Victor Juno bowed his head gracefully in acknowledgment of this compliment, and said:
"It is a joy to serve my fellows, and more particularly when danger threatens the pure and innocent angels of our souls. With your permission, fair lady, I will now leave you for a few minutes, and go to my home and send my coach to convey you to comfortable quarters."
CHAPTER II.
THE SOLEMN OATH OF THE CONSPIRATORS.
N the year 18— there arose in the city of Philadelphia a monstrous agitation and strife among
the Religious Classes, in which war, to the hilt,
was carried on for ten or twelve months; but,
finally the money-power conquered, the orthodox classes
having possession of the filthy lucre. In sooth, the same
selfish and bigoted spirit that makes people orthodox,
makes them also penurious; because, there is neither progression nor generosity in orthodoxy, therefore these kind
of people believe in hoarding up and retaining their hoardings, whether in stereotyped religious rites or lucre;
whilst, on the other hand, the progressive and generous
thinkers do not place so much value in religious ordinances nor in lucre, hence, become poorer in purse and
selfishness, but richer in mind and spirit.
The leaders of a similar bloody conspiracy, that is now breeding, consist of three persons: Rob Stew, Joe Pier and Nancy Clover.
Rob Stew is a man of robust build, with a smooth tongue, whose eye can sparkle like an angel's when endeavoring to dupe any one, but flash fire and fury when cornered or disappointed. He is what the New Testament would call a Judas Iscariot, a viper, scribe, hypocrite and Pharisee. A man who can dissemble and adapt himself to
