The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1910-03-11
CHAPTER W.
THE COMMITTEE or TEN.

R T. has been said before that Trux-
] ton King was the unSuspecting
A object Of interest to two sets of
watchers. The fact that he was
under the surveillance of the govern
nle1t police il not surprising when we
consider the evident thoroughness of
that department, but that he should
be continue y watched by persons OF
a more sinister cast suggests q mys-
terry which can be cleared up by Wis
itinG certain underground room I'M
known to the police scarce two blocks
from the Tower of Graustark.
There were two ways of reaching
this windowless room, with its low
ceilings and dank airs. If one had
the secret in his possession he could
90 down through the mysterious trap
door in the workshop of William
Spantz, armOrer to the crown, or he
might come up through a hidden aper-
ture i'm the walls of the great govern
ment sewer which ran directly paral-
lei with and far below the walls OF
the quaint old building. One could
take his choice OF direction i'm APP
preaching this hole i'm the huge sewer
he could come up from the river,
half q mile away, or he could come
down from the hills above il he had
the courage to drop through one of
the intakes.
Tt il Of special significance that the
trapdoor in Spantz's workshop was
reserved for use by the armorer and
f1c+fHinTrc Hncy nF tnr
three We're women and one an estab-
lished functionary i'm the royal house
hold
The committee Of ten represented
the brains and the activity Of rabid
coterie i'm Edelweiss, among them
selves styled the Party of Equals. In
plain language, they were ''reds."
The nominal leader was William
Spantz, he who had son i'm the
princes household, julius Spantz, the
master of arms. Far off i'm the hills
above the Danube there lived the real
leader Of this deadly group-the Iron
Count MarlanX, exile from the land of
his birth, hated and e1ecrated by eT
cry loyal Graustarkian, hating and
c1ecratinG in return with q tenfOld
greater venom.
Olga PlatanOvl was the latest ac
QUESTION to this select circle. \ word
concerning her: She was the daugh-
ter of Professor Platanova, one time
oculist and socioloGist i'm a large Ger
man university. He had been one Of
the most brilliant men in Europe AMI
a member Of a noble family. Less
than year before the opening OF this
tale he was executed for treason and
conspiracy against the empire.
His daughter, Olga, was recognized
as one of the most beautiful and cul
tured young women i'm Warsaw. Her
suitors seemed to be without number.
Finally there came one who conquered
and was beloved. He was the son Of
a mighty duke, q prince of the blood.
The young prince pledged himself to
marry her despite all opposition; he
was ready to give up his noble inherit
ance for the sake of love. The all
powerful ruler of an empire learned
Of this proposed mesalliance and was
Mortified. The will of the crown was
made known to him anG-he Obeycl.
Olga Platanova was cast aside, but not
forgotten He became the husband Of
an unl0ved, .scrawny lady Of diadem5.
When the situation beanie more than
he could bear he blew out his brains
When Olga heard the news of his
death she was not stricken by grief
She cried out her JOY to a now cloud
less sky, for he had justified the great
love that had been theirs and would
be theirs to the end of time.
From passive believer il the doc
trtnes Of he- father and hi circle she
became lit once their most impaSsiOned
exponent She threw herself heart
and soul into the deliberations and
transactions Of the great red circle;
her father understood and vet was
amazed
Then he was put to death by the
class she had come to hate-oEe more
stone in the sepulcher OF her tender,
girlish ideals. When the time came
she Travelled to Graastark I'm response
to the call o. the committee OF ten; she
came prepared to kill the creature she
would b. asked to kill And yet down
tn her heart she was sore afraid.
GAG WdS LMEEG LII ~ A1ll ~ l1AA
grown old in wrongs to her people. but
70 destroy the life Or d gentle, limo
cent boy Or seven! ....=.
There were times when her heart
snrank from the unholy deed she had
been setacted to perform. But there
was never thought of recedinS from
the bloody task ct down for her. .
On Saturday night. following co.
lat visit of Truxton King ~ the
armOrer, the committee OF ten met iD
the underground room 10 hear the lat
st. word from one who could not b.
with them in person, but was always
there in spirit, if they were to believe
his most jealous utterances- The Iron
Count Marlanx, protested hAter of att
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
ily awaited his pleasure. He was tha
man who would rive the word