Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-28

thew have reason to suspect one Achille
Wolf. an Americanized native of Lor.
raine, who had called at the chateau short
time before. He is an eccentric man, OF
Bohemian habits, and it is just possible
that his sudden disappearance at the time Of
the robbery NAV have been coincidence.
In appearance he is described as romantic
looking, with an artistic face, dark eyes and
hair, and brusaue manner. A large re-
ward is offered for his capture.
| When finished reading this, my father
| and I sat looking at each other in silence
for minute or so. Then my father jerked
his finger over his shoulder. "Yon's him, "
he said.
Eyes, it must be he," answered, think
| ing OF the initials on the handkerchief.
Again we were silent for time.
| My father took one of the
taggots out of the crate and twisted it about
| in his hands. "It maun be muckle
| him. Likely he's left it in France"
mo, he has it with him." said, like a
cursed fool as was.
"Hoo dye ken that?" asked the old man,
looking up quickly with eager eyes.
because 1 have seen 1t. ;"
The faggot which he held broke in two in
his grip. but he said nothing more Shortly
| afterward our guest came in, and we had
dinner, but neither of us alluded to the ar
rival of the paper.
".
have often been amused, when reading
stories told in the first person, to see how
the narrator makes himself out as a
matter of course to be a perfect and
spotless man. All around may have their
passions, and weaknesses, and vices, but he
remains q cold and blameless nonentity,
running like colorless thread through the
tangled skein of the story. 1 shall not fall
into this error. l see myself as I was in
those days, shallow-hearted, hot-headed,
and with little principle Of any kind. Such
1 was. and such 1 depict myself
From the time that 1 finally identified
our visitor Digby with Achille Wolff the
diamond robber, my resolution was taken.
Some might have been squeamish in the
matter, and thought that because he had
shaken their hand and broken their bread
he had earned some sort OF grace from them.
1 was not troubled with seutlmentality OF
this sort. He was criminal escaping from
justice. Some providence had thrown him
into our hands, and an enormous reward
awaited his netravers. / never hesitated
for a moment as to what was to be done.
The more L thought of it the more 1 ad-
mired the cleverness with which he had
managed the whole business. 1t was clear
that he had had a vessel ready, manned
either by confederates or unsuspecting FISH
ermen. Hence he would be independent of
all those parts where the police would be
on the lookout for him. Again, if he had
made for England or America, he could
hardly have escaped ultimate capture, but
by choosing one of the most desolate and
lonely spots in Europe, he had thrown
them off his track for time, while the de-
struction of the brig seemed to destroy the
last clew as to his whereabouts. At present
he was entirely at our mercy, since he could
not move from the island without our help.
There was no necessity for us to hurry
therefore, and we could mature our plans at
our leisure.
One day, about a week after our conversa
ton, was fixing up one OF the rails of our
fence which had been snapped in the gale,
rFhen MY father came along the seashore,
rlJdding heavily among the pebbles, and
eat down on stone at nv elbow. l went
on knocking in the nails, but looked at
him from the corner of my eye, as
he pulled away at his short black
pipe. l could see that he had some
thing weightY on his mind, tor he knitted
his brows, and his lips projected.
"D'ye mind what was in yon paper?" he
said at last, knocking his ashes out against
the stone.
Yes" answered shortly.
"Well, what's your opeenion?" he asked.
"Why that we should have the reward, of
coursep' replied.
1.-THE reward' he said, with fierce snarl.
"You would TAX the reward. You'd let the
stane that's worth thousands an thousands
gang ava back tae some furrin Papist, an
a. for the sake O. a few pund that they'd
fling till We, as they fling bane to dog
when the meats n gone. It's q clean
fiingln' ava O. the gifts O. Providence.
"Well, father / said, laying down the
hammer "you must be satisfied with what
you can get You can only have what is
offered
"But if we got the stane itsel'." whispered
my father, with leer on his face.
"He'd never give it up" said.
"But if he deed while he's here-if he
was suddenly"
drop it. father, drop it r. cried, for the
old man looked like fend out of the pit. 1
saw now what he was aiming at.
"If he deed" he shouted, "wha saw him
come, and wha wad speer where he'd ganged
till? If an accident happened, if he came
by dud on the held, or woke sorue nicht to
find knife at his thrapple, wha wad be the
wiser? p
"You mustn't speak so, father" said,
though was thinking many things at tine
same time.
"It may as we'll be oot as in, i" he answered,
and went away rather sulkily, turning
round after few yards and holding up his
finger toward me to impress the necessity of
caution.
Ny father did not speak of this matter to
ME again, but what he said ranked in my
mind. 1 could hardly realize that he meant
his words, for he had always. as far as
knew, been an upright, righteous man, hard
in his ways, and grasping in his nature, but
guiltless of any great sin. Perhaps it was
that he was removed from temptation, for
isothermal lines of crime might be drawn
on the map through places where it is hard
to walk straight, and there are others where
it is hard to fall. 1t was easy to be a saint
in the island of Uffa.
One day we were finishing breakfast when