The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-09-03
A Tragedy Of the Thames

The two tall Standard lamps u
uounps resort on board the Primrose
.bs1 cheerful light on the cosy sur
.0undipgs. A fire was burning bright
win the CRATE at the further end,
md TO accentllate the sense of COM
fort, the cold, treOcherous stream be-
Meath was tapping and gurgllng under
NE stout bottom boards.
For days the river, swollen by win
10, streams, had been carrying down
Great blocks Of ice AMI frozen snow
from the upper reaches, and on this
nsrtcular evening London was
,nothered in dense black fog. So
intense was it that, looking through
tbe window, it was impossible to see
The little wharf light few feet away.
Silently and suddenly it had crcpt
mward all through the winters day,
gradually enveloping everything, like
he visible embodiment of some dread
4 mi plague. Denser and darker it
grew as the night closed in; wreaths
Of il circled and oddied round the dim
street lamps; it crept under ill-titting
doors, and through the tightly-closed
windows; until even in the snug par
lor Of the Primrose it made the lights
burn less brightly, and the polished
metal work CLINT little more dimly
in the freight
Curious thing" said Mount, break
ing q luxurious silence" curious
thing how that fellow Dortheim
managed to get away?.'
"Eh?" said l drowsily, and waking
up; for, to tell the truth, 1 was half
nleep when he spoke, "Oh, ALL
yes, very"
'Theard from Carriers again today"
Mount continued. "The police have
tied their very utmost; but, they
simply can't get hold of the faintest
tRce.''~
This was apropos Of the breaking
upOf the river swindler's gang, Of
which Dortheim was the head, some
fortnight or more ago. On the infor-
nation with which Mount and I had
been able to supply them, the police
bad raided Dortheim's store, and etlec-
tually broken up the whole crew CT
them, besides recovering q large
amount of stolen property; but Dor
theim himself had managed to escape
at the last moment through sliding
panel, and got away.
by the way" l asked, "did they
ind out where that emergency exit of
Dortheim's led to?"
4 Yes; it was rather q cute con-
hivance;it gave intoan o!d-fashionad.
dlSused chimney, with a ladder in it..
At the foot of the ladder was crude
tunnel-l should think Dortheim had
made it himse which ran under the
road into the block of houses opposite;
and once there he was as safe as if he
vas IN Africa There are hundreds
o. different exits from the place, so
us little wonder they missed him.
But what cannot understand is how
Ills that they've heard nothing of him
AACe, It's all very well, you hear
people talk and say, that it's the easiest
@ng in the world to disappear, and
mat a simple disguise and little pre-,
caution are all that is necessary, and
"on' Well, that's all right as long
Sno one cares twopence whether you
disappear or not, if it amuses you sc
Wdo But it's quite another kind Of
game when you've got the whole OF
pSOtland Yard at your heels simply
Eaflng their hair to get hold of you,
Suen your description, usual haunts,
I?aalntances and such-like are al
ualy entered on the official list, anC
saen slight mistake will end a visit
@the hangmau."
i've not yet noticed that Master
DOr'aelm is any particular variety O
@Ol' l interjected. "And as long a
uste is way of evading the gentle
ponce, l should imagine Dortheim t.
%ltS probable inventor. )"
mats true enough. Give the ras
al alS due. grant that the man i
%tu'e scoundrel as ever breathed
Sa' lie must be keeping precious quie
~ e'ade such an exhaustive search a
~Sy are making for him."
doing?" ''''A '
,c, Well" said Mount, with a laugh
nmay sound absurd, but to tell tn
S SSa am little uneasy. | believ
=. ust the brute is watching chance t
S's Ills knife into me before he make
sa ulsi bolt for it. You see, it is prat
al NY entirely my fault that he is il
- - luis trouble. Months and month
SSOg0ite accidentally 1 stumbled acros
M ~ iac' OF the existence of this ma
S NJ his company of fellow rufians.
,.S au on the lookout for him in tn
NY W.! least. 1t was sheer luck on m
s s%s out ever since then, in min
b.0 ss out of ten, I've had the viii
Ns suu OF him, and, of course, he's feelin
s s.s''y sure about the raid of the othe
at first bo ia 49,. , - WIG