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

/
| ton King was the unsuspecting
| object of interest to two sets of
watchers. The fact that he was
under the surveillance of the govern
ment police is not surprising when we
consider the evident thoroughness of
that department, but that he should
be continually watched by persons of
a more sinister cast suggests a 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 i'll his possession he could
go down through the mysterious trap
door in the workshop Of William
Spantz, armorer to the crown, or he
might come up through hidden aper-
ture in 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 in APP
preaching this hole in the huge sewer
he could come up from the river,
half mile away, or he could come
down from the hills above If he had
the courage to drop through one of
the intakes.
1t is Of special significance that the
trapdoor in Spantz's workshop was
reserved for use by the armorer and
his more fastidious comrades, Of whom
three were women and one an estab-
lished functionary in the royal house
hold.
The committee of ten represented
the brains and the activity Of a rabid
coterie in 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 In the
princes household, Julius Spantz, the
master of arms. Far off in 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 execrated by ev-
cry loyal Graustarkian, hating and
execrating in return with tenfold
greater venom.
Olga Platanova was the latest ac-
QUESTION to this select circle. A word
concerning her: She was the daugh-
ter Of Professor Platanova, one time
oculist and sociologist in large Ger
man university. He had been one OF
the most brilliant men in Europe and
member Of noble family. Less
than a year before the opening Of this
tale he was executed for treason and
conspiracy against the empire.
n His daughter, Olga. was recognized
e as one Of the most beautiful and cul
tured young women in Warsaw. Hel
8 suitors seemed to be without number
e Finally there came one who conquered
and was beloved. He was the son OF
J. a mighty duke, prince Of the blood
e The young prince pledged himself tt
O marry her despite all Opposition; ht
was ready to give up his noble inherit
s ance for the sake of love. The al
e powerful ruler of an empire learned
!. of this proposed mesalliance and was
Mortified. The will Of the crown was
n made known to him and-he obeyed
q Olga Platanova was cast aside, but mo-
forgotten. He became the husband o.
n an unloved, scrawny lady of diadems
T. When the situation BEANIE more thar
he could bear he blew out his brains
When Olga heard the news Of hi
death she was not stricken by grief
p She cried out her joy to now cloud
;. less sky, for he had justified the grea
love that had been theirs and wOult
be theirs to the end of time.
!. From a passive believer in the doc
:, trines Of her father and his circle sh'
became at once their most impassionet
, exponent. She threw herself hear
. and soul into the deliberations ant
p" transactions Of the great red circle
her father understood and yet wa
. amazed.
|" Then he was put to death by tn
O. class she had come to hate-one NOR
stone in the sepulcher of her tender
=. girlish ideals. When the time cam
y she Travelled to Graustark in respons
g to the call Of the committee Of ten; sh
came prepared to kill the creature sh
y would be asked to kill. And yet dow
70 in her heart she was sore afraid.
She was there not to kill a mai
:, grown old in wrongs to her people. bu
;" to destroy the life of gentle. limo
!. cent boy of seven!
There were times when her hear
shrank from the unholy deed she ha
been selected to perform. But ther
~ was never a thought Of receding fror
y, the bloody task set down for her.
!. On Saturday night. following til
=. last visit of Truxton King to th
~ armorer, the committee Of ten met
the underground room to hear the la