The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1913-12-12

49, ulatrlDeS against QemOcrac.
mad stirred ali the courts o.
the continent, it had become organ
lzed in single year in every county
between Spain and the Urals. Kings
had become members of it, and the
league, backed by the most powerful
of influences. had acquired immunity
from governments and threatened tt
impose its will upon the civilized
world. Then the inevitable happened
Factions arose. base men perverted
its aims to their own ends; the best
element abandoned ii in disgust. a
ounter-organization of Western rul
ers was initiated and, after the issue
had hung for months in the balance
the scales fell, and the league became
discredited
And up and down Europe, travelling
from court to court, a cohort of pala
dtns, each fighting singly and whole.
heartedly. strove for the two factions.
That the league was planning a
desperate stroke in order to regain
it's former influence was the sub
stance OF conversation between
LORD Claude Tresham. secretary to
the cabinet of kings which had fought
the league successfully, and Paul
Lane. the young American million
atre, as they sat together in the palm
room of the Hotel des Anglais, at
Geneva, and looked out at the snowy
crested mountains. 1t seemed so
peaceful there; 1t was incredible to
Paul that in little space of time he
would once more be plunged into the
vortex Of political passions and fur
ious rivalries.
PauPs wits had been sharpened in
many fights when he was serving the
league. He had been induced to
place his fortune and his services at
lbs disposal by the Princess Clothilde
0f Austria the guiding spirit of the
society. When he came to under
stand that he was but a tool in the
hands of an INSCRIPTIONS woman,
whom, nevertheless, he had grown to
ioVe with passion which, he knew,
would last during the remainder of
has life; when, too, he understood,
in shame and humiliation, that the
high motives of the league were
shams masking criminal designs, he
offered his services to Lord Tresham,
to fight his former friends. He had
performed several missions with hon.
or, ne had met Clothilde herself in
battles of wits and worsted her; but
each encounter only drove home more
deeply the shaft of the pitiless archer
who wounded him to the heart.
For this reason he fought the more
dsringly. He had become, next to
Tresham, the opposing organizations
most powerful agent. The hatred
the league felt for him was i'm
p;acable and relentless; and Clothilde,
finding herself unable to regain his
confidence and ignorant Of the depth
of his passion for her. in spite of his
disiIlusionment, had leagued herself
with his most bitter enemies and
pledged herself to carry out their pur,
pose. ..
Tresham had summoned Paul to
Switzerland TO undertake a mission
which was to overthrow the leagues
lass remnants of power and influence
in Europe. He explained it to him In
the aftergiow of the glorious August
evening. .t ...t-.
The league has one prop. Paul,
he said, and you are to kick it away
The kaiser has long abandoned it;
so has Alfonso of Spain, its leading
western ally. But in the realm OF
the Tsar the league still rests
supreme. The Russian agent of that
INSCRIPTIONS association is Apollodo
rUS, the monk who has obtained Sc
strong a hold over the people anC
over the superstition-ridden Nichola!
H. As you undoubtedly know, this
Apoilodorus. whose headquarters are
ia the monastery at Nishikoff is the
latest Of a long train of charlatan:
Who have duped Nicholas with spirit
Uatistic phenomena. At Nishikoff
they say, he calls up the ghost Of hi
majesty the late Alexander Ill, anC
this spectral adviser. whose counsel!
are of course. always those of tn,
league. and who is, in reality, tn,
medium Apollodorus himself. direct,
the policy of the whole realm of Rus
sia. Paul, did you ever turn the dari
lantern on a spirit at a seance?"
Il did" said Paul, chuckling owe
the remembrance. 1T was in my col
tege days. | exposed the notorious
Braie, who had fooled many leading
people IN New York, and Photographic,
him with a calcium light. caperini
round the room in fifteen yards o
crash towelling." .Hs...
That, Paul, is exactly what you ar
to do to Apollodorus." answered Lor
Claude. You can imagine the scene
the TSar, wildly credulous, his attend
believers. and just little bit incline
10 mystical Interpretation of tn
phenomena because of the inheren
human tendency to self-deception
can obtain admittance for yo
through friends at ST. Petersburg
a dark lantern under your coat, e.
pose the fraud at the psychologists
moment, and obliterate the league
influence in Russia in flood of rid
Guile. Once Nicholas has left it. W
shall hear very little more about it.
Paul left for st. Petersburg on tn
following day. bearing letter of ii
PRODUCTION TO Count Gabel, a man {
old family who. though at preser
out of favor, anticipated the day whe
the wheel of fortune woc.d once MOI