Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-07-06
CHARLES AUGUSTUS MILvERToN.
Appledore Towers.
Agent. Hampstead.

1.-The worst man in London" Holmes
answered as he sat down and stretched
his legs before the fire. rs anything on
the back Of the card?"
/ turned it over.
Twill call at 6:30--C. A. NJ" read.
, Hum. He's about due. DO you feel
| q creeping, shrinking sensation. Wat
/ son, when you stand before the SER
\ penis in tue zoo and see the slthery,
/ gliding venOmOus creatures, with their
! deadly eyes and wicked, tlattened
faces! Well, that's how Milverton i'm
presses me. I've had to do with fifty
| murderers in my career. but the worst
OF them never gave me the repulsion
: which have for this fellow. And yet
/ ! can't get out Of doing business with
him-indeed he is here at my invita-.
ton
! But who is he:"
: "I'll tell you, Watson. He is the king
of all the ackuailers. Heaven help
the man. and still more the woman,
whose secret and reputation come into
the power of Milvprton, With a smil-
!, ing face aud q heart of marble. he will
: squeeze and squeeze until he has drain
! ed them dry. The fellow is genius
in his way and would have made his
mark in some more savory trade. His
method is as follows: lie allows it to
be known that he is prepared to pay
: very high sums for letters which COM
promise people of wealth and position.
pHe receives these wares not only from
( al, l.nt fro
quently from genteel rufiians who have
s.gainpd the confidence and affection of
trusting women. He deals with no mig
) gard hand. | happen to know that he
, paid 800 to a footman for note two
lines in length and that the ruin Of Il
: noble family was the result. Every
. thing which is in the market goes to
: Milverton. and there are hundreds in
this great city who turn white at his
namc. No one knows where his grip
may fall. for he is far too rich and far
too cunning to work from hand to
mouth. lie will hold card back for
years in order 10 play it at the moment
when the stake is best worth winning.
] have said that he Ia the worst man in
London. and ! would ask you how
could one compare the rufinn who in
hot blood bl.dseons his mate with this
Man who methodically and at his lei.
sure tortures the soul and wrings the
nerves in order to add to his already
swollen money bags:"
! had seldom heard my friend speak
with such intensity of feeling
But surely" said ]. 1.-THE fellow
must he within the grasp OF the law?"
''Techncally, no doubt, but practical.
ly not. What would it profit IA woman,
for example. to get him few months
Imprisonment If her own ruin must
Immediately follow? His victims dare
not hit back. If ever he blackmailed
al innocent person, then indeed we
should have him. but he is az cunning
ns the evil one No, no: we must find
other ways to fight him."
"And why is he here:"
"Because an illustrious client has
placed her piteous case In my hands.
1t Is the Lady Eva Blackwell. the most
beautiful debutante OF last season.
She is to be married in fortnight to
the Earl Of DovercOurt. This fiend
mas several imprudrnt lctters-impru.
dent, Watson; nothing worse-which
were written to an mpecunious young
squire In the country. They would suf-
fce to break on the match. Mlverton
will send the letters TO the earl unless
large sum Of money IL paid him. !
have been commissioned to meet him
and to make the best terms l can"
At that instant there was q clatter
and rattle in the street below Look
ing down, saw stately carriage ana
pair. the brilliant lamps cleaning on
the glossy launches Of the noble chest.
nuts. A footman opened the door, and
| q small, stout man in a shaggy as
trakhan overcoat descended. A min
| ute later he was in the room.
Charles Augustus Milverton was a
man Of Atty, with large. intellectual
head. n round. plump. hairless face. a
perpetual frozen smile and two keen
egray eyes which cleaned brightly
from behind broad gold trimmed
Slasses. There was something Of Mr..
Pickwick's benevolence In his appear
ance. marred oply by the insincerity
of the fixed smile and by the hard gilt.