Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1888-01-11


men are distinguished. well educated and
well meaning but their pay Is so small
for their position that they are unable
to enter in o com petition with the trad
ingand banking classes. These latter, as
entertainments are rare among the rich,
and the parties given by the officials are
nearly all unambitious, have taken to
display most OF their wealth In outside
shown the streets by their sumptuous
carriages, and at the theatre by the ex-
travagance of their dress and jewelry.
Among these opulent families that OF
Silas Toronthal held o distinguished
place.
The head of the house, whose credit
extended far beyond the limits OF
Austro-Hungary. was then in his thirty
seventh year. With Nine. Toronthal,
who was several years his junior. he
occupied mansion in the Acquedotto
He was supposed to be very rich-and
he should have been Bold and FORUM
ate speculations on the Stock Ex-
change. a large business with the Aus
trian Lloyds aud other extensive COM
panies and the issuing of several impor-
tant loans had, or ought to have, brought
huge sums of money into his Golfers.
Hence his household was conducted on
q scale of considerable splendor.
Nevertheless. as Sarcany had said to
Zirone, there was q possibility that the
affairs of Siias Toronthal were slightly
embarrassed-at least for q time
Seven years before, when the funds
were shaken by the Franco Italian war,
he had received severe blow, and more
recently the disastrous campaign which
ended at Sadowa had sent down the
prices on every Exchange in Europe,
more especially on those of Austria
Hungary, and chiefly those of Vienna.
Pesth and Trieste. The necessity Of
providing the large amounts then drawn
out on the current accounts not i'm
probably caused him serious incon-
venience. But when the crisis had
passed he doubtless recovered himself,
and if what Sarcany had said was COR
rect it must have been his recent specu-
lations only which had led him into
difficulties.
During the last few months a great
change had come over Toronthal. His
whole look had altered without his
knowledge. He was not. as formerly,
master of himself. People had noticed
that he no longer looked them in the
face, as had been his custom, but rather
eyed them askance This had not es-
capped the notice of Nine. Toronthal, q
confirmed invalid, without energy, and
submlssiveness itself, who knew very
little about his business matters.
And if some disaster did menace
Toronthal, 1t must be admitted that he
would get very little sympathy. He
had many customers. but few friends.
The high opinion he held alb put his posi-
ton, his native vanity, the airs he
gave himself on all occasions, had not
done him any good. AID above all the
people of Trieste looked upon him as a
foreigner because he was born at Ragusa,
and hence was Dalmatian. No family
ties attached him to the town to which
he had come fifteen years before to lay
the foundation of his fortune.
Such, then, was the position of Tor
Onthals bank. Although Sarcany had
his suspicious, no hing had occurred to
give rise to rumor that it was in diff
culties It's credit remained mistaken.
And Count Sandorf, after realizing his
investments, had deposited with it q
considerable sum-on condition that it
should always be available at twenty
four hours notice.
1t may seem surprising that a con-
nection of any sort should have been
formed between a bank of such high
reputation and such a very dubious
character as Sarcany. 1t had existed,
nevertheless, for two or three years.
TOronthal had had good deal of bust
ness with the Regency of Tripoli, and
Sarcany had been employed as kind of
broker and general confidential agent,
entrusted with the disposal of certain
wine and other gifts under circum-
stances in which it was not always de-
sirable that the Trieste banker should
appear in person. Having been engaged
In these and other rather suspicious
schemes, Sarcany got his foot, or rather
his hand, into the bank and continued
to carry on sort of system of extortion
on Toronthal, who was not, however,
quite at his mercy inasmuch as no
material proof existed of their mutual
dealings. But a bankers position is
one OF extreme delicacy. A word NAV
ruin him. And Sarcany knew how to
take advan age of this.
But To- )nthal knew what he was
about He had parted with certain
sums, which had been dissipated in the
gambling hcuses with the recklessness
of an adventurer who takes no thought
of the future, and then Sarcany becom-
ing too unto tunate, the banker sud-
denly drew his purse strings and refused
further credit. Sarcany threatened
Toronthal remained firm. And he was
safe in dong so, after all, for Sarcany
had no proofs, and no one would believe
him.
This was the reason that Sarcany and
his comrade, Zirone, found themselves
at the end of their resources, and with
out even the wherewithal to leave the
town and seek their fortune elsewhere.
And we know how Toronthal came to
their help with sufficient funds to enable
them to return to Sicily. where Zirone
belonged to one Of the secret societies
The banker thus hoped to get rid of the
Tripoiitan, and hoped never to see or
hear of him again. He was doomed to
disappointment in this, as in most other
matters.
1t was on the evening of the 18th of
May that the 200 horins had reached the
adventures at their hotel.
Six days afterwards, on the 24.h of the
same month, Sarcany presented himself
at the bank and demanded to see Silas
Toronthal. and SO much did he insist
that he was at length received.
The banker was in his private Office,
and Sarcany carefully closed the door
as soon as he had been introduced.
You again !" exclaimed Toronthal
What are you doing here? 1 sent you,
and for the last time. quite enough to
help you to leave Trieste You viii get
nothing more from me, whatever Won