The Press. (Stafford Springs, Conn.) 1883-1935, 1901-10-03
Is Minutes
sufficient to give you most
delicious tea biscuit using
Royal Baking Powder as di-
rected. A pure, true leavener.

shall hear something drop as soon as
we land at the island"
"But why should Mr.. Talanti deceive
p we asked.
"In the first place, is he what he rep
resents himself? Who made any in
luiries about him? In the next place,
you never saw an aristocrat with such
big hands and feet. His skin is coarse,
his language full of slips. and you may
notice sort of roll to his gait as If he
had been at sea for years. l believe
the mans ali impostor."
"But Professor Hampstead seems to
be perfectly satisfied with him."
'That counts for nothing. The pro-
fessor may be up on ancient Greece,
but he is way off on confidence games.
I believe we are in for some sort of
skin game, but it's nonsense to worry
over it. We have walked into the trap
like lot Of idiots"
The island was fairly we'll covered
with trees, and yet it did not have a
hospitable look. AS we made a closer
approach we could see couple of rude
huts and primitive jetty, but Mr.. Ia
lanti explained that his castle was hid
den by the forest and that he was land
ing at that point to save us a long
walk. 1t was as we were drifting in to
make fast to the wharf that others in
our party became suspicious. The no
BILE Greek was neither crafty nor diplo-
matte. He let the mask slip and betray
him or at least aroused wonder and dis
trust, but the most suspicious of us
were hardly prepared for the climax.
AS soon as the craft was made fast
the three eminent friends of Mr.. Ia
lanti suddenly produced pistols and
knives and took their stations by the
gangway. The sailors divided into two
parties, and, handling their naked
knives in a menacing fashion, they
drove the people into line. When Pro-
fessor Hampstead had rubbed his eyes,
scratched his head and got it into his
brain that something not down on the
programme was going on, Talanti
mounted box and smilingly observed:
"Ladies and gentlemen, you are now
about to pass ashore to behold my Won
derful discoveries, but each one Of you
is required to leave behind you all
money and jewelry. I will see that ev-
erything is safely cared for"
"But what-what does it meanT'
asked the bewildered professor as he
looked around him.
"It's robberyw cried three or four
voices in chorus.
''Do not mar the harmony of the oc-
casion with hard Words" continued the
chief villain. II simply borrow your
purses and jewelry. The term robbery
does not sound well. AS time flies let
us get to work. Antonio, you may be-
gin with the professor first"
The men cried out in anger, but what
could they do? 1 do not think there
was a firearm among them, while the
Greeks seemed overanxious to use their
knives. There were protestations and
threats of the law, but Talanti only
smiled at them and ordered the work to
go on. Each man in our crowd was reg
ularly held up-that is, his pockets
were thoroughly searched, and every
thing of value was taken. The women
were requested to hand over, and each
one had her watch and rings in hand as
she moved up. In the course Of half an
hour the last one was ashore, and then
Talanti took off his hat, made sweep
ing bow and sailed away with his pi-
ratical crew. He had no sooner gone
than a gang of half dozen villainous
looking men came down from the huts.
They told us they were fishermen, but
their actions belied the statement.
Their first move was to demand cash,
and great was their indignation and
disappointment at being told that Ia
lanti's crowd had taken the last coin.
When sure of this, they left us, and an
hour later two genuine fishermen came
ashore in their boat. There were a doz-
en- vessels within five or six miles Of us,
and a dollar would have been big pay
for them to sail out and notify the
nearest craft of our situation; but, real
izing our helplessness, they demanded
the sum of $1OO. AS there was no mon
ey to pay them, they were finally pre-
vailed upon to take an 0 q signed by
all the men of the party.
It was almost dark when a battered
us off, and the terms were So apiece
to be paid in Athens. We spent a
dreary night on deck and landed in the
city at noon next day. Immediate no.
tice was given to the various consuls
and to the Greek government, but nc
one had any faith that anything would
be accomplished. The government
made loud promises and seemed to. be
making all possible efforts, but as q
matter of fact Mr.. Talanti was not
even pursued He never could have
| put up and carried through such job
without number of officials standing
in with him, and each and every one
of them doubtless shared in the plum
der when it was divided. 1t was said
that the money and jewelry amounted
to about $4,000, and the only consola
| tion any of the victims had was the
privilege Of abusing country where
| such things could be carried out.
| Tot Causes Night Alarm.
Zone night my brothers. baby wa