Page:The traitor; a story of the fall of the invisible empire (IA traitorstoryoffa00dixo).pdf/254

 Taking a huge key from his pocket, he opened the door and drew from it a package of papers.

"I am going to show you, my love, what no woman's eye ever saw before, the guarded secrets of the Invisible Empire, its signs, passwords, ritual and secret oath. In this act I now imperil no life save my own."

Stella's tapering fingers trembled as she turned the pages nervously and read its brief formulas.

"As Chief of the Klan I met here the leaders from each district."

"Then—you—are—the—Chief?" she slowly asked, bending low to hide her flushed face.

"Yes, I was the only Chief the Empire ever had in the state," he answered with a ring of boyish pride.

"And you bowed to no law save your own?" she asked in low tones.

"No."

"And you really did hold high courts of life and death?" she whispered.

"Yes, we were the sole guardians of white civilisation. It was a necessity—the last resort of desperation."

"You tried men here in secret, sentenced them without a hearing, executed them at night without warning, mercy or appeal?"

"It had to be—there was no other way. A