Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1896-11-04


soid-"coin is all | ask. There is TOO
much paster around, ana 100 pun "
market for it, for me 10 petlIloh you.
humbly though pursuasiYely' LOT Jo"i
jewels. o,+
And 1 beg you 10 be quick he Went
on. 1t blows (thank YOU uncommon
like snow.,A paltry twenty gulneas' no.
more. III warrant, in this lght PURSE
Why. sir. VOW l took you at mrs slghI
for Trade. A thousand apologies
SDeed ms everything. May 80 BRING
YOU luck. gentlemen, and TINS way
aoain with fuller purses. But l detalh
Won Three of your horses are dying
fo be OF. and the fourth is, l rear al
ready ded. Good evening.
The off-wheeler lay dead in the road
vav. "'Tbe captain" had given the poor
brute the right barrel the monet the
coach had come within pistol range
The others kicked and ficgeted, whlie
the post Boys and guard alternately
trembled and swore. For all the aim
light of the coach lamps, they had
caught a glimpse of man IN MASK
with a pistol. a resolute figure IN red.
In q twinklinS they knew him 10 De
the notorious Captain Scarlet, the
talk and terror of every tavern on the
road.
It had been the deuce of long speech
for him, for the passengers mad been
desperately slow. But he had looted
them of nearly $3.50 between them,
and now lost no time in galloping down
side lane.
After a distance of nearly mile he
pulled no. He could hear no sound
Of pursuit, and rightly judged that
none had been made. He slipped the
coins and notes into a small bag ne
carried. This he placed in an inner
poc5et of his third waisCcoat. Then he
took of the coat, folded il neatly into
as small a space as possible, and plac-
ing il in one of the large outer pockets
OF his riding coat. The pistol and hol-
ster he put carefully into another
pocket
Snow had begun to fall, and for the
life of him he could not call to mind
any safe hiding place for his his tell
tale coat and pistol nearer to hand
than their original One-which he knew
must now be fully two miles distant. 1t
would be exceedingly rash. of him to
venture TO return there. II snow
should continue to fall obvious traces
of his whereabouts might be left. So
after much consideration he decided
on an exceedingly rash course He
would take the coat and pistol with him
to Laughton Park. On his immediate
return the servants and household
would have TO be avoided, but once
alone in his own bedroom he could
place the min a leather valise, in which
he kept locked certain papers, and TO
which he had never given his servant
access.
Mr.. Hawley arrived at Laughton
about O'Clock in the evening. The
household was in a state of great eX-
element preparing for the ball, at
which it was expected the Duke and
Duchess and their party would be
present. Hawley entered the house
unobserved. passig from the stables
through the servants quarter. On the
great stair case, as i'll luck would have
il whom should he meet but Horace
Stayne. He was a curly headed child
of sever. and with him, Mr.. Hawley was
as always with children, a vast favor
tie.
"Wher have you been, Mr.. Hawley?"
the child questioned. 1T has been oh,
ever so dull without you, No one tells
me stories of highwaymen or London,
and papa and the gentlemen would
not let me go shooting with them to-
day. Only two days, he went on, and
then it will be my birthday, and though
aunt Lauder will be sure to send me
stupid book. mamma is going to give
me a real pony of my own. What
have you got in there?" He asked
suddenly. running his hand over the
outside of the bullying pocket of Haw-
ley's coat.
"Ah. Horace. my boy" he answered
with fatal readiness, that's birthday
present for YOU. but you shall not see it,
Master Curious until the day
At last he made his escape from his lit
tie friend. and dismissing his valet on
some pretext or other. carefully slowed
his coat and both the pistols in his valise,
which he locked.
Notwithstanding a heavy fall of snow.
Lady Stayneyard's New Years ball was
very brilliant affair, and the following
morning. when the party reassembled'
formed the subject of many pretty recol-
| Iections and much criticism. But the APP
pearance of the duch"ss-whether Lady
Dora Seton's diamonds were real or
haste. Sutton and young Droicey Flottott,
who had takenu the floor together some-
what oftencr than was Thought conven-
tional-these. as topics of convecsalCn'
nsIad 70 insignifcance when the news ar
rived of the latest daring feat on the high
| way of the scoundrel CAPITA Scarlet.
The Bishop made the matter the excuse
! for a learned and very eloquent discourse
upon the iniquty of pover-y. My l-ord
laughed considerably. oontradic.ed the
Risbon with g. eat ingenuity, aud vowed
that he admired the fellows dasn ana in
r,,5euce. Miss Goodchild. a daughter Of
the most DISTINGUISHED hanging judge on
circuit had it from a friend that Captain
/ scarlet was the hands )mesr. pohtest
Gentleman i'm the world. a statement witch
} MIR. George Hawley, in his gravely courte-
ous manner. begged leave to dnubt.
The whole treatment IF the affair inter
| ested Hawley beyond measure. He smil-
ed to himself "a; the gradual embellish-
mont of the story. At noon the daring
villain had shot a wheerel and a post boy,
! and taken near e400 by l O'Clock me
| bootv was assessed At $500 and guine3s'
! and "a quantity of diamoadsW'-h she near
| leader thrown in. An hoIr later-and MI
! Hawley's own Invention wa reSpohsib.e
for this picturesque additon-the gallert
of the road had refused 10 accept the shil-
ungs of a rosy-che 2ked milkma;d' and
/ had taken a kiss in exchange.
Horace. You may be sure, WIS rot the
! least enthusiastic listener TO these rumors.