The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-11-20
(Part I.

since the BURSTING of the vast reservoir
many years e1ore; or since, still. BET re
that time the Iiots which followed the
first introduction of steam machinery to
supersede the handwork of men ana the
ramping of horses. Bargenhouse was
not city; it had no cathedral; but 1t
was bigger, and more active, anu much
richer, and ever So much more hoastiul,
than many famous old city. 1t was a
very ugly town, with black, reeklng
canals, and river that could hardly be
known from the canals, and hideous
suburbs stretching out in cruel monotony
each street the very same as each other,
exceut for the fact that the farther the
streets ran out, the smaller they became
1t rained great deal in Bargenhouse,
and when it did rain, it rained marking
ink.
The sudden alarm in Bargenhouse was
peculiar. A new development in robbery
had broken out. The crude form OF the
burglar with the revolver was superseded.
There was company for robbery-a
.long FIRM for robbery-a "corner" in
robbery on an entirely new prin 1ple as
applied to the life of an English civil
com munity. The rufianism of Bargen'
house had adopted the plan of action en-
ployed for ages by the brigands of South
ern Italy and of Ihessaly. A rich man
was carried off to some den of robbers,
and there held to ransom. A message was
sent to his family to announce that the
head of the family had been captured, and
that unless certain sum of money was
sent to, a certain place before or at GER
tain hour, the family would lose its head
the captive would be killed. Each such
message came in the form of a letter
printed on type-writing machine, and
concluded with reminder that it would
be no use appealing to the police. 1.-The
police can't find us out, and if they did
we should kill our man while they were
trying to break in the door. Your money
or his lifeI'' Such, it was said, was
the form of the terrible message and
each message was signed, 1.-THE Red
Ro7ers.''
81 don't believe word of it," said Sir
Joseph Carnaway to his confidential
ERIK, who was also his private secretary.
I" ont talk to me in that way, Mascall.
Z u ought to know Letter. May remind
ou-'' Sir Joseph SO etimes, but not
q Ways, grew more formal according as
grew angry MAY 1 be permitted to
mind you that we are living IN England
under the government of Queen Victoria
and in the nineteenth century, Sill
Joseph had way of clinching every ar
gument by a reference to the nineteenth
century. lie Lad quite made up his MIND
as to the capacity of the nineteenth cen
tury. He knew exactly what that cen
fury could do and what it could not do;
what it would stand and what it would
not stand. Unfortunately, the ninetee. tn
century had way. sometimes, of not
accepting Sir Joseph's limitations as to
it's capacity or its endurance.
Sir Joseph Carnaway was the greatest
man in the town of Bargenhouse. TIC
ind his equals you would have to &C
among the newer of the county gentry
to 1na his 3 perlors you would have tC
go among the old nobility OF the country
OF whom the Earl o. Frankland was the
recognized head. Sir Joseph Carnaway
Tor him too, had been young ambition
ladder. He never concealed the obscurlty
of his beginnings; he was proud OF whal
he had achieved unaided; but in his secret
heart he yearned for close and closer ALI
ance with the county families who had
not had to work their way up in life-or,
at least, whose beginnings in that opera
ton were obscured by the curtain OF TINT
and darkness which was raiIed for u.
when all manner OF families kindly came
over to Us with William the ConQueror
Sir Joseph was a widower, for whom
marrying mothers and narrlageablt
daughters had long looked out in Vain
he hisd one cnlla-es uaugh er, whom, i'll
his way, he loved passing we'll. The
girl was called after her mother-th'
good, old-fasnioned name of Clarissa.
Sir Joseph was very proud of mis- hand
some daughter, who had kept house fol
him since she WIS little better than {
child. He was proud also though in {
very different way. of his handsome ant
weH-oressed secretary. Eugar D-ascall
But just now he was somewhat annoy
ed by Mascall's profe ssed belief in The
rumors which were affrighting the town.
II want 10 make it clear to you, M as
call; and Sir Joseph made it q tie cleal
almost too clear-Jhat no such event.
as those reported by rumour could &C u
in the nineteenth century, in the reigr
of Her Gracious Majesty and in the
communi,y Of which ne considered him
self the strongest pillar anC
the proudest ornament. One story
he settled by declaring tina
the allegedd victim was "a worthless
young reprobate who pretended to hav'
been captured by those mysterious Rex
Rovers, in order that his decent ole
father might be forced to come down will
some money, Oh winch DOUBTLESS th
young reprobate gave share to his COZ
federates, the supposed robbers. Anothe
case-that OF grave, elderly man-Si
Joserh explained away by baking hi
head over the condition Of the elder man
affairs, and limited that it WAS not yer.
bad plan OF geUling ones too goou
natured friends to make up subscrip
tion for him. "Why don't they do an,
killing?-why don't they do any killing?'
SIR o-seph asked, chnchingiy. 81 can
believe IN brigands who don t ever do an,
killingl"
''They NAV ye''' the secretary said
grimly. "They may yet"
Ne shall se5, - Sir Joseph said; ant
ne was preparing to go for the evening
The secretary had something on his min(
eviden tly.
stWeIl what is i+S,, Cir To.ot, 4,,.