Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1909-02-27
The BLACK
BALL
~ Stuart 3. Stone.

, men, and woman. Two other men
stood guard at the door, and no one
passed In or out without the exchange
OF cabalistic signals and the mh'er,
ing OF mysterious passwords.
On the walls Of the room the crown
| weighted lords OF Europe reposed
head downward. with black crepe
draping aud hemming the pictures
about Kindly expressions Of Death
to Monarchs." and The Dagg': Tor
Despots," twined above and br!o"
the spectacle Of the kings OF the @arth
upturned.
The 12 men ate prodieiOusly. while
the lady. who Was most ravlshinslE
charming. fitted about from one to me
other mu,teling smiling incendIa:isms
and passing the things they ate.
A, the head OF the table was
bushy- whiskered. red-faced individual
brothers." he began. we have
single purpose; it only remains I"
ascertain which OF us will be the IN
strument of OF the wrath OF the pe"-
pie down trOdden and oppressed.
There was a pounding OF clenched
fists on the table, Il chorus or assent
ing voices in a half-doZen barbarous
dialects, and q pompadoured Swede
shouted: Down with the usurper.
The speaker resumed: we shall!
now see who is to be the instrument
OF righteous vengeance. Mile. Aimee
will spread the ballot. and conduct he
drawing. The black ball means we'll
we know that. think.
A low murmur went round the long
table as the pretty Aimee procured |
white balls and \ black one. These
she placed in a wooden box. having a
lid openins at the top. fitting the lid
so that the contents Of the box were
screened from the observation OF the
drawers. she approached the first man
redbearded Slav. The Russian
thrust his hand into the box and drew
forth white ball whereat he seemed
much relieved.
LUCKY Alexieff" said the Slav's
nearest neighbOr The black ball is
certain death, for how can man slaH
A king and escape Yet the work
must be done.
The speaker dived into the box as
he talked and captured white hall!
also.
The third man was Gerard. the
Partisan, his smile never changing AZ
he 100. drew a ball white as snow.
.Himmel." muttered Hamburger
by his side. Il think the black ball
is to be mine" But the German drew
white also.
The fourth and the fifth of the con
spirato.s Ffnlanders, who knew
something of Siberia-obtained white
balls with never Il sign of ruffied
nerve, but the sixth man. bohemian
shivered the least bit. requiring two
ATTEMPTS before he entered the fateful
box to bring forth another white ball
half gone. and black yet remains,
whispered the president: and there
was an uneasy shuffling among The
other FIVE. But the president drew
forth a bill OF the white dazzle. The
next three men drew rapidly-white,
white white-amid little whistles OF
amazement.
Dainty little Aimee stood now be
fore Brother Stathoff, the clean cut.
kindly seeming young BaVarian IL
the la had noticed carefully they
might have seen that the lady's red
Inns auiyered the slightest and that
her bosom heaved. But they looked
only at the mild blue eyes Of Station
of bavaria. who reached for the fatal
box. Almost had he obtained the ball
when the dainty Aimee stumbled. near
~ falling
Mercy" she stammered. laughing
but # was necessary for Station tc
draw again.
And this time as he reached for the
ball-hidden TO him. but In plain
view OF Observation-Disclosures lid snapped
10. as by accident. and for the third
time the box must be made ready Tor
young Hans StathOn. This time Win
the brown eyes Of Aimee following hts
every motion. the gentle Bavar1an
made successful entry-draWing
cleaning white ball.
1T is we'll. murmured the gray
bearded valmirsky. as he brousht
forth the black ball Of death. and
The Pretty Aimee and young hans
StathofY and all the other plotters drew
deep brea;hs Of relief.
But only the pretty Aimee knew
how love. entering even the close
guarded halls Of conspiracy. had deai1
life to a young Bavarian giant and
death to the worn graybeard Of Little
Russia.