The Rice belt journal. (Welsh, Calcasieu Parish, La.) 1900-19??, 1909-01-22

! usual intelligence. Inc Otner 1ellale
was her servant. One of the men was
rather aristOcratic in appearance. lie
| said he occupied a minor ministerial
office and color was given to his state
ment by the portfolio which he had
| in his hand. The other man, named
| Lnbkin, was a consumptiye, about %
years of age.
Where is your printing press?' de-
manded the officer.
Madame shrugged her delicate
shoulders and outstretched her hands
in a manner which said plainly enough
that the police were welcome to any
printing presses they might find in
that place
A printing press is bulky thing.
1t should not be hard to find. But the
officers searched the house from cellar
to garnet without result. All the while
the quartet sat in the large dining
room, prisoners. On the return of the
police, the two men and the two
women were put through the sweat
ing process, but they revealed moth
ing. The MISUNDERSTANDING young
man laid his portfolio aside for mo-
ment. One of the policemen picked it
UP and opened it. Astonishment made
him speechless. He silently handed the
portfolio to his chief. 1t was filled with
manuscripts and proofs of pro-
hibited nihilist paper called Land and
Liberty" The aristocratic-looking per-
son with the portfolio merely smiled
at the CONSERVATION of the officials.
He realized the gravity of his offense.
He knew the penalty. But he never
Quailed for an instant.
Come" shouted the chief, you're
convicted already. You might as well
confess. Where is the press?"
The quartet remained silent. They
were not offensive. 1t was the silence
of submission-but not of fear Sud
denly the chief gave a shout of sur
prise and pointed to the cupboard. The
other policemen followed the course in
dicated by his accusing finger. They
saw nothing and their blank coun
tenances said as much.
Don't you see?' almost shrieked
the official
No. replied his chief lieutenant
What is it,"
"a daub of ink on the door of that
closet"
"A daub of ink" repeated the other
parrot-like and with no indica
ton of intelligence.
Yes! Yes" he retorted, "a daub o
printers ink"
Slowly a consciousness of the mean
ing of his words penetrated their dull
heads. At the same moment the,
made a simultaneous dash for tn
cupboard. To their amazement the
met with resistance. Nine. kriloff, he
servant, the aristocratic man OF tn
portfolio, and the consumptive CON
positor were lined up in front of tn
cupboard. All were armed and Mime
Kriloff, pointing her pistol at the hea
of the chief officer, said with great de
liberation:
Advance a single step and I'll blo'
out your brains We're desperate
Life means little to us now. Say
yours"
Here was dilemma. The chic
knew if he made move to reach fo
his pistol this frenzied woman woul
carry out her threat. Only two othe
policemen were in the room with hil
and they were covered by the arist'
crat and the consumptive composite
The remainder of his men were In oil
er parts of the house. He backed OF
by degrees. 1t was humiliating, but b
felt that it was polite. He must hav
time to think and plan. His two con
panions retreated with him. AS the
reached the outer sill of the floor tn
consumptive compositor slammed tt
door violently and one of his ass
ciates bolted it. The racket brougl
70 the other policemen to the aid of the
$. chief. There on the landing they he
Y, a council of war. The besieged nihi
It lists, on their part, were sparring fl
n time-they had something to conce
r. or destroy.
If The house was already strong
le guarded on the outside and the sies
s. held out for less than a minute. TT
re door was broken in and after fer
or resistance the four nihilists su
a. rendered. The aristocrat fought like
demon and at the last asked quart
N only for the women. While the poli
were completing their work the co
ID sumptive compositor had viole
IN paroxysm of coughing and asked pc
ID mission to lie on cot in an adjoi
le ing room.
u The cupboard proved to be We
~ table magic closet. 1t contained col
plete printing outfit. Needless to 81
C. the paraphernalia was extraordinari
he simple and adapted peculiarly to t
e. purposes of the conspirators. The
a was a large cylinder covered wi