Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1911-08-21

How do you know these thingsT'
! Kelvin demanded.
What little color there had been in
! Elsie's face left it suddenly. Even her
| lips were as white as paper. 81 can
| not tell you." she murmured family.
| Kelvin nodded his head. He sur
! missed that this vast conspiracy had
| Ben White as one of its weak arms
But hurry, Phillip, hurry plead
| ed Elsie. using his familiar name IN
| consciously. IF you find there what
| 1 have told you, you may know that
| all the rest is true"
at Is probably true enough" replied
/ Phillip calmly. Herbert, had wish
/ ed you TO be here when 1 made my
/ announcement, but you know what 1t
| is, as do the others OF my cabinet. and
/ what your share in it is to be. shall
! excuse you for the time being. Wire
! at once to every military force under
/ your command to be in readiness for
/ this uprising"
| One of the attendants opened the
| private door and let Herbert out. Kel-
| vim stopped and opened every drawer
! of his desk on either side. but found
nothing. He turned to Elsie with
slight smile. but she was on her knees
! now in front Of the desk, with her ear
! applied to it
Search further" she insisted. "I
hear something ticking"
Again Kelvin looked through the
drawers and found nothing unusual.
Pull out the bottom one on this side
and look underneath it" she directed,
with now almost frantic insistence.
Kelvin did so. Under the right hand
bottom drawer, in the six inches of
incIosed space left beneath it and the
floor, he found a wooden box. Apply
ing his ear to 1t, he detected a faint
ticking he handed it to one of the
negroes.
Have this removed to some safe
place at once" he ordered.
Deed, no-not mer' protested the
Quaking voice of Peavey as he very.
very gently slid the box on the desk
and then sprang away from it. "Ah's
suttainly boun' an 'termined to be
/ planted in nah grave whole. All is!''
Sam. though a curious ashen gray
with fear, picked up the box. but one
of the big officers, a white man. took
it quietly from his hands and went
out the door with it.
Kelvin turned slowly to his cabinet.
Gentlemen" he began. -the United
States is in a condition of absolute
anarchy"
wait minute" suddenly quavered
the shrill voice of Henry Breed. "Wait
n half hour. Phillip ! wouldn't be
Heve Jens. and didn't bring that robe
along"
Jens looked at him with a curious
smile. Breed had not been invited to
this gathering. Jens had brought him
perforce.
Phillip held up his hand for silence.
''The country is In state Of absolute
anarchy" he repeated. 1T is neces
sary that a radical change in our en-
tire social system be inaugurated at
once to save US from riot. bloodshed
and starvation" his eyes sought a
typewriter sheet lying on the desk
before him. Now, therefore, l. the
chief executive of the nation. issue the
following proclamation: That all pub
lie utilities and private enterprises are
hereby confiscated by the government
for the benefit of the government and
the people; that all present owners and
managers of these enterprises shall re-
main in their present emplOyments and
conduct these enterprises for the gov
eminent: that all factories, mills,
stores and establishments of COM
merce Of whatsoever nature which
have ceased operation be Immediately
reopened and all seekers Of employ
ment be given work to the full ca
nP MI
meut will insure the payment of
wages. will become responsible for all
liabilities and become the holder Of
all assets. All holdings of cash and Of
stocks. bonds or other securities. ex-
cept those reposing in banks, hereby
become the property of the govern
ment. All banks. whether national or
private, are hereby appointed and
taken over as branches of the govern
mental treasury, and no money shall
be paid out without Official order. All
factories, mills and enterprises of
whatsoever nature, having started
work at once, will issue, until further
adjustment, time checks at the pre-
vious rates OF employment, which time
checks shall be taken in payment by
all merchandise concerns, the same as
legal tender, until the government shall
have time for adjustment. Every able
bodied man in the United States be-
tween the ages of twenty and sixty is
hereby ordered to return to his pre-
vious employment, or, If previously
without employment. to apply at the
nearest center Of industry. ANY able
bodied person, as described, found idle
within one week after this proclama-
ton, without valid excuse, shall be
arrested and imprisoned. Any citizen
found armed within twenty-fOur hours
after this proclamation shall be shot
for treason without trial
ITO all the foregoing 1 have here
unto set my hand and seal.
PHILLIP KELVIN. Emperor"
(To be Contfnued1