The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-28

Otner ike speculative companies, sat IN
the luxurious dining-room of his we'll
appointed residence in Lewisham
Park. He had finished his suInptuous
but solitary meal and. reclining in a
spacious armchair, slipped his rare old
wine. 1t was three years all but day
since he had parted from Charlie Os-
borne on Charing Cross station, and
set out with eighteen pence in his
pocket to seek his fortune. In that
brief time he had rapidly risen to
wealth and distinction. Three years
ago he was a penniless mechanic, for
sahen by fortune and disconnected
with his life; to-day he was a rich man.
smiled on and courted by fortune and
envied by all her minions, and still he
was discontinued with his life.
1t was strange that he should cherish
this discomfort, for Eustace Margraf,
mindful of the fact that he was made
for something better than mill work,
had maticulated and graduated at the
Worlds university in the department
of forgery and theft. He had taken
the highest diplomas in fraud; he had
passed with honors the test Of an ac-
compGshed swindler: and in the in
tricacles of embezzlement he Was
senior wrangler. Yet he was not con-
tent; some men are never satisfied
In the paper at his side there was q
little paragraph which had given his
memory a rather unpleasant jog. 1t
was in the personal column and ran as
follows. ''E. M.-Don't forget to-mor-
row noon, c. c. station.-Charlie." He
wanted to see Charlie, for ne still loved
him after his old fashion; but the mem
cries which the advertisement called
up, and doubt as to whether Charlie
would appreciate his Accomplishments,
made him fidgety; and the recollection
of all that must pass between nc and
noon tomorrow filed him with uneasi-
ness. For tonight he was to stake
everything IN one tremendous venture
If he succeeded he would need to do
nothing more all his life: if he failed
Tonight at eight o'clock the Cont
mental mail train would start from Char
ing Cross station with seventy-five thou
sand pounds worth of bullion for the
Bank of France. Il Eustace Margraf sue
ceeded in his enterprise it would reach
Paris with the same weight of valueless
shot in the strong iron boxes.
Everything had been nicely and mi
nutely arranged. The shot had been
carefully weighed to a quarter of
grain, and proportioned into three equal
lots to match the cases of bullion, which
would be weighed on leaving London,
again at Dover, once more at Calais,
and finally on arrival at Paris. A key
to fit the eases had been secretly made
from wax impression of the original,
how obtained none but Margraf knew.
This key he would hand to his confed-
crates this evening at Charing Cross
station, after which he would go down
by the seven o'clock train preceding
the mail
The stoker of the mail, an old rail
way hand, had, been bribed, together
with the guard in whose compartment
the bullion would travel. 1t had been
thought desirable to deal differently
with the front guard and the driver;
specially prepared and powerful drug
was to be given them in pint of beer
just before starting, which would take
effect about an hour after administra-
ton and last till the sleepers should be
aroused by brandy During their slum-
Der the stoker would pull up at conven-
lent places on the line to allow the rob
bers to enter the guards carriage and
leave it with their booty, when they
would make off to where Margraf had
arranged to meet them; he would man
age the rest. The front guard and the
driver, meanwhile, would for their own
sakes be glad enough to say nothing
about their long.slum Der.
All these arrangements had been |
made with great nicely, and told over
twice; and yet Margraf was uneasy and |
nervous as he thought OF all the risk he |
ran. Twice he stretched out his hand /
for the bell rope for telegram forms to !
stay the whole business; once he went |
so far as to ring the bell, but he altered /
his mind by the time the servant an
swered it, and ordered bot brandy in
stead. 1t was now six o'clock; in an /
other hour he must hand over the du-
plicate key to his accomplices and
board the train for Dover.
Every moment he grew more nerv-
Gus: his hand became SO shalIy that
brandy failed to steady it: his face
grew pale and heggard; his nerves were
strung to painful tension, and all |
sorts of possibilities of failure in his
scheme haunted him till he could have
cried out from sheer nervousness.
"Godr' he exclaimed as he drained a
glass of brandy and water and rose to
go. a life like this would kill me
Well, this shall bc the last risk. II it
turns out all right-as it must shall
give this business up ! shall have
plenty then, and old Charlie will go
off and live quietly and comfortably"
The rear guard OF the seven o'clock
Continental finished his last cup OF tea.
put on his thick winter coat, kissed his
wife ana baby girl, and took UP his Ian
tern preparatory 20 joining his train
de reached the station as the great en-
CINE was being coupled and gave the
driver CHEEKY salute. which that Of
fetal acknowledged with a surly growl
Something put Jimmy out tonight"
he laughed 70 the fireman. a young. in
experienced fellow. making his trial
trip. and passed on to make mis- inspec-
ton Of things IN general before start
ing.
81 the last moment rieAly-dressed
gentleman. wearing long far coat,
and carrying q large travelling rug. en-
tered hrst-class smoking coEnpart-
lnenL This gentleman. whom nuner-