Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1900-10-06

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"But this Is a matter for the police" ]
cried hotly.
that you are concerned with the diff
| ferences between our two great coun
tries. 1t is supposed that you hold Inn
portant military information, state Sc
crets that might be got out Of you
squeezed out of you, If they put you In
tight place. You may decline our Of
fer. That is your own affair. But, sir
let me conjure you to carry SIX shoot
er on all occasions. Go nowhere
well, to no strange or unusual places
alone"
Il trust it Is not quite so bad as all
that, Mr.. Snuyzer. Still, l am CRATE
| full, and shall certainly remember you
If, if'-
"You survive? Yes, sir, but do no,
leave it too late. You have been
marked down, captain, and they will
strike at you, somehow, soon; today,
tomorrow, at any time. They con,
tend that the McFaught millions were
acquired by spoliation and sharp prac'
tice."
"Is there any truth in that?" broke
in hurriedly.
"Bully McFaught was smart man
and struck some close things. but he
was no more entitled to state prison
than those he fought with on Wall
street. Any stick Is good enough to
beat a dog with, and your enemies
will talk tall about surrendering III
gotten gains. because 1t Is good show
card. do not think you need lie
awake wondering whether you should
make restitution to the widow and
the fatherless-anyway. not till It's
forced upon you. as 1t may be-"
"And you can save me from that"
"Or worse We think you will be
well advised to consider our offer. II
we can be Of any service to you. re-
member our telephone number Is 2S7..
856, and l shall reply personally or by
proxy at any time. day or night You
have also my address. 80 Norfolk
street, Strand. reside there, on the
premises. I shall be proud to receive
your instructions. and-if 1t Is not too
late-to come to your assistance on the
shortest notice. Good day. captain.
Think we'll Of what say"
How was to take all this? Serious.
ly? l had read in every schoolbook of
the snares and pitfalls Of great wealth,
but had never dreamed-who could?-of
dangers so strange and terrible as
those that now menaced me. If were
to give credence to this extraordinary
tale.
/ Some one hailed me as passed down
Piccadilly. and. turning. l recognized
q man | knew. Lawford by name. q
big, burly, fat voiced man. with jet
black beard so Enthusiastically dyed
that 1t increased his years and gave
an unwholesome tinge to his pallid
complexion He had greasy, fawning
manners-an assumption Of bonhomie
that you lnstinctively distrust. never
cared for him much. but he always
pretended to be devilish fond Of me.
had met this Lawford on the other
side Of the Atlantic. in the South Amer
lean city where had spent some time
In a recent mission. He gave it out
that he was prospecting for gold In
those parts. hut many believed that he
was spy and secret agent Of the
American government Then we came
home together In the same steamer,
and | was much thrown with him on
board. He was on his way to England
to make his and every ones fortune,
mine included. | confess the fellow
amused me. his schemes were so tre-
mendous; be had such profound be.
lief In himself and in the simplicity of
the British public.
"Yes. sir. shall spoil them; stick
them up and carry off pile Of plum.
der. You'll do we'll to cut in with me-
captain. You'd strike 1t rich; yes, sir
can dispose Of $4,000 acres of real
| SSldtS WhlSH 10 JuSl "ith
gold. The greater part belongs to me-
Rufus Lawford. but won't part till
your darned capitalists have unbutton'
ed. But they will that when they've
seen my prospectuses and heard my
witching tongue"
Lawford had not found the innocents
of the city so easy to beguile. He pass
ed through many phases Of good and
evil fortune in the months that follow
ed his arrival. | saw him from time to
time. now gorgeous. now looking like
sweep. Sometimes he was on the
eve Of pulling off some gigantic opera
tion: at others he was in the depths OF
despair and borrowed a sovereign "on
account" Of the great fortune he meant
some day to force on me. He evidently
did not prosper In his schemes Of pro-
motion. But he still hung upon the
| frontiers of finance. In the neutral. de-
batable ground where every mans hand
Is against his fellows and frank brig
andags Is more or less the rule.
| uos surnriSpd to find him I'm the