Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-08-26
!: A Tragedy Of the Thames.

I.
The two tall standard lamps in
Mounts resort on board the Primrose
shed a cheerful light on the cosy sur
roundings. A fire was burning bright
ly in the CRATE at the further end,
and, to accentuate the sense Of COM
fort, the cold, treacherous stream be-
meath was tapping and gurgling under
the stout bottom boards.
For days the river, swollen by win.
ter streams, had been carrying down
great blocks OF ice and frozen snow
from the upper reaches, and on this
particular evening London was
smothered in dense black fog. SO
intense was It that, looking through
the window, 1t was impossible to see
the little wharf light few feet away.
Silently and suddenly it had crept
forward all through the winters day,
gradually enveloping everything, like
the visible embodiment OF some dread
full plague. Denser and darker 1t
grew as the night closed in; wreaths
OF II circled and eddied round the dim
street lamps; it crept under ill-fitting
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 a little more dimly
in the freight.
Curious thing" said Mount, break
ing luxurious silence curious
thing how that fellow Dortheim
managed to get away?.'
"Eh?" said drowsily, and waking
up; for, to tell the truth, was half
asleep when he spoke. ooh, ah!--
yes, very"
81 heard from Carter's again today"
Mount continued. 'The police have
tried their very utmost; but they
simply can't get hold OF the faintest
trace"
This was apropos of the breaking
up OF the river swindler's gang, OF
which Dortheim was the head, some
fortnight or more ago. On the infor-
nation with which Mount and had
been able to supply them, the police
tually broken up the whole crew OF
them. besides recovering 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" asked, "did they
find ont where that emergency exit OF
Dortheim's led tor"
Eyes; it was rather a cnte con-
trivance; it gave into an old.fashioned.
disused chimney, with ladder in it.
At the foot of the ladder was crude
tunnel-I should think Dortheim had
made it himself-which ran under the
road into the block Of houses opposite;
and once there no was as safe as If he
was in Africa. There are hundreds
OF different exits from the place, SO
it's little wonder they missed him.
But what / cannot understand is how
it is that they've heard nothing of him
since. It's all very well, you hear
people talk and say, that it's the easiest
thing in the world to disappear, and
that simple disguise and little pre-
caution are all that is necessary, and
so on. Well, that's all right as long
as no one cares twopence whether you
disappear or not, if it amuses you so
to do. But it's quite another kind of
game when you've got the whole of
Scotland Yard at your heels simply
tearing their hair to get hold Of you,
when your description, usual haunts,
acquaintance and such-like are all
duly entered on the official list, and
when slight mistake will end visit
to the hangman."
'T'Ye not yet noticed that Master
Dortheim is any particular variety OF
fool" interjected. Sand as long as
there is way OF evading the gentle
police, should imagine Dortheim to
be its probable inventor.
"That's true enough. GiVe the ras-
cal his due. grant that the man is
as cute a scoundrel Us ever breathed,
but he must be keeping precious quiet
TO evade such an exhaustive search as
they are making for him"
"what do you think he's probably
doing?"
"Well," said Mount, with laugh,
''it may sound absurd, but to tell the
truth 1 am little uneasy. l believe
that the brute is watching chance to