Sentence:  When the sheriff arrested [Lucy Hicks Anderson] one night, her <WSD>double-barrelled</WSD> reputation paid off—Charles Donlon, the town's leading banker, promptly bailed her out. Reason: He had scheduled a huge dinner party, which would have collapsed dismally with Lucy In gaol. 
Meaning of the word marked with <WSD> tags:  Forceful, powerful (like a double-barrelled shotgun).