The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1877-02-08

| Pio'. - VI d illliiibe OF TWO he seemed 10
be choking into calmness, by an iron
will. some terrible emotions, and he so
far succeeded as to address the waiting
servant in an ordinary tone.
James," he said, "who gave you this
letter ?''
ga man, sir he said he would wait
for an answer"
Then I suppose he is waiting ?'
eyes, sir.
Soon there was light tap on the door
and the banker said ''come in' in an or
dinary tone.
The servant opened the door. ushered
IN the stranger and Immediately with
drew. The latter was verging on sixty,
OF rough appearance and coarse attire.
He wore an old gray overcoat, buttoned
to the throat, and a pair of green cog
| giles, and his whole dress was saturated
Will
''Take seat" said the banker, point
ing to chair near the fire.
"No, thank you I'll stand,'' was the
gruff reply. 'FYou got my letter. and of
course you know my business he ad-
ded.
''You allude to this, I suppose" said
the banker, producing the letter that had
caused him so much perturbation.
eyes"
"I doa't understand it; you must have
made mistake %
'No; no mistake at all. was present
twenty years ago, come the 10th of Oc-
tober, and saw you, Stephen Edwards,
shoot the man, and if you go to deny it,
I'll have you in prison before morning.
[ have laid my plans, and got every
thing sure, and if you go to playing in
nocent and refusing my terms I will
take care to see that you die stretching
hemp
The banker, i'll spite of himself, turn
ed pale, shuddered, and staggered to a
seat.
"What do you want2" he groaned.
ga hundred thousand dollars; not one
cent less
st cannot give tit would ruin me-"
"Just as you say" reioined the other,
moving toward the door. "You know
what will follow if I go this way"
"Oh, stay; you must not go yet,
cried the man of crime, In terrible
alarm
He argued, urged, pleaded, implored
for mercy at fearful cost. In vain. At
last the banker-seeing ruin, disgrace
and death before him if he refused
agreed to the terms. He also agreed to
meet the stranger, with the required
sum, on the following night in front Of
st. Paul's Church. Both were punctual
to the fixed time, and the bills and check
| to the amount of one hundred thousand
! dollars changed hands.
| A month later there was tremendous
run upon the bank of which Stephen
Edwards was principal owner. 1t was
soon broken down and closed. Then the
| Sheriff was set to work by eager credit
ors, and all the real estate and personal
property of the late millionaire was seiz-
ed and sold, leaving him heggar and
| the lust claims unsatisfied. Fashionable
friends deserted the family, and the
proud nobleman refused the hand OF
! ruined bankers daughter.
| In the midst of this disgrace and trib
| ulation Stephen Edwards encountered
the man who had turned 50 pale and be-
come so agitated III his presence short
time before.
''I rather think you do not know me,
sir. said the gentleman with formal
t bow.
''Your face seems somewhat familiar,
but yet [ cannot place you,' returned
| Edwards.
'sPermit me to bring myself to your
recollection, then, as I wish You to know
me- & little more than six weeks ago L
was talking to you on business, and you
observed that I turned deadly pale, and
became agitated p
| "Ah, yes, remember you now"
"Let me tell you why was thus af-
fected. My eyes had just CHANGED upon
| a curious watch seal which had belonged
to a merchant named Sydney, who WAS
shot in the western part of the state
some twenty years ago, and, looking at
your features closely, knew you to be
the villain who perpetrated the foul
decd
ssMerciful God ~ exclaimed the bank
er, with balanced face and quaking
form.
s'Yes, know you," pursued the 9TH
er, sand week later 1 disguised myself
and had an interview with you in your
mansion. You remember that, of
course %
ssBut," gasped the trembling wretch,
"did not pay you your own price to
keep my fatal secret ?"
eyes, and with that very money and
! what other I could command I was en-
abled to buy ZIP enough Of Jour own
bills to make that run upon your bank
which broke it and forced ruin upon
you
s'And what would you do. now that /
am ruined?" inquired the other, with the
deadly caimness Of desperation.
ssNow that 1 have had my revenge I
want you to know that I myself am the
man you attempted to murder and did
rob. ] am Philip Sydney. Behold. the