The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1879-10-23

us that landlords and their servants look
for their gratuities.)
4 stared at him, and then recognized
the haggard looks. True" said / /;
=" remember you now we'll How goes
it with you? What do you here in Ant
werp? The old trade, eh?''
/ "Ah, no!n he replied with deeply
drawn sigh. 81 It's long story, and
can't tell it to you here in all this noise
and hustle. Let us go to quiet caba-
/ ret
| agreed; and in our short walk re-
volved in my mind all those circum-
/ stances, so dark and impenetrable in
their profund mystery, which had hap
/ pened years before. And | remembered
how our position, Ludwig Kuhl, had
assisted me in the unavailing search for
his EXcellency. Soon we reached a lit
/ tie cd6Gret-their name is legion in
/ Antwerp-in one of the back streets
near the cathedral; and with a glass of
his fayorite Booniekamp in front of him,
he seated himself, and told me the fol-
lowing sequel to the mysterious disap-
pearance.
=" You must remember me, friend" he
began, "when | was in better cOndi-
ton than you now see me-" and he
scanned his wretched garments, shrug-
ging his shoulders with an impatient air.
nodded acquiescence.
"Well,'' said he, "vou must also
know in your long experience of travel
that all classes of society on the Cont
nent, and particularly in Vienna, have
l,o1, Il, ho1
theirs; but it was subject to the rule of
the Chief Secret Society. In my younger
days, friend, was induced, in an I'M
lucky moment, to enroll myself as
member, and take the oaths of the Sc
cret Society of Positions. Bitterly have
/ repented since, for it is to that circum-
stance / owe my present deplorable state
of mind and position"
But what has that to do with the
mysterious ease of his Excellency?" |
asked of him, somewhat impatiently.
"Much more than you imagine or
can ever know, friend,'' replied he,
sententiously wagging his head. He
paused for moment. "Well, ] will
tell you,'' continued he, "though you
must not break my story with your in
quiring comments. Firstly, then, you
must know that | was on the establish
ment of Her Spultzen, the carriage
master and stable-keeper from whom
his EXcellency the Honorable Eslington
hired his travelling carriage and
and horses for his return journey. 1t
was known to the Chief Secret Society
that his EXcellency was in possession of
important papers, and it was also known
that he was on the point of starting with
them for England. The Chief Com
mander had important reasons for OBJ
tanning these papers, or copies of them,
and of one in particular above all 9TH
ers, by fair means or foul; and what the
Chief says is to be done, Is done invari-
ably at any cost. The Committee had
balloted for the person who must exc
cute their orders, and their choice had
fallen on me as position, and the more
likely to effect a successful result. BY
virtue of my oath | was bound to obey,
or | should have suffered secret death,
by assassination probably. | need not
tell you my Instructions; but dreadful
fate awaited you in the event of you or
his EXcellency obstIUcting our wishes.
In every town through which we passed
there were emissaries of the Chief So
ciety to assist me, so great is its organ
izatiOn; and when | received your in
structiOns to pull up at the next town,
which if you remember was S,
knew the wishes of the Chief Com
mander would be effectually carried
out. The landlord of the hotel you staid
nd hn 20,
me as members of the Chief Society,
and there were other residents in the
town also members, whom | did not
know. So you see, my friend, how his
EXcellency and YOU were comprised in a
net from which there was no escape;n
and he chuckled to himself as he said it.
mo wyou remember how his Excellency
was always engaged in writing his dis
patches and documents. Well, there
was consequently great difficulty in get
ting view of the papers without adopt !
ing foul means, and time was of great
Importance to the Chief Commander. p"
What" | exclaimed, in great as
constituent, my hair almost on end with |
the suddenness of the confession
4" what! Do you mean to tell me, Carl |
Johann Roeckel, that you murdered his !
in cold blood?n
"Not exactly that, friend" he quietly |
replied. when his EXcelency went /
for that short walk, the head hostler also /.
went for a stroll in the same direction. /
A short distance from the town the host |
Ter met a friend, also a member, and |
they quickly bound and gagged his Ex-
in1 Il
of the latter's house, where they kept |
him secretly until after the exitement Of /
the disappearance and search had sub |
sided, when he was taken to Vienna in .
the involuntary disguise of Il dangerous /
lunatic peasant, and afterward-'' And !
he made a significant sign indicative of |
1.-The papers were alb
by the landlord, and handed to .
me, and in turn delivered them to the .
Chief Commander personally. Nothing
was ever said about the missing docu-
ments, if you recollect, because only one
other person besides his EXcellency and
the Chief Commander knew of them,
and he dared not say what they WERE
but how" asked l, ''was every thing
kept so quietly, as the British Govern
ment made great STIR over the matter,
and large rewards were offered?"
"Wen," replied he, "those to whom
he matter was referred were mostly
members of the Chief Society, which,
You must remember, numbered in its
'oll members of all ranks and stations.
The pair of overalls found in the copse
some days after the disappearance were
placed there to lead and en-
courage the belief that his Excellencv
rad been robbed and then murdered. !"
. But you do not account for your be-