The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-05-04

packages. Of which tho one hold IN my
hand is q specimen Each package Z
supposed TO contain atty cigars. What
ara 1 bid for the lot? What offer 90 i
Eear?
That was the complete proffer as made
by the government: for all that the
bidding was brisk and sharp Those who
hao Gene to purchase were there tor
bargains. not guarantees: moreover.
there was the box: and could they not
believe their experience? Each would
bs. bidder knew by the size and shape
and character of the package that it VS.
made for and should contain fifty eiSars
of the rich. peculiar, emperor brand
Wherefore no one distrusted; the cues
,ion of contents arose in no mind: ant
the composition grew instant and Close
Bid followed bid: five hundred dollars
being the mark of each advance. as tina
noisy struggle between spectators for
the lots ownership proceeded
At last those celebrated narketeers
Grove and F'ilgord. received the lot-ons
hundred thousand OF the Emperor
| C;gars'.-for forty-fIve thousand dollars
WHAT thoughts might have come to then
later. when they searched their bargain
| for its merits. I cannot say. Not on.
word of inquiry condemnation on com
paint came from Grove and F'igord
| Whatever Their discoveries. or whatever
f! their deductions. they maintained
| game and profound tacturnity. Probably
| they did not care to court the laughter
| OF fellow dealers by any disclosures of
| the trap into which they had blIndiy bid
| their way. Surely. they must in It's last
| charters have been aware of the swiudiei
| To have believed in the genuiness OF the
| goods would have dssipa ted what rem
| nant of good repute might still hays
| clung to that last of the Napoleons who
| was their inventor and justified tbs
49,, 81 Vic ay,1
| birth of the republic which arose from its
| ruins AS I say however. not one syli-
| able of disclosure OF Of fault-found. cams
| floating back from Grove and Fiigord
! They took their loss and like lamb
| before the shearer they We're dumb.
NV own pocket was joyfutly gprg7d
| with much fat advantage OF this fntGuitv
! for inside we We're like whaiers. eacs
! having prearranged per cent OF what
J oil was made. no one working for him
! self aIone-long prior TO that htddtna
| which so ,smote or Grove and thSorA
| The ring had no money interest IN con,
/ fscation sales: those proceeds went al
10 Uncle sam We divided the proit'
| of our own disposal of the right. true
/ Erneror's Cigars on the occasion Q!
| their second appearance in port; ana
| that business was ended and over and d.
| vision done sundry weeks prior To the
! disaster which fell on Grove and Fill
| CORD
There is the story of the Emperors CT
| gars: there came still one little incident
| however which was doubtless the seef
! of those appr.f1ensions which soon drove
| me- to quit the Customs. had carried
| his double tthes to Betelnut Jack. Ibis
was no more the work OF policy thaf
right. The substitution of the bogus wares,
the re-shipment 70 Cuba Of the t-mper-
| or's Cigars even the zinc-lined barrels.
| the re-pa ckaga and second appearance
| and sale of our prizes. We're one and an
\ l IL. Ip-An ty1tyt 1ply -
ned the campaign in each least partic1t
| lar To him was the credit; and to him
! came the lions share. as. in good sooth
| it should II there he shadow of tina
/ honor among rogueS whereof the poe
| On the evening when sought BeteInuf
| Jack we sat and chatted briefly OF work
| at the wharvss. Not one word, mind
| Won, escaped from either that might in
| innate aught of customs immortality Ihat
| would have been a gross breach of the
| customs cormorants No: BeteInut JaCh
! and | confined discussion to transactions
| absolutely right: no other was so mucr
as limited at. Then came Beteinut Jacks
proposed OF his special Willow Rum: he
/ retired in quest of the demiohu: this was
| my cue to enrich "Josephus. ready or
/ the dwarf center table to receive the
goods.
NY present to Bete1nut Jack was five
| one-hundred- dollar bills. Somewhat in
| haste. took these from my pocket and
| Openet JOSerNtS 70 lay TFNOi between
| the pages. ANY pIace would do. Betel-
| nut Jack would know how to discover
| the rich book-marEz AS I parted the hook
| my eve was arrested by q sentence As
| I've asserted heretof1se. I'm not super
| stitious: vet that casual sentence seemed
! alive and to spring upon me from out
"Josephus' as n threat:
| and these men being thieves were de-
| stroved by the Kings laws: and their
I people rended their garments, put on
| sackcloth and throwing ashes on their
| heads went about the streets. crying
| OUT %
That IS what is said; ard somehow it
| made my heart beat sharply and small
| like BIRDS heart. put in my contribu-
| ton and closed the book. But the words
| chung to me like ivy: couldn't free N.Y.
| self. In the end. thew haunted me 10 nv
| resignation: and while T remained long
enough TO share in the affair OF the Ola.
| u-onds of the Girl from Berlin. and in that
of RYAN. the Filibusterer when the hand
| of discovery fell upon Lorns and Quiu.
| and others Of my one-tine comrades, I
| was far awav facing innocent. If some
| times dangerous. problems on our west
! ern plains.