The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-03-31

sion, the rest OF my n being In B
draft on Delessert & Co., Paris"
How unfortunate! What is to be
done? By the bye, viii you let me see
your draft, my lord?'
produced it.
Stay a minute till speak to the cap
it."
He hurried away with the draft in hi
hand. For the first time / felt a little
suspicion Of some trick and awaited his
return with some anxiety. He came
back, however, in about 10 minutes AND
asked me for my passport, saying h
thought he could get through without
any trouble. AS we had not yet reached
the pier, l handed him that, but with
the resolve to have it back before going
ashore.
When some 10 minutes later he re
turned with a cheerful smile, and fold.
ing up my papers put them in my hand.
with the remark that all was right, | wa
so ashamed of my late suspicious that ]
felt myself blush.
1.-THE clerk" he said. has changed my
note at a fair discount, giving me halt
gold and the rest in bills on the Bank Of
France. By the bye, my lord, suppose
you take a few. You may want to use
them before you get your small draft
cashed."
declined at first, but he insisted sc
strongly on my taking and carrying
them, even though | thought | might not
want to use them, that at first, fearing
longer refusal would hurt his feelings, |
consented to put them in my pocketbook.
Under the management of my friend,
who spoke French as f~iuently as English,
everything got on smoothly. and l soon
found myself transferred from the
steamer to a fine hotel-without, as he
had said, having any trouble whatever.
Our passports meantime had been given
up and sent on to Paris, and temporary
ones, as is the custom, had been fur
nished us in place of them.
will pass over the remainder of the
journey with the simple remark that
every moment more and more endeared
me to my agreeable and aristocratic
friend, and the only regret 1 had was in
the fact of being in a false position,
which o or later he might discover.
to my grief and shame.
On finally arriving at Paris our pass
ports were again demanded, and no
sooner was mine examined than the Off
Ger informed me that | was under arrest
and must come with him. My French
was lone Of the best, but in my surprise
and CONSERVATION l made the best use
of it | could and demanded what was
meant by such proceedings.
"You will find that out at your exam
nation" was his sharp reply.
Then we were whirled to the office of
a magistrate, and | was unceremoniously
hurried into a small, close room, half
filled with police officers, secret agents
and lawyers. On the bench sat a small,
withered specimen Of humanity, with a
wig on his head and spectacles on his
forehead.
"Well," he said, jerking down his spec
tacles and taking a good stare at me. as
did all the others, what now"
AS l could understand French much
better than | could speak it, l was able
to make out what was said, and to my
utter establishment l now heard myself
accused of being a notorious swindler
and counterfeiter.
"What is your name?:' demanded the
commissary.
"Ralph Hodge," said l.
An alias" said one of the police Off
GERS. "On his passport is Robert Beau
fort
ga mistake, them" cried l. ''That is
the name of the gentleman that came
over from London with me. He took
my passport and must have changed it
by mistake"
The officers smiled incredulously and
exchanged glances with each other and
the magistrate, and the latter shaking his
head said it wouldn't do.
my draft on Delessert & Co. will
prove It'll" exclaimed l, bethinking my
self of that and producing it with trem-
bling eagerness.
The commissary glanced over it and
frowned.
Another mistake Perhaps" he said
with ironical bitterness, pointing to the
name of Robert Beaufort.
The truth nov flashed upon me. My
companion then was no other than a pro-
fessional villain, who had played upon
my foolish vanity and made me his dupe
and scapegoat. tried to make the mag
istrate comprehend the true state of the
case, but he either did not or would not
understand me.
After a good deal of trouble and delay,
however, | managed to get the British
embassy interested in my case, and in
course of time the truth came out, and |
was set at liberty. Ny money had all
been drawn through long before, and
the villain who had robbed and gulled
me was safe across the frontier chuck
ling over the arts by which he had de-
frauded a fool.-E. B. in New York
News.
Old Time Christmas.
- r. IL