H.G. Wells is now primarily known for his early science fiction novels, but it was his short stories that made a name for him. This one comes from a 1905 Pearson’s Magazine. Subtitled “A Tale of Anarchy,” it was darkly topical, as in the last 20 years self-proclaimed anarchists had killed several heads of state and committed bombing outrages throughout Europe. The anarchist in Wells’ tale, however, is of greatest danger to himself.