The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-09-14

deep-drawn grunt of relief, and ex-
claimed in a bluff, boisterous manner:
In time after all! My birds not flown,
by all that's palpable! Congratulate
thyself, thou man of gold and silver
and precious stones; and, furthermore.
congratulate me on my aptitude for
seeming Slippery Dickr Then, letting
fall his voice, he added more seriously:
You've had narrow escape, sir. I've
no doubt now that our reverend friend
here has contrived to lessen your stock
of goods pretty considerably-has been
a pretended (mark thatD purchaser to
a very tidy tunen
" If you mean, sir, whoever you NAV
be, thatthis gentleman has paid GOOD
deal of money to me, l returned, some
what Indignantly, you are right in
your conjecture. But, may l ask, pray,
who are you! who are you, that YOU
enter my shop in this manner and in
suit myself and customer by asking
such-well, such impertinent questions?
Who are you?' l again asked,
feeling that l should be compelled to
call my shopman to turn him mech and
crop into the street.
80 You'll very soon know who lam
he returned, coolly. Suffice it atpres-
ent that | am fully justified in Vat
ask and do = Bear-kindlFbear
with me little. l have a sterl duty
to perform. The man is not What he
pretends to be. He is a blacYss,
canting humbug, q swindler; in awsrd
as dangerous and troublesome a Gus
toner as we have to deal With
81 looked at my customer. Hi face
was terrible to look upon; l could
scarcely believe my eyes-the passion
concentrated in his features wa abso-
lutely demoniac in its intensity; the
ebullition of rage which held possession
of him shook him from head to DOT
"The boisterous stranger lid his
hand heavily on the clergyman shout
der, grasped it roughly and whispered
something in his ear, at whichhis pas
sion left him as quickly and Suddenly
as flash of lightning. He became, in
fact, as pale as death, and finally Gull
minated in trembling violentlr, while
his face assumed a kind of bick-duSt
hue.
Il did not put this down % guilt;
no, | laid it rather to the justindigna-
ton that would naturally be felt by a
high-souled minister of the Gospel ac-
cused of such enormities.
"The rough-and-ready intruder re-
garded the reverend gentleman with
unfeigned admiration-at least so it
appeared to me. He folded his arms
across his broad chest, and stood re-
garding him for few momelts. Then
he looked at me and winked knowingly.
"'Our Christian friend 5 clever,
Ohio! He is doing the work ola certain
evil parsonage who shall be lameless
very admirably, ahan he circulated
revertiHg again to his boistepus man
ner. But we old birds are not to be
caught; we are accustomed to his kind
of thing. o dear, yes, I-ymr very
obedient servant, Mr.. Filby, lelong to
the fancy iron trade, and l d, my ut
most to get as much of my took on
other peoples hands as possibly can.
Saying which, he unbuttoned AMI threw
open his shaggy overcoat, AID laid
bare to my gaze the uniform of an In
spector of Police. Then, as quick as
thought. he drew forth and SSsta.ss::
| on the clergyman's wrist a par OF
handouts!
"'This is shocking-really horrible,
| couldn't help saying.
"'No sentiment, please returned
the inspector, angrily. Leave me to do
my work, and take care you do yours
But, my good friend the man of
the white neckcloth exclaimed in whin-
ing tones, you are utterly mistaken
l LIKE in fine have naught but adj
miration for your zeal; but l am not
the man you suppose me to be. =
If you will remove these things-they
hurt my wrists.-I will go
- No; you won't
I" mean [ will go into the details
of our transaction. The
notes are good, genuine, sir
"' Perfectly so, Responded; would
stake my life on their soundness.'
"Then, sir, permit a public servant
to tell you that you will lose your life.
Kindly let me look at these sound and
genuine Bank of England notes
"What could l do but hand them to
him?
"'Ah! as l thought he then eX-
claimed. Very skillful, very clever;
decidedly so! Pity our pious friend
here doesn't contrive to turn his
thoughts in another direction; sad that
he disdains to use his talents more
honorably. Given such consummate
cleverness, he might have surmounted
almost anything by honest means. =
These, sir, are rascally forgeres;
splendidly worked out, I'll admit but
forgeries for all thatr he declared en-
phatically, laying the notes down on
my counter and placing his elbow on
them. Now, l shouldn't WONDER he
resumed, if our reverend specimen Of
humanity here did not persuade you
that he desired to make his daughter
his daughter wedding present.?
81 said that such was really tho isst
" All, just so! The old, old, game,
the old story. wonder, Dick
('Slippery Dick is the name by which
he is known among us and his compan.
ions)-Iw wonder, Dick. you don't alter
your naOdUS Operdndi-it's so stupidv
stale, you know
So Dick looked daggers, looked as
though he would have very much liked
to annihilate the inspector on the SPOT,