of gluttony when at 3 in the morn ing Sergius staggered to his feet and bade a servant call him in a drosky.
 We have much to do tomorrow" he muttered much to do-and then, ah, my friend, if we only knew what we meant when we say and then.'