Judsonia weekly advance., 1921-08-25

l he carefully cut the end off a cigar you might go mad, in which case we shouldn't bother to kill you. In fact, l if you go mad, we shall not be dis pleased"
 Once again he smiled genally. 1 "As I said before, in a house like this, you can never tell. :"
 The intimidated rabbit, breathing heavily, was staring at Hugh fascin- ated; and after moment Hugh turned to him with a courteous bow
 "Laddie," he remarked, you've been eating onions. Do you mind defecting the blast in the opposite direction?"
 His calm imperturbability seemed to madden Lakington. l You wait" he snarled thickly "you wait till I've finished with you. You won't be so d-d humorous then. ." Hugh regarded the speaker languid- ly.
 Your supposition is more than prob able" he remarked in a bored voice. T shall be too intent on getting into a Turkish bath to remove the contam- ination to think of laughing" | PioWiy AdhihStOn Sduh DdCh III uio chair, a hard, merciless smile on his lips; and for a moment or two there was silence in the room. It was broken by the unkempt man on the sofa, who, without warning, exploded unexpected l ly.
 "A truce to all this fooling," he burst forth in deep rumble; ,'I con | fQCC I xvn assembled here tonight, comrades, to listen to private quarrels and stupid talk?"
 A murmur of approval came from the others, and the speaker stood up waving his arms.
 ''I know not what this young man has done: I care less. In Russia such trifles matter not. He has the appear ance of bourgeois, therefore he must die. Did we not kill thousands-aye. tens of thousands of his kidney, before we obtained the great freedom? Are we not going to do the same in this accursed countryi Kill him now throw him in a corner and let us pro ceed.'
 
 Eapproval in which Hugh joined heart fly.
 Splendid" he murmured. "A mag nificent peroration. Am I right sir, in assuming that you are what is vul- garly known as Bolshevist?'
 The man turned his sunken eyes, glowing with the burning fires of fanat- icism. on Drummond.
 T am one of those who are fighting for the freedom of the world" he cried harshly, flor the right to live of the proletariat." He flung out his arms wildly. Tt is freedom; it is the dawn of the new age"
 | Hugh looked at him with genuine curiosity; 1t was the first time he had actually met one of these wild vision aries in the flesh. And then the curi- osity was succeeded by very definite amazement: what had Peterson to do with such as he?
 For the moment his own deadly risk was forgotten :. growing excitement | filled his mind. Could it be possible that here, at last, was the real object of the gang; could it be possible that Peterson was organizing a deliberate l plot to try and Bolshevize England? He looked up to find Peterson regard 1 ing him with faint smile.
 Tt is little difficult to understand, isn't it, Captain Drummond?" he said, carefully flicking the ash off his cigar q told you you'd find yourself in deep water" Then he resumed the contem- plation of the papers in front of him.
 Hugh half closed his eyes, while a general buzz of conversation broke out round the table.
 Fragments of conversation struck his ears from time to time The intimi- l dated rabbit with the light of battle in his watery eye, was declaiming on the glOries of workmens councils; a 1 bullet-headed man was shouting an in l spring battle cry about no starvation wages and work for all Can it be possible" thought Hugh, grimly, that such as these have the power to control big destinies?" And then, because he had some experience of what one unbalanced brain, whose owner could talk, was capable of achieving; because he knew something about mob psychology his half con temptuous amusement changed to bitter foreboding. You fool" he cried suddenly to the Russian; and everyone ceased talk ing. You poor d-d boob You-and your new earth In Petrograd today bread is two pounds four shillings a pound tea, fifteen pounds pound Do you call that freedom" He gave a contemptuous laugh Too surprised to speak, the Rus sian sat staring at him; and it was Peterson who broke the silence with | his suave voice.
 Your distress, I am glad to say. is not likely to be one of long dura- tion," he remarked "In fact. the time has come for you to retire for the | night, my young friend
 He stood up smiling; then he walked |