The Forrest City times. [volume] (Forrest City, Ark.) 1871-1919, 1895-06-28

Now that no news came from him,
his fathers resolution rapidly gave
way under the disquieting influence
of foreboding and the continuous en-
treaties of his mother, until at last his
recall was decided upon so soon as the
next intimation of his address should
arrive. The next letter did disclose his
whereabouts, and this was the
thunderbolt.
"MosT 1LLUsTRIous SIGNoR-The son of
your excellency is doing US the honor to con-
oescesd our humble hospitality TO partake and
mas TO US your address given so that we may
fmpart his we'll being. He now his departure
desires, but we would that your illustrious ex-
cellency to us sending the sum Of pounds four
thousand Englische that we may be solaced
for his loss " Then followed an address to
which communication was to be sent, and
the missive concluded: ANY information to
the gendarmes will be on the son Of your ex-
cellency. (Signeu) GIUSEPPE"
'Giuseppe. The most noted bloodthirsty
and brigand of modern times, about
whose cruelties and tortures so many
narrowing tales were told by travel
ers, and upon whose head heavy
price had been set long ago.
Lady Methwick piteously besought
her husband to send the money at
once.
They will kill my darling boy, and
you-you-will have sent him to his
death!"
Her daughters, Hon. Agatha, Ondine
and Clovis, added their agonized en-
treaties; indeed, SO carried away were
they by their feelings that they actual
ly offered to go without new hats and
dresses for the next twelve months, in
order to contribute to the ransom
money. But his lordship did not be-
lieve in giving way at once. Doubtless
lesser sum would be accepted, and
while negotiations were in progress
and there was a chance of the ransom
being ultimately paid, he did not think
his son would be in any danger. So he
sent an offer of two thousand pounds
sterling. The reply to this was a curt
refusal, and postscript added In Rob-
ert Spenceley's handwriting was:
Father, send soon; feel suro ahey will
not take less" But still Lord Meth
wick would not give in without effort
to reduce the amount, and he increased
his offer to two thousand five hundred
pounds sterling.
The day came when Giuseppe's
reply was due, but it did not ar
rive, and pent-up anxiety caused
his lordship two sleepless nights and
two miserable, irritable days. On
the third morning, amongst the con-
tents of the post bag was small par
eel, the handwriting of the address of
which was Immediately recognized.
With trem bling fingers Lord Methwick
tore open the package, and there lay
disclosed the bold brigands staggering
reply-a cardboard box containing
mans ear packed in sawdust, and in
side the lid these words were scrawled:
''No less than four thousand. Part
of his exccllency is sent free so that
he may hear your decide which was
final"
In after years that day always re-
mained impressed with startling vivid
ness on his lordship's memory. What
with his wife's continual fainting fits;
his three daughters in consecutive hys-
terics, their conscious intervals being
employed in upbraiding him in such
severe terms that one would have
thought that the poor man had himself
cut his sons ear off; his own mental
anguish as he remembered that the
future head of his house would never
be able to hear both sides; the horrid
possibility of getting the wanderer
back for nothing-a piece at a time,
and the fear that at that moment fur
ther tortures might be in course of in
fiiction-he often marveled, not only
that he survived it, but that reason did
not altogether forsake her tottering
throne.
And the climax was reached when,
in the softening shades of twilight,
Lady Methwick and her three daugh-
ters, dressed in black, went in solemn
procession to a distant part of the
grounds, where, beside ripping
stream and beneath a spreading tree,
the gardener had already dug a grave.
There, with fresh bursts of tears and
passionate sobs, the box of sawdust
with it's precious freight was solemnly
buried, and cairn built over and
about its resting place.
The outgoing evening mail carried
two letters, one to the brigands agree
ing to their terms, the other to friend
of the family, who happened to be q
consul in the near neighborhood, in
closing draft for four thousand
pounds, and begging him to put him
self in instant communication with
Giuseppe and obtain the captive's re-
lease.
The consul did as he was desired.