butions. The whole editorial
part, however, was engaged--with the exception of a few articles which
were slipped in as a disguise--with the question: Is the confinement of
Michael Petroff, Captain in the Russian army, justified? The titles of
the separate articles varied from year to year, although the ideas
expressed in them were similar. The Russian government's Ultimatum!--A
letter from the Czar to the head physician, Dr. Maerz! And every year
the paper appeared under a different name. Michael Petroff called it
_The Eye of the World, The Conscience of Europe, The Bayonet._

Michael Petroff made no secret of his petitions, but he spoke of his
newspaper only to his confidant, the lawyer. And although he was
naturally friendly and very kind-hearted, possibly the reason he was so
extremely fond of the lawyer was that he could talk to him about his
paper.

"Just a moment, my friend," said he. "There is such news! I want to
tell you the very latest. Please stay."

He went to the door and cleared his throat and listened. Then he
stepped out into the corridor, coughed, looked up and down and came
back satisfied. He drew out the editorial drawer, the key of which he
wore around his neck, and with a happy laugh began: "The very latest!
Listen! This cannot fail to have its effect. Just hear the headline:
Doctor Maerz arrested!"

"Dr. Maerz arrested?" whispered the lawyer anxiously, looking up at
Petroff in open-mouthed astonishment.

Michael Petroff laughed.

"Arrested? No, of course not. I go on to explain in the article that
Dr. Maerz is going to be arrested, and that the only way for him to
escape arrest is to give Michael Petroff his discharge immediately."

The lawyer nodded. "I see," said he, smiling because he saw Petroff
looking so cheerful. And yet he was not thinking anything about
Petroff's article, but only that he must give the birds their water. He
grew restless and started to rise.

"Just a moment, please!" said Michael Petroff eagerly. "Yes, it is
really an excellent idea," he continued rapidly, while his cheeks
flushed with joy. "In my article I emphasize the fact that Dr. Maerz is
an honorable man and a highly prized and respected physician, so that
his conduct in this particular case causes widespread astonishment. I
should like to ask you, my friend, what he will do when he reads this
article? Ha, ha, ha! They will find out something, my dear fellow. I am
not going to be unkind to him, not in the l