The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-05-30
THE
RICH MANS
ANSWER.
You see." said the blackmailer de-

You see," said the blackmailer de-
cidedly,"I have you in my power"
The rich man shifted uneasily in
his seat, so that his face was thrown
into deeper shadow, but he made no
reply.
Yes" continued the blackmailer,
lit Just amounts to this. You come
here, as if you had never seen the
place before, figuring as Mr.. Robert
w. Harrison. the great American mil
lionaire; you buy livingstone park.
and think you're. country gentle
man, and your girl comes over from
her Paris school and appears as Miss
Harrison, of the park, the great
American millionaire's daughter.
Who says am not millionaire?
interposed the rich man. His face
was still in the shade.
oh, no, Mr-er-Harrison! No
one says you are not that. | took
care to make sure of that before
came here
Then what do you want?"
Merely a. little share Of your prop
erty, Mr.. Bob Wilde"
He who was known as Robert Rar-
rison started violently: for moment
his face came into the bright glare
of the reading lamp on his study
table, and there was on it look OF
unmitigated astonishment.
You know that" he cried. Then
in another voice: well, what of it?
I took, Harrison for business pur-
poses, and it is legally my own now"
Well" pursued the blackmailer
In smooth tones, helping himself
from a box of cigars on the table as
he spoke, call it business purposes
if you like. For the present we can
drop Mr.. Bob Wilde, but"-drawing
his chair nearer and speaking in an
impressive whisper-"what about
that robbery in the bank at Carber-
ton, on November Is, some thirty
years ago."
You know that, too? You know
-that?"
"I know you are the man who alb
seconded with $500 of the bank funds
that 1isht, and that it's not too late
now to- tell the whole story to the
police, or for you to be arrested for
it,"
"Don't-don't be hard on me-"
pleaded the rich man in a faltering
voice.
Hard on you!"-with confident
Taught like that. Now, l look
upon you as my little bank, and l
intend you to help me-"
And if I refuse:"
Then good-by to Mr. Robert Har-
rison, Of the park, and enter Mr.. Bob
Wilde, the bank thief"
Have you no mercy?" pleaded Mr..
Harrison pathetically. Who are you?
How did you find all this out? I
have never seen you before. .
You'd have seen me dozens of
times before if you had kept your
eyes open. You see, work at Will
Jams. the saddler's, in the High
street, Carberton. I've been there
good many years now, Shaving away
at miserable 81 week; but, natur-
ally, I've always been on the lookout
for something better. Well, in the
attic at the top of the house there's
q lot of old boxes; been there good
ness knows how many years. ! soon
found keys to fit, and after going
through a lot of musty old clothes
and books, I came On bundle Of
ancient letters from old Williams
brother in America. Well. of course,
I sat down to read them
"Of course" murmured the mil
lionaire family.
In the very first letter opened l
read, I DO believe saw Bob Wilde,
who robbed the Carberton bank, in
the streets here last week Further
on. in another letter-but here, |
needn't tell you how I ferreted it all
out; but in the end made out that
Bob Wilde and Robert Harrison are
the same person, and you've owned
it now"
We'll, if give you $500"
The man burst into a loud, rough
laugh, which he instantly smothered.
Five hundred" he said scorn-
fully, Il want five thousand.
Impossible.
"Oh, is it? Just think it over, Bob,
my friend. What about your daugh-
ter"
"Ah!" burst from behind Robert
Harrison's hands, in sudden groan.
"Ah! I thought that would rouse
you. Here's Miss Molly, you see, en-
gagged to the son of Sir John Bran
don. What about that engagement
if l go and tell Sir John who Mr..