The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1910-01-26

est word nom one who could not Be
with them in person, but was always
there in spirit. If they were to believe
his most jealous utterances. The Iron
Count Marlanx, professed hater Of all
that was rich and noble, was the
power behind the committee Of ten.
The assassination of the little prince
and the overthrow Of the royal fam
lily awaited his pleasure. He was the
man who would give the word.
Alas for the committee of ten! The
widest fox in the history Of the world
was never SO 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 sitting, breath
less room, the armorer at the head.
Those who came by way of the sewer
had performed additions in the queer
toilet room that once had been a secret
vault for the storing Of feudal plum
der. What air there was came from
the narrow ventilator that burrowed
its way up to the shop Of William
Spantz or through the chimney hole
in the ceiling. Olga Platanova sat far
down the side, moody, inscrutable
expression in her dark eyes. At
Spantz's right lounged Peter Brutus,
a lawyer, formerly secretary y the
Iron Count and now his sole represent
alive among these people. He was a
dark faced, snaky eyed young man,
with a mop of coarse black hair that
hung ominously low over his high, re-
ceding forehead.
julius SpantZ, the armOrer's son, a
| placid young man of goodly physical
proportions, sat next to Brutus, while
down the table ranged others deep in
the consideration of the worlds gray
est problems. One of the women was
Nine. Drovnask, whose husband had
been sent to Siberia for life, and the
other Anna Cromer, rabid red lee
turer, who had been driven from the
United States, together with her anna.
BILE husband, an assassin of some dis
tinction 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 mem
Der of the "ten," wore over the lower
part of his face false black beard Of
huge dimensions-not that they were
averse to recognition among them
selves, but in the fear that by some
hook or crook Dangloss or his agent,
| v,air hn o1,In 70 1nnIy in, tbon,
Brutus was speaking. "The man i:
a spy. He has been brought here
from America to Tullis."
1--WE shall continue to watch hi
every movement" said William Spantz
"Time will tell When we are posi-
tive that he is detective and tina
he is dangerous there is a way to stol
his operations"
"DanglOss suspects more than one o
u.s." ventured Brutus. his gaze trave
ing toward Olga. There was lewd ad
miration in that steady glance. "Bu
We'll fool the old fox. The time wi
soon be here for the blow that free
Graustark from the yoke"
It appeared in the course Of his n
! marks that Marlanx had friends an
D supporters in all parts Of Graustarl
e Hundreds Of men in the hills, inclu(
$ ing honest shepherds and the dishones
l brigands who thrived ON them, co;
a miners and wood stealers, hunters an
T outlaws were ready to do his biddin
: when the time was ripe. Moreove
d Marlanx had been successful in b
i design to fill the railway constructio
crews with the riffraff Of all Europ
: all of whom We're under the control {
d leaders who could sway them in an
/ movement provided it was against la
e and order.
: With a cunning that commands az
f miration, the Iron Count deliberatel
d sanctioned the assassination Of the Ii
S the prince Of the reds, knowing tn;
s the condemnation Of the world wou
d fall upon them instead Of upon hi
and that his own actions following Il
d regicide would at once stamp him I
l. irrevocably opposed to anarchy and
r of its practices!
:. In the course Of his remarks Pet
d Brutus touched hastily upon the SUI
t ject of the little prince.
!. Hes not very big" said he, with
o laugh, "and it won't require vel
e big bomb to blow him to smithereen
t He will'-
II "Stopv' cried Olga Platanova, sprin
d ing to her feet Il cannot listen
IS you! You shall not speak Of it in tn