The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1910-03-17

q more sinister cast suggests d myS-
terry which can be cleared up by Wis
ting Il certain underground room I'M
known to the police scarce two blocks
from the Tower Of Graustark.
There We're two Ways Of reaching
this ~windoWlcsS Don with its low
ceilings and dank airs. If one had
the secret in his possession he could
go down through the mysterious trap
door in the workshop Of William
Spantz, armOrcr to the crown, or he
might come III through a hidden apcr-
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 chGice Of direction in APP
preaching this hole in the huge sewer
he could come up from the river,
half Il mile away. or he could come
down from the hills above IL 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 IN eStab-
lished functionary in the royal house
hold.
The committee Of ten represented
the brains and the activity Of a rabid
coterie in Fdelweiss. among them
selves STYLED the Party of Equals. In
plain language, they were reds"
The nominal leader was William
Spantz, he who had a 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 eXccratel by cv-
cry loyal Graustarkian, hating AID
~eXccralin% in return with a t2nfu!d
greater venom.
Olga PlatanOya was the latest aC-
QUESTION to this select circle. y WORD
concerning her: She vas the daugh-
ter Of Professor Tlltanoya, Il ti.2a
ocu!ist and scciolocist in Il large Ger
man university. He had been cne Of
the most brilliant men in Europe and
a member Of Il noble family. Les
than n year before the opening OF til
tale he was executed for treason ant.
conspiracy against the empire.
His daughter. Olga. was recognized
as one of the most beautiful and cui
tured young women in Warsaw. Her
Suitors seemed to be without number.
Finally there came who conquered
and was beloved. lie was the son OF
a mighty duke, a prince of the blood
The young prince pledged himself t.
marry her despite al 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 VIII Of the crown was
made known to him and-hc obeyeI.
Olga Platan0va was cast aside, but not
forgotten. He became the husband Of
an unIoved, scrawny lady Of diademS.
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 a passive believer in the doc
trineS Of her father and his circle she
became ut once their most impassionCl
,., Oh, fhVay. hnpGn1f hoo t
and soul into the deliberations and
transactions Of the great red circle;
her father understood and yet was
amazed.
Then he was put to death by the
class she had come TO hate-one more
stone in the sepulcher Of her tender.
girlish ideals. When the time came
she Travelled to Craustark i'll response
t. the cell Of the committee Of ten; she
came prepared to Kill the creature she
would be asked to kill. And yet down
In her heart she was sore afraid.
She WAS there not to kill a man
grown old in wrongs to her people. but
to destroy the life Of a gentle. limo
cent hoy Of seven,
There were times when her heart
shrank from the unholy deed she had
been selected to perform. But there
was never a thought Of r%eceding from
the bloody task set down for her.
On a Saturday night, following the
last visit Of Truxton King to the
armorer. the committee Of ten met IL
the underground room to hear the lat.
est word from one who could not be
with them in person, but was always
there in spirit. if they were to believe
his most Jealous u~tteranceS. The Iron
Count Marlanx. professed hater of al
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