The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-09-10
THE PORT OF
MISSING MEN
itoNrlArfn rRou fAat y

10 Il 30, saY'
~Yoa aQyfets ne with inznfsc. o.
ca Wind ug tbe eierk. aud noihing
att - MsHtlng"
uscar unstraged tho trunks and Iisea
ssfad At atlsniloa 10 he door lIe had
.af~c,ng Arnliare 10 condemn the
place 10 btisr languaec. but the pro
prasto " the abandoned hunting pre-
serre ga. 10 excellent kplflts and
vhissl~a bllthely a. hs drew oui Ills
hays
.erbe place wNs built by fools" de
cisrea Oscar gioomily.
"undoubteaiyl There is saying
that fools build houses and wise men
live ia them You see where that
leaves IN. Oscar let us be ehesrfuls
ne tried the shower and changed hls
rslment. while Oscar prepared coffee
and laid q cloth on the long table he
fore the fire when Armitagr appeared
coffee steamed 10 the tin pot 10 which
/, had b~en made Bacon. eggs aud
toast we're further offered
~Yoo have done eaeelleu,ly well. os
car co ge, your own breakfast Ar
mliage dropped a lump % sugar into
bis coffee cup aud surveyed The room.
A large map o. Virginia and series
of hunting prints hung on the unlimited
walls, ard there were racks for guns
aud a work bench 81 one end 81 %"
room where guns might t~ taken anafi
and cleaned. A few novels. several
three year ODD magazines and q variety
OF pipes remained on the shelf above
the fireplace. The house offered posi-
hIllties Of meager comfort. aud that
was about all. Armltage remembered
wha, the agent through whom he had
made the purchase had said-that the
place had proved too isolated for even
hunting preserve aud that IT. only
value was IN the timber. He was salts
fed with bis bargain and would not
set 10 a lumber mill yet awhile. lie
lighted a cigar aud settled himself 10
an easy chair before the fire. glad OF
the luxury Of peace and quiet after bin
circuitous journey and the tumult oi
doubt and question that had shaken
him.
lie slit the wrapper Of the Washing
ton newspaper that Oscar had brouehi
from the mountain postoifce aud scan
| ned the headlines. lie read with care
A dispatch from London that purported
10 reflect the sentiment Of the cont
mental capitals toward Charles Louis.
/ the new emporor-klng OF Austria Hun
gary. and the paper dropped upon his
4 gpees. and he stared into the fire. Then
/ be picked up 3 paper Of earlier date
and read all the foreign dispatches and
1 the news OF Washington. lie was
| about 10 toss the paper aside when his
eyes fell upon boldly headlined artl'
| Gle that cause his hesrt TO throb fierce
ly. IL recited the sudden reappear.
ance OF the fraudulent Baron Won kis
sci In Washington and described In de-
/ tail the baron's escapades at Bar Har'
| Dor aud his later career In California
yelled In careful phrases, but based, sc
| the article recited. upon information
| furnished by gentleman OF extensive
/ acquaintance on both sides OF the AT
| lantic, that Baron Won Kissel, under q
new pseudonym and with even more
daring effrontery, had within fort.
night sought TO lntrench himself In the
most exclusive circles Of Washington.
Armitage's cigar skipped from his I'm
gers and fell upon the brick hearth a.
he read;
"The boldness Of this clever adyen
| turer Is said 10 have reached a climax
in this city within few days. lie
had. under the name OF Armitage
palmed himself of upon members OF
one OF the most distinguished families
Of the capital, whom he had met
abroad during the winter. young
gentleman OF this family. who. II viii
suffice to say, bears n commission and
title from the American government
entertained small company OF friends
al Washington club only few
nights ago and this plausible adven
turer was among the guests He was
recognized at once by one OF the for
elgners present, who, out OF considera-
tion for the host and fellow guests
held his tongue, but II IL understood
that this gentleman sought Arlnltage
privately and warned him 10 leave
Washington. which accounts for the
fact that the sumptuous apartments ~
the New American In which Mr.. John
Armitage. alias Baron Won Klssel, had
established himself were vacated I'm
medlatey. None OF those present OF
the supper will talk Of the matter, but
II has been the subject OF lively gossip
for several DAYS, and the German EN-
bassy II said 10 have laid before the
Washington police all the information
In it's archives relating TO the American
adventures OF this Impudent scoun
drel"
Armltage rose. dropped the paper
into the fire. and. with hls elbow rest
ing on the mnntel shelf, watched II
burn. He laughed suddenly aud faced
about, his back to the flames. Oscar
stood at Aften-
ton IN the mid
die 81 the room -
pack-yesT 49,