The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1909-12-29

lIcCutche0n.D
:, Copyright, 1909, by Dood, Mead
d Company. Published, Sept, 1907
Not until he was ready could
anything be done, for Marlanx
had promised to put the Commit
tee of Ten in control of this pio-
neer community when it came I'M
der the dominion of anarchists.
Alas, for the Committee OF
Ten! The widest fox in the his
tory of the world was never Sc
willy as the Iron Count. Some
day they were to find out that
he was using them to pull his
choicest chestnuts from the fire.
The committee was seated
around the long table in the sti-
fling. breathless room, the armor-
er at the head. Those who came
by way of the sewer had perform
ed additions in the queer toilet
room that once had been a secret
vault for the storing of feudal
plumber. What air there was
came from the narrow ventilator
that burrowed it's ways up to the
shop of William Spantz, or
through the chimney-hole in the
ceiling. Olga Platanova sat far
down the side, a moody, inscruta-
BILE expression in her dark eyes.
She sat silent and oppressed
through all the acrid, bitter dis
cussions which carried the con-
clave far past the midnight hour.
In her heart she knew that these
men and women were already
thinking of her as a regicide. 1t
was setled-it was ordained. At
Spantz's right lounged Peter Bru-
tus, lawyer-formerly secretary
to the Iron Count and now his
sole representative among these
people. He was a dark-faced,
snakyk-eyed young man, with a
mop of coarse black hair that
hung ominously low over his
high, receding forehead. This
man was the chosen villain among
all the henchmen who came at the
beck and call of the Iron Count.
Julius Spantz, the armorer's
son, a placid young man of good
ly physical proportions, sat next
to Brutus, while down the table
ranged others deep in the consid-
nrAfinn nf a.f
problems. One of the women was
Madame Drovnask, whose hus-
band had been sent to Siberia for
life; and the other, Anna Gro
mer, a rabid Red lecturer, who
had been driven from the United
States, together with her amiable
husband: an assassin of some dis
tinetion and many aliases, at
present foreman in charge of one
of the bridge-building crews on
the new railroad.
Every man IN the party, and
there were eight, for Olga was
not a member of the Ten, wore
over the lower part of his face a
false beard of huge dimensions.
Not that they were averse to rec
ognition among themselves, but
in the fear that by some hook or
crook Dangloss or his agents
might be able to look in upon
them-through stone walls, as 1t
were. They were not men to be-
little the powers of the wonder
full baron.
AS 1t sat in secret conclave. the
Committee of Ten was a sinister
looking group.
Brutus was speaking. 1.-THE
man is a spy. He has been
brought here from America by
Tullis. Sooner or later you will
find that / am right"
st is best to keep close watch
on him." advised one of the men.
1--WE know that he is in commu-
nication with the police and we
know that he visits the castle,
despite his declaration that he
knows no one there. Today's ex-
perience proves that. I submit
that the strictest caution be OBJ
served where he is concerned"
eve shall continue to watch
his every movement" said Will
liam Spantz. "Time will tell.
When we are positive that he is a
detective and that he Is danger
Gus, there is way to stop his
operations"
His son grinned amiably as he
swept his finger across his throat.
The old man nodded.
"Dangloss suspects more than
one of u.s." ventured Brutus, his
gaze travelling toward Olga. There
was lewd admiration in that
steady glance. But we'll fool
the old fox. The time will soon
be here for the blow that frees
Graustark from the yoke. She
will be the pioneer among our
estates, we the first of individu-
ais in equality; here the home
seat of perfect rulership. There
is nothing that can stop US. Have
we not the most powerful OF
friends? Who is greater and
shrewder than Count Marlanx?
Who could have planned and per-
fected an organization SO SPLEEN
did? Will anyone dispute this?'
He had the floor, and having
the floor means everything to a
Red. For half an hour he spoke
with impassioned fervor, descant-
ing furiously en- the amazing vir-
tues of his willy master and the
plans he had arranged. 1t appear
- Il L. lie