Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-02-18

very suddenly the paper from his hand
and, glaring in triumph, tore it to pieces
"Where," he exclaimed, "are your proofs
| now?"
The American evinced no surprise, no
emotion, and his companion, regarding him
with amazement, repeated his question.
The young man smiled with the words,
"Vlllainy is never wise tsoon or lateex-
poses itself. Karryminski, you have proved
the truth of my statements. If they were
false. why did you try to destroy them?"
But they are destroyed" declared the
adventurer with an air of savage satisfac-
ton. 81 told you, young man, you did
not know of whom you have to deal. Now
go away, and talk your stories. Who will
believe you,"
"The paper you've torn to bits was a
fictitious one, prepared specially to convict
you"
You lie !" roared the selfstyled Bari
CUES; sit was genuine and his whole
l6SS hucIcu WIN
Look for yourself"
The Pole stopped, and, picking up the
fragments, run his eye over them eagerly,
and threw them down with an oath. Then
be exclaimed abruptly, "But you have
the genuine paper on your person. Sur
render it, or I'll kill you on the spot -
And he drew dagger from the inside of
his waistcoat, and stepped forward.
As he did SO, Goodwin stepped back, and
displayed revolver, saying, This is an
American reason why will not comply
with your request. tThe Pole put up his
weapon.l 1 may or may not have the real
paper with me. But, at any rate, l have
second copy of the authentic record given
me by the Project himself in Paris. l have
left instructions with trusty friend that,
if anything should happen to me, he should
hand it to the proper authorities. You
see, Karryminski, that you are hunted
down at last. There's no escape for you.
You intend, then, to deliver me to the
police. Even if were guilty of crimes
in Europe, you can not have me arrested
for them here
But you have committed crime here,
and you are punishable by our laws"
what crime? There is no evidence
against me-
1.-THE crime of levying blackmail, of ex-
torting money from Neville Royden by
threatening to expose certain ofenses of
his. "
He will not accuse me; he will not
dare to testify against me-"
"But he will, assure you. He is ready
at this very moment to take the witness
stand in any Court, in order to bring you
to justice"
Perfdious scoundrel !" cried the for
eigner, losing seli.control in his anger. g. If
he dares to open his lips against me, I'll
have him convicted for forgery"
Goodwin, seeing that he was getting at
the secret power exercised over Neville
Royden, and which he had never been able
to conjecture, resolved, to draw if possible
the rascal out. "Mr. Royden never COM
mitted forgery, and you know it..
"He did, though. Fifteen years ago,
when he was on the eve of failure, he
needed twenty thousand dollars. He knew
that sum would save him but he could
not get it. That was just before he was
elected President of the Babylon Bank.
He was dry goods jobber, and had often
exchanged paper with Dusterfuhs, RigsbY
& Co. They discontinued the practice.
He knew not which way to turn, and in his
extremity forged their name to five five
thousand dollar notes. All this ne has con-
fessed to me; and now the villain has tie
hardihood to talk of appearing against me
as a witness.
"If this be true, Ksrryminski, Mr.. Roy
den took up the notes at maturity, and de-
stroyed them of course, as any prudent
man would?"
"He thought he did. But 1 will balk
him. L have one of the forged notes in my
possession. / have told him SO. He knows
it well enough"
Goodwin remembered that the Pole had
played this very trick on a merchant in
Berlin, and very similar trick on a stock
holder in Vienna. Having by some means
learned that they had been suspected of
forgery, he had boldly charged it upon
them, and they had, in their terror and
confusion, acknowledged their guilt. Then
he had levied blackmail upon them by pre-
tending to have some of the forged paper.
Doubtless he had repeated the stratagem
on Neville Royden. He would test the
matter. He replied, therefore +:
"You have told Mr. Royden so, of
course. He is not very strong man-men
who yield to temptation seldom are. You
took the same method with him that you
did with the Berlin merchant aud the
Vienna broker. You haven't a forged note
of Mr. Royden, and you know it. You've
told him the falsehoood so often that you've
come, perhaps, to believe it yourself. But
it's palpably false. It's one of your devices !;
but it's not bit new Such adroit rascals
as you are ought to have more invention"
81 deny that it's an old device. I'm the
first" and he checked himself.
81 didn't intend, Karryminski, to hurt
your professional pride. But don't you
think it very shallow to assume what is a
lie on its face If you had forged note
you'd have shown it long ago. You never
let Mr. Royden see it this was merely an
Inference; you merely threatened to let
Others see it. Your ways are very famil-
lar, Karryminski.
| "Royden has evidently betrayed me. He
shall suffer for it.
Betrayed you' A long course of vii
lainy has made you believe that you have