The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1881-02-26
paper from his pocket and passed it to

paper from his pocket and passed it to
me.
"Read that" said he, pointing to a
portion marked at top and bottom with
ink. In mechanical fashion took the
paper and began to read. 1t was part
of an article on the g Magazines of the
Month";" and 7y6ur7aiG was the periodi-
cal the criticism of which he had
marked. read:
Tybm,nia, as usual is very strong in fiction.
Bat il scarcely sustains its reputation Inv in
| serting the highly melodramatie tale SThe
Cap of Midas" The ero-villain of this story
is a young Greek who is assistant to an aged
diamond merchant in Syracuse.
My heart began to beat as 1 read the
last few words.
This young gentleman is fired by an am
bition to play an important part in the politi-
cal life of the coming Greek federation. To
obtain wealth, and with it influence he muir
ders his aged master for the sake of certain
priceless gems which the old fellow concealed
in a velvet nightcap he is in the hnbitof wear
ing. This is the cap of Midas, we presume
Justin CorgialegnO-the murderer--had read
Hamlet" and drops poison into his masters
ear and steals the nightcap. This poison,
however, fails to do it's work, so the assistant
at once stabs the old man, and begins To feel
the first difficulties of his lot, namely how to
dispose of the body of the murdered man
looked up at Inspector Chittick,
sheepishly. A hooking smile lurked in
the corners of his mouth, thought.
Well, the hero buries his master in the
garden of his house and starts off with this
cap. which contains the wealth that is to give
him political power. Here comes the meio-
this cap are of such tAiDrrlfUE- Ns.an :. "a
murderer dare not attempt to sell them, feel
ing sure that inquiries will be made as TO how
he became possessed of such precious ge ms.
Tortured by fear and desperate with hunger,
he at length commits suicide with this cap OF
Midas placed mockingly upon his own head.
The story is ingenious in some of its parts, but
Is really, to speak plainly, unworthy of tho
reputation of that promising young novelist,
Mr.. Ernest Maiden.
"Mr. Ernest Maiden, II muttered va
cantly, ''a-a novelistl'' .s,
The inspector rose from his chair and
slapped me on the back, and poked me
in the ribs, and shook me by the Shout
ders, laughing the while with such tre-
mendous boisterousness that Mrs. Frogg
and Ann burst into the room in state
OF speeches. amazement which l shall
never forget. Their appearance gave
just the finishing touch of absurdity to
the situation, and as the grotesqueness
OF the blunder which we had one and all
made dawned upon me, l, too, began
to laugh until the tears rolled down my
cheeks.
"Polly!" 1 gasped, as soon as 1 could
speak. "Mr. Maiden is novelist, and
oh! such a vile murderer-on paper!
Ha, ha, ha! oh, oh, oh: he, he! oh! ha,
ha, ha, hal"
We really never saw poor old Mr..
Lea again, for he died at Brighton Of
softening of the brain few weeks after
his nephew and niece joined him.
Their leaving town-referred to in the
inspectors telegrsm-was with this OBJ
Ject. The old gentleman, as we after
ward learned, was taken away from next
door in cab one evening when we must
all have been at the back of the house.
Had we but seen him go, we should have
been spared a great deal of terror and
many unjust suspicious of our neighbors'
characters