The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1901-01-04

aAT DOWN BESIDE ME AND FELT Nv PULSE
petrate that swindle he had had a mar
row escape, and he realized that in q
way he was still under the surveillance
of the police. but put him down as q
man not to be easily frightened. ]
found l was right in this. When I
had stated my errand, he laughed In
my face and called me fool. Between
ourselves he did not deny the swindle.
On the contrary, he boosted of the slick
way in which 1t had been worked. He
had furnished the brains, and John
Saunders was the catspaw. He had Sc
cured $4,000 of the money and escap-
ed the law, while his partner had fed
to foreign land with the remnant and
died among strangers.
"My dear SIR" he said as he smiled
and rocked to and fro. you were dolt
to come on any such errand. You have
papers, but l would not give you the
price of a dinner for them. am solid,
and you can't disturb me. Go to Scot
land Yard, go to the attorney, do what
you will, and shall only laugh at
you"
Neither Scotland Yard nor the attor-
neys could help me In the case. While
1t couldn't be called blackmail, it was
an attempt to squeeze money out Of a
swindler. The one interview satisfied
me that my mission was a failure, and
1 babe Mr.. Smallwood good day with
as much courtesy as l could assume.
1t was about lunchtime when left his
office. { nd dropped into a modest res.
taurant for light meal. l had scarce
ly got seated when a stranger who had
a seedy- genteel look about him asked
permission to take the opposite side Of
the table, saying he had some informa-
ton to give me- When we had begun
on our meal. he said:
81 saw you leave old Smallwood's Of
flee and followed you. Has he done you
a bad turn?"
did not give my case away in re-
plying, but gave him to understand
that the money lender had refused to
do the square thing by me.
Hes cur, cheat, swindler and
all that's mean and contemplate" con-
tinued the stranger. with good deal
of feeling. HE has cheated and
wronged me, and can get no satisfac-
ton. Today, however, learned Of an
incident in his past life that will give
me a good hold on him. | must go to
Liverpool to complete my information.
If you will go along and become re-
sponsible for expenses, will share the
information with YOU"
For awhile l was chary of the msn,
thinking he might be in the pay of
Smallwood, but l finally decided that ]
could lose nothing by trusting him.
Smallwood had once lived in Liverpool
under another name and had been
guilty of a crime for which he had to
flee to Brazil and remain for several
years. This man, who gave the name
of Duff. proposed to go down and look
up the matter and put the police on the
scent. He was going to do this out of
revenge, but in my case I had no re-
venge to crafty. thought it might
be good thing to hold over Smallwood
as bluff, however. and l promised to
reward Duff If anything came Of it. In
the course Of couple Of hours l re-
turned to the money lenders office. He
greeted me affably and laughingly said:
II have heard that you Yankees are a
persistent race, but in this case you are
simply wasting your shoe leather.
suppose you have come to make new
offerT"
al have come about that T,iyprDOOl
affair" l replied, and l went on and
stated the nature of his crime and the
name he used to sail under.
The shot told. The man grew nerv-
GUS and pale faced, and when had
concluded he said:
How you secured your information
do not know. but will frankly admit