_The last Scene in the Drama approaching.--A new Character
appears.--The Citizens of Union City suddenly seem to have
important business on hand.--The Vigilantes and their
Work.--Their Bullets and Judge Lynch administer a quietus to
Levi Farrington and David Towler.--The End._
The last scene in this drama seemed about to end in the complete defeat
of the whole gang of villains and the triumph of law and justice, when a
new character came upon the stage, and the curtain fell upon a bloody
tragedy. That substantial justice was done cannot be denied, though the
manner of its execution was beyond and outside all forms of law. It was
a striking instance of the manner in which an outraged community,
particularly in the West and South, will arrive at a satisfactory
settlement of important questions without the intervention of courts,
juries, or lawyers. The court of Judge Lynch makes mistakes
occasionally, but it rarely admits of an appeal from its decision.
Robert arrived in Union City with Levi Farrington on Monday, December
eighteenth, and he took his prisoner to the hotel for safe keeping, with
the others. They were kept in separate rooms, and a detective remained
with each of them constantly. William spent several hours with Levi
Farrington, trying to induce him to tell where he had hidden the stolen
papers, and also what he had done with his share of the money, of which
he had undoubtedly retained the greater part. Finally he agreed to
return all the papers, and about twenty-five hundred dollars besides, on
condition that he should receive a sentence of only five years in the
penitentiary on entering a plea of guilty. Having agreed to this
arrangement, William went to his room, which was a large one, with
several beds, occupied by Robert, Brown, and Connell. As the men of my
force were all pretty well used up, Taylor and Barton were placed in the
same room, with Galway guarding them, while Farrington, being such a
desperate fellow, was put in another room, with three of the Union City
policemen as guards.
Soon after the arrival of Robert with Levi Farrington, a man, named
David Towler, tried to get admission to Farrington's room. On being
denied, he was very insolent, and he insisted on seeing Farrington
alone. Finding that this would not be permitted, he went away cursing
the officers and swearing to be revenged. His actions naturally
attracted the attention of the police, and caused him to be regarded
with a great deal of suspicion, as a probable member of the Farrington
party of robbers. About eleven o'clock that night, a policeman, named
Benjamin Kline, discovered this man Towler with a drawn revolver,
skulking behind a car standing on the side track near the depot. He
immediately called for the railroad company's night watchman, and the
two approached the thief to arrest him. The man instantly shot Kline
through the lungs, and then shot Moran, the watchman. Kline's wound was
mortal, and he died in a few minutes, while Moran was supposed to be
fatally hurt also. The pistol-shots quickly drew a crowd, and a few
determined men gave chase to the murderer. After quite a long pursuit he
was captured, and brought back to the station where Kline had just died.
A justice of the peace held a preliminary examination at once, and the
prisoner, David Towler, was held for murder, without bail. He was known
to be a low, desperate fellow, who had been imprisoned for
horse-stealing and other kindred crimes, until he was regarded almost as
an outlaw. He had long lived near Reel's Foot Lake, and while there he
had become acquainted with the Farringtons. That their friendship was
more than that of two casual acquaintances was shown by an important
circumstance discovered by William. It will be remembered that when Levi
Farrington stopped in Cairo to send eight hundred dollars to his mother,
he purchased two of the largest-sized Smith & Wesson revolvers. They
were exact fac-similes of each other, and were numbered 1,278 and 1,279
respectively. At the time of Levi's arrest, only one of these revolvers
was found, and he said that he had given away the other to a friend,
retaining number 1,279 himself. When Towler was captured, William
happened to notice that his revolver was similar to the one Levi had
carried. This would have been nothing to be remarked under ordinary
circumstances, since there were, undoubtedly, many of these revolvers in
use, all exactly alike except in number; but William connected this man
Towler's appearance in Union City with the arrival of the express
robbers, and the new revolver caught his eye at once. On closely
examining it, his suspicions were fully confirmed: _it was numbered_
1,278, and was, without question, the mate to Levi's, bought by him in
Cairo and given to Towler.
When this news became known to the throng of citizens whom the shooting
of Kline and Moran had drawn together, the feeling against all the
prisoners became intense, and when Towler was committed by the justice
to the guard of the men who were watching Levi, the citizens began to
depart very suddenly, as if they either had important business
elsewhere, or were in a hurry to get home. By midnight the town was
quiet, and after a visit to the guards, to caution them to be extra
vigilant, William and Robert retired to their room, together with Brown
and Connell.
Young Kline, whom Towler had murdered, was very highly esteemed in Union
City, and his death at the hands of an outlaw would have aroused deep
indignation at any time; but just now there were additional reasons why
the affair should excite a desire for summary vengeance upon his
assassin. It had been shown that Towler must have formerly been on
intimate terms with the Farringtons, and these latter were well known
as desperadoes, whose hand was turned against every man; hence, the
crimes of the whole party were considered as a sort of partnership
affair, for which each member of the firm was individually liable. But,
besides the natural indignation of the law-abiding citizens for the
crimes committed by these men, there was a widespread sense of
insecurity so long as they were in that vicinity. Towler had remarked,
when captured, that he would soon be out again, and all the prisoners
bore themselves with an air of bravado, as if they had no fear nor
expectation of punishment. It was believed that a number of friends of
the gang among the desperadoes living in Nigger-Wool Swamp and near
Reel's Foot Lake intended to attempt the rescue of the whole party of
express robbers, before they could be consigned to a secure place of
confinement. The citizens who had risked their lives to capture Towler
and the others, who had turned out in time to see poor Kline die in
agony, were determined that nothing should occur to prevent justice from
reaching the criminals, and exacting the fullest penalty for their
numerous crimes; hence the sudden departure of the throng who had
attended Towler's preliminary examination before the justice. They did
not go to their homes, but gathered in a secluded place, and formed a
Committee of Safety. The question as to what course would best protect
the lives and property of the community was then discussed, and a
conclusion was soon reached, without a dissenting voice.
Throughout the town all was hushed in the usual stillness of a winter's
night; no lights were burning anywhere, save in an occasional
sick-chamber, and sleep seemed to have fallen alike upon the just and
unjust. In one room of the hotel were Barton and Taylor, guarded by
Galway and an employe of the express company, while near by was the room
where Levi Farrington and David Towler were watched by three of the city
policemen. A dim light burned in each room, and, while the guards paced
the floor in their stocking feet, the prisoners lay on their beds in
deep slumber. Not a memory of the past, full as it was of scenes of
crime and blood, came to break their repose; not a thought of the
future, with its possibilities of punishment, caused them to lose one
moment of their customary rest. Fear they had never known; remorse was
long since forgotten; unconscious or careless of their impending doom,
they slept the night away.
About two o'clock there was a stealthy gathering of masked men at the
door of the hotel, and, at a given signal from the leader, a certain
number slipped upstairs with little noise, and filled the corridor from
which the prisoners' rooms opened. So sudden was their appearance and so
quiet their approach that even the wakeful guards scarce heard them
until the doors were forced open. Then the policy of silence was
dropped, and a rush upon the guards was made. A battery of pistols
suddenly confronted them, and, as resistance was clearly impossible, an
unconditional surrender was at once made. The bursting in of the doors
awakened William and Robert, who hastily sprang up, and, without
stopping to put on any clothing, opened their door, pistol in hand. This
move, however, had been anticipated by the vigilantes, and a dozen or
more pistols were thrust in their faces as they appeared in the doorway.
"Go back, Pinkerton, we don't want to hurt you," said one of the men
outside, and they were pushed back into the room, while the door was
hastily closed in their faces.
To resist such a body with the few men at his command, William knew,
would be suicidal, and he did not especially care to sacrifice himself
in the interest of such a villainous band as those whom the vigilantes
were seeking. The four detectives, therefore, dressed themselves and
remained in their room awaiting further developments.
Having overpowered the guards, the leader of the vigilantes ordered the
removal of Towler, and, as the latter was hustled out of the door, Levi
Farrington knew that his hour had come. Standing up and facing the
remainder of the crowd, who had withdrawn to the further side of the
room, he defied them all, and told them to fire away. A volley of
pistol-shots was the reply to his words, and a rattling fire continued
for two or three minutes; when it ceased, Levi Farrington was no more,
his body having been struck by more than thirty balls, almost any one of
which would have been instantaneously fatal. His body was left where
it fell, and the room was soon deserted as the party hastened after the
detachment which had Towler in charge. The whole affair was over in ten
minutes, and when the detectives again left their room none of the
masked party were to be seen. Levi Farrington's body was found in his
room, but no trace of Towler could be discovered. Finding that the
excitement was over, the detectives returned to bed, leaving Barton and
Taylor still carefully guarded. The former had slept through the
confusion and noise without even a start or restless movement, but
Taylor was terribly frightened, and he fully expected to be lynched
also.
[Illustration: "_The work of the Vigilante's._"--_Page_--]
The next morning at breakfast, William was informed that the body of
Towler had been found hanging to a tree near the graveyard, and, on
going to the spot, they found him as represented. At the coroner's
inquest little testimony could be obtained further than that one man had
been shot to death and the other hung by parties unknown, and the
verdict was rendered accordingly. There was naturally considerable
excitement over the affair for two or three days, but the general
verdict was, "Served 'em right." However violent had been their taking
off, there were few who did not feel that society demanded their death,
not only as a punishment for their past crimes, but as a means of
security in the future. Believing that a sentence to the penitentiary
was wholly inadequate, and that their escape therefrom was not only
possible, but probable, the citizens preferred to take no risks of
future robberies and murders by these desperadoes, and they therefore
took the most effectual method of preventing their occurrence. Their
action was illegal, it is true, but then it was just--which is a more
important consideration sometimes.
On the following Friday, Barton and Taylor had their preliminary hearing
before a justice, when they waived examination, and were committed for
trial in default of bail in the sum of ten thousand dollars each. Upon
the representation to the justice that the county jail was an unsafe
place to confine the prisoners, permission was obtained to remove them
to the jail in Memphis; the proper papers were made out, and the
transfer was made under William's management.
The death of Levi Farrington made the recovery of the missing checks,
papers, and money an impossibility, since neither Barton nor Taylor were
able to conduct the officers to the place where they were hidden. Barton
gave the company a bill of sale of the goods in the store at Lester's
Landing, however, and an assignment of all debts due the firm, from
which about five or six hundred dollars were eventually realized. Robert
and Brown attended to this matter and returned to Chicago. William was
on duty until the two remaining prisoners were safely lodged in jail in
Memphis, and then, having settled up all the business of which he had
had charge, he also returned home.
At the next term of court in Obion County, Tennessee, Barton and Taylor
pleaded guilty of grand larceny, and were each sentenced to five years'
confinement at hard labor in the penitentiary. Thus, out of a party of
four engaged in this robbery, two were finally brought to trial and
appropriately punished, while the other two would have been so punished
also, had not a higher penalty been demanded by the circumstances of
their cases, aggravated by their own brutal and revengeful dispositions.
No reminiscence in my experience shows a more striking illustration of
the certainty of retribution for crime than does the career and fate of
these outlaws of the Southwest.
THE END.
DON PEDRO AND THE DETECTIVES.
CHAPTER I.
_A Fraudulent Scheme contemplated.--A Dashing Peruvian Don and
Donna.--A Regal Forger.--Mr. Pinkerton engaged by Senator
Muirhead to unveil the Mystery of his Life.--The Don and Donna
Morito arrive at Gloster.--"Personnel" of Gloster's "First
Families."_
The history of crimes against prosperity is of vital interest to the
public. The ingenuity of thieves, burglars, forgers, and confidence men
is active and incessant, so that their plans are often successful even
against the experience and precautions of men of the most wary and
cautious character. This seems to be especially true when the amounts at
stake are large, for petty attempts to defraud are so frequent, that
when a criminal plays for a large sum, the suspicion of the capitalist
is wholly allayed by the improbability that a mere swindler should
undertake an operation of such magnitude. Indeed, in many cases the
cupidity of the victim is so great that the sharper hardly offers the
bait ere it is swallowed by some confiding simpleton. Hence, as a
warning for the future, the lessons of past frauds possess no small
degree of interest and value to the world; and as there is no portion
of society free from the depredations of these schemers, their various
wiles and snares cannot be exposed too often.
More than twenty years ago, the city of Gloster was one of the most
thriving cities of the West. Controlling the interior trade to a large
extent, its interests were of the most varied character, and its
inhabitants were already distinguished as being more cosmopolitan than
those of any other city in the Union, except New York. They had imbibed,
perhaps, some of the genius of the prairies, and their scorn of petty
methods of doing business, their breadth of charity and hearty
hospitality, were as boundless as the great plains of which the city was
the business center at that time. Among such a people, a plausible
adventurer had a fine field of operation, and I was not surprised when I
was asked to go to Gloster in the latter part of the winter to
investigate the character of some persons who were living there.
The application came from Senator Muirhead, a man whom I had long known,
both in his public and private life. His suspicions were of the vaguest
possible character, and a hasty examination of the case failed to
convince me that they were well founded; yet he was convinced in his own
mind that there was a fraudulent scheme in contemplation, and his
positive conviction had great weight with me. The Senator's interest in
the case had led him to make extensive inquiries into the antecedents of
these parties, but he was unable to trace them further back than their
arrival in New York, several months before. There they had suddenly
appeared in society with a great display of wealth, stating that they
had been traveling in Europe for some time, and were gradually making
their way back to Peru, where they lived. Don Pedro P. L. de Morito and
his wife, having enjoyed life in New York for several months, now
proposed to spend at least a year in Gloster, and it was this couple
whose character was suspected by the Senator. Indeed, he felt sure that,
at least, they were traveling under assumed names, and certain
coincidences led him to believe that they were adroit swindlers of the
most capable, dangerous type. He had discovered a chain of
circumstantial evidence which needed only one link to make a clear
connection between certain crimes and these fascinating Peruvians, and
it was for the purpose of discovering this link that he had requested my
aid. In brief, his suspicions were, that after innumerable frauds in
other countries, this plausible pair had settled in Gloster to add to
their ill-gotten wealth by some new scheme of villainy. His theoretic
history of the man, derived from various sources, mainly newspapers in
which crimes had been described bearing the same style of workmanship,
was as follows.
Jose Gomez, a cadet of the ancient Brazilian family of that name, began
life with a fine physique, ample mental endowments, and a high social
position. He was the heir-expectant of a valuable estate, and no pains
were spared upon his education. As he grew to manhood, however, his
habits became such as to excite the gravest apprehensions as to his
future, and by the time he was thirty years of age he was a reckless
libertine, gambler, and spendthrift. Finding that his source of supplies
was about to be cut off by his family, he obtained large sums of money
by means of forged paper, with which he fled from Rio Janeiro to Lima,
Peru. His whereabouts were not discovered for a long time, but when the
information was received, the Brazilian Government made an effort to
obtain his extradition. He was living in fine style in Lima, under the
assumed name of Juan Sanchez, and, in some way, he was warned of his
danger. Before any steps had been taken to expose or arrest him, he
perpetrated another series of forgeries, by which he obtained a large
amount of money, and then wholly disappeared. The aggregate of his
forgeries was so great that a considerable notoriety attached to the
case, and the facts were published in full in the leading newspapers of
this country.
About the time of the great rush to California, after the gold
discoveries there, a gentleman known as Don Jose Michel appeared in San
Francisco, where he lived in regal splendor; indeed, his extravagance
was so great as to make him conspicuous even among the reckless throng
who filled the Golden City. After wasting a fortune with a prodigal
hand, however, he suddenly vanished, and, although little was known
positively on the subject, it was commonly understood that he had
swindled a number of bankers and capitalists by worthless notes, drafts,
and checks, many of which were wholly or partly forged. The men thus
defrauded kept the matter quiet, both because they were ashamed to
acknowledge how easily they had been imposed upon, and because they
hoped to facilitate the capture of the criminal by working in secret.
The incidents were related to Senator Muirhead in a casual conversation
with a friend who had recently returned from the Pacific coast, and the
description given of Don Jose Michel tallied exactly with that of Juan
Sanchez and Jose Gomez.
By an odd coincidence, the month after the departure of Don Jose Michel
from San Francisco, a brilliant gentleman of nearly the same name
appeared in Quito, Ecuador, where he pursued a course so exactly similar
in character to that of Gomez, Sanchez, and Michel, that it was not
difficult to imagine that that ubiquitous person was identical with the
elegant Don Pedro Michel who created such a brief excitement in Quito,
terminating with forgery and a hasty flight.
About two years previous to the time of which I write, a wealthy
Brazilian arrived in London, and became a great favorite in society. His
wife was a beautiful Spaniard, and her exquisite taste, courtesy, and
knowledge of the world were highly appreciated by the select circle of
aristocracy into which she and her husband were soon admitted. Don Jose
Arias was the name of this gentleman, and he was soon known in nearly
every drawing-room in Belgravia. He was introduced by the Brazilian
_charge d'affaires_, in the absence of the Minister Resident, and this
semi-official guarantee of his position in Brazil gave him a passport
everywhere. It was not strange, therefore, that such a handsome,
refined, and agreeable couple should be cordially and hospitably
received, especially as their wealth was undoubtedly enormous, while
their manners showed that they had been born in the purple of
aristocracy. It was a sad shock to society when it was learned that Don
Jose and Donna Maria had absconded suddenly, taking with them about
fifty thousand pounds sterling, obtained by forgery. It was then learned
that the Brazilian legation had been the victim of forged documents
also, though the intimate acquaintance of Don Jose with the policy and
statecraft of Brazil in many important affairs had contributed largely
to his success in deceiving the young diplomat who was temporarily in
charge of the legation.
It was not until more than a year after this occurrence that Don Pedro
P. L. de Morito arrived in New York, with his beautiful wife, Donna
Lucia. They did not stop long in New York after their arrival, but spent
the latter part of the summer in the White Mountains in a very retired
manner, although they lived in the best style that the place afforded.
In August, they made a hasty trip to Washington and back to New York
again, where they began a more pretentious mode of life than they had
chosen theretofore. Don Pedro kept a yacht elegantly fitted up, and his
horses were the best that money could obtain. His bachelor suppers were
models of epicurean perfection, and when his wife gave a reception,
everything was in the best taste and style. While visiting Washington,
Don Pedro had met Senator Muirhead, who had gone there for a few days on
public business, and the acquaintance was renewed in New York, where the
Senator had some private interests demanding his attention. Something
had led the Senator to connect Don Pedro with Gomez, Sanchez, Michel,
and Arias, and though the idea was a vague one in his mind, it was
sufficiently fixed to cause him to institute inquiries into Senor
Morito's antecedents. As previously stated, nothing could be learned of
him previous to his arrival in New York, and the only circumstance which
could possibly be regarded as suspicious was, that both in Washington
and New York he had avoided meeting the Peruvian Minister and other
fellow-countrymen.
The peculiarity of the case interested me, and, after a long
conversation with the Senator, I agreed to unravel the slight mystery
surrounding the parties, and to make a complete review of their past
history so far as it might be possible to obtain it. No harm could
result from such a course, whether they were honest or the reverse; and
so, having decided upon a simple plan, I returned to Chicago to select
the persons to represent me in Gloster.
My preliminary survey of the field had brought me into contact with many
of the most fashionable people in Gloster; and, as I foresaw that my
operatives would be called upon to move in the best society while
engaged in this investigation, I obtained as extended information about
the members of the _creme de la creme_ as possible. Since many of them
will figure conspicuously in the incidents of this story, a brief
description of the leaders will be necessary.
One of the wealthiest men of Gloster was a bachelor, named Henry O.
Mather. He was about fifty years old, but he still retained much of the
fire of youth, and he was one of the most popular members of society. At
an early day in the history of the Great West he had settled at Gloster,
where he had invested largely in unimproved lands; and, by forethought
and good judgment in his speculations, he had rapidly increased his
property in extent and value, until, at this time, he was one of the few
millionaires west of the Alleghanies. About three years previous to the
time of which I write, he had invested largely in the new railroad
schemes then organized, and his importance as a railway magnate
was recognized throughout the whole country. His reputation as a
shrewd business man made him a species of authority among his
fellow-townspeople, and few persons would have ventured to distrust the
safety of any enterprise in which he was actively interested. Indeed,
so complete was the confidence of most men in him, that it was not
considered necessary in buying real estate to trace the title further
back than to Henry O. Mather, a deed from him being considered as secure
as a patent from the government. Personally he was a very agreeable man,
being gallant without affectation, and brilliant without priggishness.
His figure was of medium height, compactly built, and he carried himself
with an erect bearing and springy gait, which greatly aided in deceiving
strangers as to his age. His hair was brown, turning gradually to gray,
and he wore full gray side-whiskers. His features were quite pleasing
except the mouth, which was rather large and sensual. On the whole, he
was a man with uncommon ability to please when he felt disposed to exert
himself, and his great wealth was an additional charm which society was
not slow to recognize. He owned a large house, occupying the whole of a
square in the most fashionable part of the city, and his sister-in-law
was installed as its mistress.
Richard Perkins was an Englishman who had long lived in Gloster, where
he owned the largest brewery in the West. He was of middle height, but
being quite fleshy, his gait was a kind of waddle--the reverse of
elegant or dignified. His smooth, round, jovial face was strongly
expressive of an appreciation of the good things of this world, and he
rarely denied himself any indulgence that passion craved and that money
could procure.
It was while Mather and Perkins were on their annual visit to New York
that they met Senor Morito and his beautiful wife, Donna Lucia. The
distinguished foreigners soon made a complete conquest of both the
western gentlemen, who invited them in the most cordial manner to visit
Gloster at their earliest convenience.
The delights of New York society were enjoyed for several months by
these wealthy and aristocratic foreigners before they were able to keep
the promise made to Mather and Perkins; for they were entertained by the
old Knickerbocker families of Manhattan in a princely style. They were
the guests of the most exclusive circles of the city, and everywhere
they displayed such perfect courtesy, good breeding, and _savoir faire_,
that it was evident they were accustomed to wealth and high social
position. They had elegant apartments in the leading hotel of the city,
and their cash expenditures showed the possession of an unlimited
fortune. They finally tore themselves away from New York, arriving in
Gloster during the comparatively dull season of Lent. Here their fame
had become known in society through the incessant praises of Mather and
Perkins, and their reception into the highest circles was coincident
with their arrival. The unanimous verdict of those who made their
acquaintance was, that Gloster had never entertained two more thoroughly
pleasing guests than the Don and Donna Morito.
Don Pedro was about forty years of age, but he had all the brilliancy
and ease of a man of thirty. His figure was very fine, being slightly
above the medium height, erect, compact, and muscular. His hands and
feet were small and elegantly shaped, but were not effeminate. His rich
olive complexion was in admirable harmony with his soft black eyes and
deep red lips. His face was a good oval, without being unmanly, and his
black, glossy hair was beautifully curly and wavy. He wore side-whiskers
and a long moustache, beneath which his smile, the ladies said, was
faultless. Like most South Americans, he seemed too lazy to be
unamiable, and his general style was that of a man who, having possessed
wealth always, would be perfectly lost without it.
Donna Lucia was a fine specimen of Spanish beauty, education, and
refinement. It was easy to see that she possessed more force of
character than her husband, and that her passionate nature was like a
volcano, which might burst forth at any time, driving her to the most
dangerous courses if it took possession of her. A detailed description
of such a woman is an impossibility. In general, she was a beauty of the
Andalusian type, as nearly perfect in form and feature as can be
conceived; but her expression was of an infinite variety of characters,
each one giving the precise shade of meaning most applicable to the
time, place, person, and sentiment. In short, she was so near perfection
that nearly all the men she met were in love with her, and nine-tenths
of them more than half believed that she regretted her marriage for
their sake. Nevertheless, she kept all admirers at a certain distance,
which only bewitched them the more.
At the time of which I write, Don Pedro was so much pleased with
Gloster, that he had rented a large residence in a very fashionable
locality, and was making preparations to spend a year there. The
charming manner in which they had entertained their friends at the hotel
was ample guarantee that when the Don and Donna were established in
their new home, they would surpass anything in the way of festivities
ever seen in Gloster; hence, all the best society of the place rejoiced
greatly at the arrival of this new constellation in the social
firmament.
Among the bachelors most noted in _salons_ and parlors of the city were
Daniel McCarthy and Charles Sylvanus, the former a lawyer, and the
latter a journalist. McCarthy was an Irishman, of brilliant talents and
ready wit. Although still comparatively a young man, he was the county
prosecuting attorney, and was considered one of the foremost lawyers of
the city. He was very good-looking and good-hearted, and his natural
drollery made him a most entertaining companion. While speaking in
court, and often in society, he had a habit of running his fingers
through his long, thick hair, which he would also, at times, throw back
with a peculiar jerk of his head. This habit was especially frequent
when he became deeply interested in his subject, and the spectators
could always tell whether Dan was doing his best, even when they could
not hear his words.
Sylvanus was editor and part proprietor of an evening newspaper. As a
journalist he was not above mediocrity, but he was well received in
society, where even a moderate allowance of brains will suffice for
success.
A conspicuous member of society and a pillar of the Swedenborgian church
was Mr. John Preston, a banker and capitalist. With a book of
Swedenborgian revelations in one hand and a bundle of tax titles in the
other, he would frequently orate to a crowd of unbelievers, from a text
drawn from his book, in a manner calculated to quite convert them, were
it not that they knew he was only working up a fresh head of steam to
enable him to grind the faces of the poor upon whose property he held
tax titles. In fact, many people were of the opinion that this man was a
dangerous character, in spite of his pretense of piety, his ostentatious
charity, and his assumption of the _role_ of a professional
philanthropist. They insinuated that a man could afford to give largely
to an astronomical society, a college, an academy of sciences, and other
objects of education, when he had appropriated many thousands of dollars
belonging to the school fund to his own use; that he could easily
contribute freely to his church, when he used the church property in his
own interests and managed the society to suit himself; and that there
was no great amount of philanthropy in giving a few hundred dollars to
miscellaneous charities, when he made ten times the amount in shaving
notes at usurious interest and acquiring land by means only one remove
from actual theft; these things were becoming so notorious that a man of
less indomitable brass than John Preston would have long since been sent
to Coventry, if not to jail; but he revolved on his own center,
sublimely indifferent to the attacks of his enemies, for whom, by the
way, he used to pray with most fervent unction. His wife was a pleasant,
motherly woman, who gave liberally to charitable objects, and who
regarded her husband as one of the saints of the earth.
There were three children--a young man and two girls. The former gave no
promise of either ability, probity, or ambition, and there was about him
a noticeable air of deficiency in both mental and moral worth. The girls
were commonplace nonentities, with no pretensions to beauty or grace.
One of the most prominent citizens of Gloster was a wealthy tanner,
named Charles H. Sanders. Having foreseen at an early day the great
progress which the city would make in population and importance, he had
invested largely in tracts of unimproved land, which he held against all
offers to purchase until his real estate was more extended and valuable
than that of any other property-owner in the city. Personally he was
very thin and angular, with such a sickly look that his death seemed
possible any day, though his constitution was of that character which
might hold out much longer than that of a more robust type. His wife was
a very charming woman, and they had two young daughters, who gave
promise of considerable beauty when they should arrive at maturity.
Mr. Thomas Burke and his wife were, perhaps, the most general favorites
in Gloster society. Mr. Burke was tall and well built, and his large
head and commanding appearance made him conspicuous in any group. He had
a broad, high forehead, heavy eyebrows, deep-set black eyes, a Roman
nose, and a heavy black moustache, which completely covered his mouth.
His straight, black hair, high cheek-bones, and swarthy complexion, gave
him slightly the look of having Indian blood in his veins; but the rest
of his features were unmistakably Celtic, and the moment he spoke, the
Irishman stood confessed. He was a man of such extensive reading and
general information that few persons excelled him in conversation. His
wife was also cultivated and intelligent, so that either as guest or
hostess she was equally agreeable and popular. They had a large family
of bright and interesting children.
One of the social curiosities of the city was known as Deacon Humphrey.
He was a striking instance of the importance which self-complacent
mediocrity can obtain in a newly-settled community, in spite of
ponderous stupidity. His large head gave him his only excuse for
professing to have brains, and his air of preoccupation made him in
appearance the personification of wisdom; indeed, a witty journalist,
who had sounded the depths of Humphrey's ignorance, once said that "no
man _could_ be as wise as Humphrey _looked_." No better condensation of
this character in a few words could be made. He was part proprietor of a
morning newspaper, and at times, to the dismay of the other
stockholders, he aspired to the editorial tripod. The mighty
lucubrations of his intellect were generally assigned to the
waste-basket, and in the city it was well known that his influence in
the columns of the paper was absolutely nothing, though in the country
he was still regarded with awe by the bucolic mind. He was generally
known as "Deacon" from his honorary occupancy of that office in a
Presbyterian church. Mrs. Humphrey was seldom seen, being in poor health
almost constantly, but their only daughter, Jennie, was one of the
foremost of the fashionable of the _dilettanti_ of the city. Indeed, it
was confidently anticipated that, some day, Miss Jennie would burst
forth as a full-blown authoress, and overpower an expectant public with
the radiance of her intellect and the elegance of her style.
No description of Gloster celebrities would be complete without that of
Ethan Allen Benson, Esq., formerly Member of Congress, and late Minister
Plenipotentiary at an important European court. The suggestion having
once been made to him by some waggish diplomat that he resembled the
first Napoleon, he was ever afterward desirous of drawing attention to
this fancied resemblance. He was a vain, fussy, consequential
politician, whose principal strength was in the ward caucus and the
saloon.
Judge Peter B. Taylor was another old settler, and he was frequently
seen in social circles in spite of his age. His forehead was very broad
indeed, but his face tapered so rapidly to a pointed chin as to make his
head wedge-shaped. He had coarse, faded hair, but no whiskers nor beard,
and only a scrubby, gray moustache. He had a singular habit of working
his eyes independently of each other, and the effect upon a stranger who
was not aware of this peculiarity was sometimes startling. His mouth was
quite large, one side appearing larger than the other, and his lower lip
slightly protruded, giving him a very harsh and forbidding appearance.
He had at one time occupied a seat on the judicial bench, but few
persons could understand on what grounds he deserved the office, unless
it were that people believed the adage about a poor lawyer making a good
judge. He was quite wealthy, and his business was that of a money loaner
and real estate speculator. He was considered to be very pious and
charitable--on Sunday; during the rest of the week no Shylock ever
demanded his pound of flesh more relentlessly than he his three per cent.
a month.
It was among a society of which the foregoing were shining lights, that
I was to operate at the request of Senator Muirhead. On returning to
Chicago from Gloster, I gave a great deal of thought to the case, for
there was so little to act upon that none of the ordinary plans could be
depended upon. During his stay in this country, Don Pedro had apparently
acted in a perfectly honorable manner toward every one, and it would be
impossible to proceed against him legally in the United States for
crimes committed elsewhere, until the aggrieved parties should take the
necessary steps for his extradition; with several of the countries in
which he was supposed to have committed his crimes we had no extradition
treaty, and nothing could be done here to arrest or punish him; hence,
the task of exposing his previous career might be fruitless, even though
the Senator's suspicions should be confirmed in every particular.
Nothing whatever could be adduced against his character since his
arrival in the United States, and I was, therefore, confined to the
prevention of future frauds rather than the detection of old ones. The
primary object of my efforts was thus made to be the discovery of the
Don's intentions, as, without some slight forecast of his plans, I might
be unable to circumvent them. Accordingly, I decided that I must furnish
him with a friend who would be sufficiently intimate with him to become
his trusted companion and adviser. At the same time, it would be
essential to learn as much as possible relative to the previous career
of both the Don and Donna, for it might be desirable to use a little
moral suasion with them by showing that their history was known. This
plan would involve no injustice to them, for, if innocent of
wrong-doing, they would never know that they had been under
surveillance; while, if guilty, they deserved no consideration.
CHAPTER II.
_Madame Sevier, Widow, of Chicago, and Monsieur Lesparre, of
Bordeaux, also arrive at Gloster.--Mr. Pinkerton, as a
Laborer, anxious for a Job, inspects the Morito Mansion.--A
Tender Scene, resulting in Profit to the fascinating
Senora.--Madame Sevier is installed as a Guest at Don
Pedro's._
My first action in this affair was to detail a man to "shadow" Don Pedro
and the Donna until the detectives chosen for the more difficult
portions of the work should be in a position to take notice of all their
movements. As three detectives would require some little preparation to
gain the position I desired them to fill, I hastened to select them and
give them their instructions. For this mission I detailed a married
couple, who had been several years in my employ. Mr. and Mrs. Rosel were
natives of France, and as they had been constantly in my service almost
from the time of their arrival in this country, I felt sure they would
not be recognized as detectives by any one in the city of Gloster. They
were people of more than average intelligence and education, with a
natural refinement which would be especially desirable in the
prosecution of this case. In a few days all their preparations were
completed, and they went to Gloster by different routes.
Mrs. Rosel was not handsome, but she had a good figure, and she was very
attractive, on account of her dashing, spirited ways, and because she
could assume a deep interest in every one whom she met. She spoke
English with so slight an accent that it was only noticed as an added
charm to her winning conversation. I instructed her to represent herself
in Gloster as Madame Sevier, the widow of a lace merchant, lately of
Chicago, where he had carried on a moderate business. His death had
thrown his affairs into some confusion, but the estate would be settled
up soon, leaving a comfortable fortune to his widow. Madame Sevier did
not like the climate of Chicago, and therefore she had decided to remain
in Gloster until her business affairs were settled, when she would
probably return to her relatives in France. I intended that she should
mix in society as much as would be consistent with her character as a
widow, and that she should endeavor to become intimate with Donna Lucia.
Mr. Rosel was to make a slight detour, arriving in Gloster from the
east. He would be known as Monsieur Girard Lesparre, and his ostensible
character was to be that of a man of moderate capital from Bordeaux,
looking for a favorable opportunity to invest some of his means in a
profitable business.
I followed the Rosels in a day or two, and found that Monsieur Lesparre
was pleasantly located at a fashionable family hotel, while Madame
Sevier had taken apartments in a stylish boarding-house only a few doors
from the handsome residence which the Moritos were to occupy. This was
quite satisfactory, and I turned my attention to the examination of the
reports made by my "shadow." The reports were very monotonous in
character, except as evidences of the popularity of the Don and Donna.
The dull days of Lent had just passed, and the close of the season was
now more crowded with parties and balls than the earlier portion had
been. The presence of two such distinguished guests as Don Pedro and
Donna Lucia contributed largely to the reasons for this rush of gayety,
and they were overwhelmed with visitors and invitations. Mr. Mather had
set the example by giving a large dinner-party in their honor, followed
in the evening by a grand ball; and they had so charmed the other
leaders of society that no entertainment was considered complete without
the presence of Don Pedro P. L. de Morito and his beautiful wife.
On leaving my hotel to visit the house which Don Pedro was fitting up
for his residence, I met Charlie Morton, the United States Commissioner
of Gloster. Morton was a capable lawyer and a shrewd politician. He was
equally attentive to ladies as to gentlemen, and it was well known that
Charlie would never slight any one who could cast or influence a vote.
His acquaintance extended through all classes, from the lowest to the
highest, and few men were more generally popular. His powers of
observation were only equaled by his tact, so that, while he saw all
that went on about him, he never talked indiscreetly. He and I were
quite intimate, and we chatted for some time about various people before
I succeeded in bringing up the names of those in Gloster in whom I was
just then most interested.
"I suppose you are quite glad that the gay season is over, Charlie," I
said, interrogatively. "As usual, you will not have many social events
of any consequence after Lent, I presume?"
"Oh! yes, indeed," he replied; "we shall be more active in society for
the next month or two than ever before. You see, we have two wealthy and
aristocratic Peruvians visiting Gloster, and they are so fascinating
that they have quite taken our people by storm. They have been
accustomed to the finest society of Europe and South America, so that we
are put upon our mettle to show how well Gloster can compare in wealth,
luxury, and refinement with older cities at home and abroad."
"Are they then such remarkable lions?" I asked, "or do people run after
them simply because they are rich foreigners?"
"Of course their wealth and foreign birth would cause many people to
pay them attention," said Morton; "but their popularity is something
exceptional, and is undoubtedly due to their perfect knowledge of all
the courtesies and customs of modern society, to their charming manners,
and largely to their personal good looks. Senor Morito has fascinated
all the ladies, while nearly every man in society is in love with the
Senora."
"Well, take care of yourself, my boy," I said, jokingly. "If the lovely
Donna causes Charlie Morton to strike his colors, she must be dangerous
indeed."
After leaving Morton, I sauntered along to the house which Don Pedro had
rented, and which was now nearly ready for occupancy. It was a large
residence, with ample grounds fronting on the principal avenue, and its
imposing front of heavy columns gave it a striking appearance as
compared with the more commonplace stone fronts around it. While I was
glancing curiously about, a truck arrived laden with costly furniture. I
was rather roughly dressed, and the driver asked me if I wanted a job of
work. I accepted his offer to aid in carrying the furniture into the
house, as I was anxious to examine the interior. After finishing the
job, the furniture salesman took me over the house to show off the
elegance with which it was decorated and furnished. It was certainly a
model of good taste, while the paintings, statuary, frescoing, and
articles of _bijouterie_ were evidences of enormous expenditures. Having
obtained a thorough knowledge of the plan of the house, I withdrew,
receiving fifty cents for my labor.
The time when Don Pedro was to occupy his residence was to be signalized
by a grand reception held therein, and the invitations were already out.
Meantime entertainments were given by John Preston, Alexander McIntyre,
and Charles H. Sanders. The latter's reception was especially brilliant,
and those who knew Mr. Sanders's parsimonious character were much
surprised at his profuse expenditure for the occasion. I soon afterwards
obtained an explanation of this unusual liberality, by hearing another
banker casually remark that Don Pedro had withdrawn a part of his funds
from New York, and had deposited them in Mr. Sanders's bank. This gave
me a hint, and I immediately acted upon it. Being well acquainted with a
number of bankers, I visited several of them, and talked about various
business men of Gloster, as if I were desirous of getting information
about their commercial standing and credit. In each case I succeeded in
learning the extent to which Don Pedro had deposited money in bank. The
total amount then due him by the three houses with whom he had made
deposits was about $17,000, although his original deposits had amounted
to more than double that sum. Heavy drafts to pay his current expenses
and to furnish his house had largely reduced his available cash, though
he still had an ample sum on hand. Knowing how enormous his expenses
were, I felt sure that he would reach the end of his bank account in a
short time, unless he should have other funds, of whose existence I was
unaware. If this sum of seventeen thousand dollars represented his total
capital, however, he would soon show whether he was what he claimed to
be, or an adventurer; for, in the former case, he would draw money from
his Peruvian estates, and, in the latter, he would accomplish some great
swindle. I was, therefore, anxious to put my detectives at work as
quickly as possible to enable me to learn something definite of his
intentions.
Madame Sevier was making quite rapid progress in her new quarters. Mrs.
Courtney, the lady who kept the house, was a widow of some means, who
took boarders to enable her to educate her children in the best manner.
She was highly regarded by every one, and her visiting-list included all
the most fashionable people in the city. She soon became greatly
interested in Madame Sevier, and through her assistance the Madame made
the acquaintance of a number of the families living in the neighborhood.
As the rage for foreigners was at its height just then, Madame Sevier
soon became highly popular, and she was invited to several
entertainments, where she met Don Pedro and Donna Lucia. The latter,
finding that Madame Sevier was to be her near neighbor in her new
residence, became very intimate with her, especially as Donna Lucia was
desirous of reviving her knowledge and practice of the French language.
Consequently, when Don Pedro's arrangements were all completed and the
new house occupied, Madame Sevier used to drop in for a few minutes'
chat every day. As she was a very capable manager, she was frequently
able to give Donna Lucia valuable hints about her household affairs,
especially with reference to the approaching reception.
Ever since the arrival of the Moritos, Mr. Henry O. Mather had been a
constant attendant upon the Donna. His attentions had not been so
publicly marked as to have created scandal; but he had been so assiduous
in paying his regards, that he was much more intimate than Mrs. Grundy
would have thought strictly proper. He was in the habit of calling very
frequently, and he often took the Don and Donna out for a drive.
Sometimes the party would consist wholly of ladies, and occasionally the
Donna accompanied him alone. In short, he became a sort of intimate
friend of the family, welcome at all times, without the necessity of
invitation or ceremony.
One day, Madame Sevier went in to see Donna Lucia in the afternoon, and
was told by the servant that she would find the Donna in the library.
Without permitting the servant to announce her, she passed on toward the
room mentioned; but, as she approached the door, hearing voices within,
she paused a moment to see who was with Donna Lucia. The room was in a
very retired part of the house, and she was able to take a position
close to the partly open door without the probability of being noticed
by any one. She was thus enabled to overhear a highly interesting
conversation between the Donna and Henry O. Mather, who had evidently
arrived only a moment or two before her.
"You are not in good spirits to-day, Donna Lucia?" questioned Mather,
sympathetically.
"No, Mr. Mather; I have my troubles at times, like other people, but I
try not to let others see them."
"Then you do not care for sympathy, Senora," said Mather, with a tender
sigh; "I see that you have been in tears, and it grieves me to think
that I cannot save you from the painful things which cause you to cry."
"Oh! Mr. Mather, I do appreciate your kindness, I assure you," said the
Donna, also sighing deeply; "I am almost tempted to ask your advice, for
I feel that you are truly my friend; but I am afraid you will think I
have been naughty in having exposed myself to such annoyances."
"No, indeed, my dear Donna," replied the millionaire, quite enraptured
at this evident token of her confidence in him; "I know that you are too
lovely to be anything but an angel, and I shall be only too happy to
give you advice upon any subject that you confide to me."
As the conversation was becoming highly interesting, the tones of the
parties being of a really lover-like tenderness, Madame Sevier took a
hasty glimpse through the door, and saw that she could watch as well as
listen, unperceived. Mather was standing beside the Donna, bending over
her and looking into her face, while she had her head half turned away,
as if in coy indecision.
"Well, Mr. Mather----"
"Why do you address me always so formally? Can you not call me Henry?"
asked Mather, boldly.
"How would it sound if any one should hear me?" said the Donna, casting
down her eyes and playing with her watch-chain.
"But when we are alone no one can hear you," replied Mather. "Won't you
call me Henry when we have an occasional _tete-a-tete_?"
"Well, then you must be very discreet, Henry," answered she, looking up,
blushing and hesitating as she spoke.
"I will be discretion itself," said the now wholly infatuated Mather,
with a look of triumph; and to show that he accepted the conditions of
the agreement, he sealed it by raising her hand to his lips.
"Oh! fie! fie!" she exclaimed; "is it thus that you show your
discretion? I shall be obliged to retract my promise if you become so
rash. Now, sit down beside me, and be more polite in future."
"I will not be so hasty again, my dear Donna; but my pleasure was so
great that I was somewhat beside myself. Now tell me what it was that
caused your troubles."
"Well, Mr. Math----"
"No, no; not 'Mr. Mather;' recollect your promise," interrupted Mather,
as he saw she hesitated to call him by his first name.
"Well, then, Henry, I have been very thoughtless and extravagant, and I
do not know what to do. You see, I have always spent money for
everything I needed without regard to cost; for my own fortune was ample
for everything, and Pedro would give me any amount that I might desire.
But last month a draft for six thousand pounds, which was sent me by my
trustees, was lost on the way, and so I have used up all my own funds.
Having run up several large bills in New York, I asked Pedro to pay
them, and he did so; but he said that, having ordered his factors to
send him no more money until his arrival in Callao, he should be
somewhat embarrassed until he heard from them again. His sudden
determination to fit up and occupy a residence here has exhausted all
his available funds except a few thousand dollars for current expenses,
and he requested me not to make any large purchases until one of us
should receive a remittance from our estates. Well, you see, I expected
surely to have received a large sum before now, and so I made purchases
without regard to consequences; the result is, that I am deeply in debt,
my money has not arrived, and I am afraid to tell Pedro, because he will
not forgive me for running in debt and disobeying him. Unfortunately, I
have done both these things, and I am momentarily in fear that some of
the bills will be sent to him. Now, my dear Henry, you see that I have
good cause to look sad and cry."
As she finished, the Donna began to whimper and put her handkerchief to
her eyes in so touching a manner that Mather was quite overpowered. The
artistic expression with which she hastily called him her "dear Henry"
was the finishing touch to an already powerful attack, and he
surrendered completely.
"My dear Donna," he exclaimed, seizing her hand in both of his, "how
glad I am that you confided in me. I will see that you are not troubled
by another anxious thought in this matter. Tell me how much you need to
settle all your indebtedness."
"Indeed, Henry, I cannot let you do anything of the kind," she
protested, feebly. "Why, it is a very large sum in all, and it may be
several months before I can repay you."
"Now don't talk about payment, but just tell me how much you need,"
replied Mather.
"The large bills amount to over four thousand dollars, and there are a
number of small ones which I have not figured up," she said,
thoughtfully.
"Well, then, I will bring you around five thousand dollars to-morrow,
and you can pay the bills without any one knowing where the money comes
from," said Mather, again kissing her hand.
"Oh! you dear, good fellow!" exclaimed the Donna; and, overcome by his
generous response to her request, she threw her arms about his neck and
kissed him several times.
"There, there," she continued, releasing herself and coquettishly
tapping his lips with her hand, "I don't know how I came to do such a
thing, but you were so kind that I couldn't help it."
"If that is the case," said the overjoyed Mather, "I will add five
thousand more to have a similar expression of your gratitude."
"Will you, really? I believe I am half in love with you," she murmured,
as she allowed him to embrace her a second time, and press burning
kisses on her lips.
The ringing of the door-bell interrupted their happiness, and Madame
Sevier hastily retired to the drawing-room, into which other visitors
were shown by the servant. Donna Lucia soon entered, perfectly
self-possessed, and greeted all her friends with her usual ease and
cordiality. Mr. Mather probably passed out by the library entrance, for
he did not appear in the parlor. The ladies conversed together for some
time, one of the important subjects of their talk being the troubles of
household management. Donna Lucia complained bitterly that her servants
robbed her, and that they were careless, dirty, and impudent. She knew
very little about housekeeping, and every domestic in her employ took
advantage of her. She added that, as soon as her housewarming was over,
she intended to get, if possible, a lady who would be a member of the
family, and who would relieve her of the management of the house.
"Now," said she, in her most winning manner, "here is Madame Sevier, who
has nothing to occupy her time, who is a natural manager of other
people, and who is so agreeable that she would be a positive charm to
any household; and I have been thinking, positively, of asking her to
take charge of my whole establishment, and help me entertain my guests.
What should you think, Madame Sevier, of such a request?"
The opportunity of becoming domesticated in the Morito mansion was thus
afforded to one of my detectives, but she knew better than to accept at
once. She therefore professed to treat it as a pleasantry, and said that
she had no doubt that she should succeed as a housekeeper, but whether
she could add anything of attraction to such a charming home was greatly
to be doubted. The other ladies, however, thought the idea an admirable
one, and they all urged Madame Sevier to adopt it. Having once broached
the subject, Donna Lucia again spoke of it with the greatest interest,
showing, by her arguments and determination to coax Madame Sevier to
decide favorably, that she had thought about such a plan before, and
that she was really in earnest in her request. Finally, Madame Sevier
said that she saw no objection to accepting the offer, as she really
enjoyed taking care of a large establishment, but she was not prepared
to accept it at once, and she would wait a few days to reflect upon it.
It was then agreed that she should give her decision at the grand
reception to be given as a housewarming.
This part of my plan had worked admirably, and I felt confident of my
eventual success in learning all about the affairs of the Morito family.
The method by which Donna Lucia had obtained ten thousand dollars from
Mr. Mather was a decided confirmation of Senator Muirhead's suspicions;
though there was nothing in the transaction which could make her liable
to punishment by law, and as there was no danger that her victim would
ever appear against her, I paid no further attention to this episode.
I ordered Madame Sevier to accept Donna Lucia's offer on the following
terms: she should have full authority over all the female servants in
the house; she should have charge of the ordering of all articles for
household use; she should be considered in the same light as a guest, so
far as social intercourse went; she should go and come as she chose,
without regard to the duties of the _menage_; and she should receive no
salary. This last point she was to insist upon, as necessary to preserve
her feeling of independence, and enable her to occupy her time as she
might see fit.
As the day approached for the Moritos' reception, all Gloster's best
society were filled with pleasurable excitement and anticipation, as the
preparations were known to be far more magnificent than those for any
similar entertainment since Gloster was settled. As Monsieur Lesparre
had already made Don Pedro's acquaintance, and had received an
invitation, I felt sure that I should be thoroughly informed as to all
the occurrences of the evening, and so I awaited developments.
The employment of detectives to penetrate into the social life and
domestic surroundings of any family is strongly repugnant to my sense of
propriety, and I rarely countenance the practice, if I can possibly
attain my object in any other way. I dislike to feel that I am
trespassing upon the privacy of any man's home, even though that man may
be a criminal. The idea of introducing a spy into a household is opposed
to the spirit of our free American institutions, violating, as it does,
the unwritten law that "a man's house is his castle;" hence, I never
resort to such a measure, except in extreme cases. I saw, however, that
there was no other means of protecting the interests of my client,
Senator Muirhead; he was acting disinterestedly in the case, to save his
constituents from being defrauded, and I could only prevent the
threatened swindle by learning in advance the exact plan of operation
proposed by the suspected person.
I was careful, however, to employ my most discreet and cautious agents,
in order that I should quickly learn whether the Senator's suspicions
were based on fact; in case I should find that the suspected parties
were innocent, I was determined to withdraw instantly. They would not
then suffer any injustice, for my employes would keep their discoveries
secret from every one except myself, and no one would ever know that
they had been the objects of suspicion.
CHAPTER III.
_Monsieur Lesparre, having a retentive memory, becomes serviceable
to Don Pedro.--Diamond Fields and droll Americans.--A pompous
Judge in an unfortunate Predicament.--The grand Reception
closes with the happy Arrangement that the gay Senor and
Senora shall dine with Mr. Pinkerton's Detectives on the next
evening._
The day of the reception was unusually pleasant, and at nightfall the
full moon rose to add her splendor to the attractiveness of the evening.
The Morito mansion was ablaze with wax candles, gaslight being
considered too common for use on such an occasion. From the street to
the door was a passageway of double canvas, with an opening at the
sidewalk to prevent interference with passers. This opening was
brilliantly lighted, and was hung with flags, pennants, and flowers,
artistically arranged so as to give the guests a charming prospect when
alighting from their carriages. The rooms of the house needed no
decoration beyond that already given by the frescoes and paintings
adorning the walls and ceilings. Nevertheless, flowers were abundantly
distributed about the spacious apartments. The beautiful conservatory
contained a superb fountain, whose jets and sprays gave forth exquisite
odor and rippling music. Everywhere throughout the house the most
artistic grouping of furniture, pictures, and statuary could be seen,
and the variety of taste displayed was only equaled by the unity of
arrangements as a whole. At ten o'clock the guests began to arrive, and
as the throng of carriages became thicker, it seemed as if the house
would be over-crowded. This did not happen to any noticeable degree,
however, as the whole of two floors were thrown open to accommodate the
guests. The music was furnished by the best musicians of the city, and
the supper was a miracle of epicurean excellence, Delmonico having sent
one of his chief assistants from New York to superintend its
preparation. Never had Gloster seen an affair where such elegance and
good taste had been displayed; even the smallest details were perfect,
and the Don and Donna received innumerable congratulations and good
wishes from their guests.
During his brief stay in Gloster, Monsieur Lesparre had been very active
in forming acquaintances, and he was already well known in society. He
had a very retentive memory, and, when once introduced to any gentleman,
he immediately took pains to learn everything possible about him. By
careful observation and perseverance, he had learned the general history
of a very large number of the leading people in society, and his droll
comments and half-sarcastic criticism of them, expressed _sotto voce_ to
the Don on various occasions, had caught the latter's attention. The Don
therefore frequently singled out Lesparre for a companion in society, in
order to obtain information about the social and business standing of
various people.
"You see, my dear Lesparre," said the Don, "I am such a poor judge of
character that I am liable to be imposed upon unless I know something
about the previous history of people who seek my friendship. And, as I
have a miserable memory for faces, names, places, and everything else,
it is a great pleasure to find some one who can keep me posted as to the
status of the people I meet. You must let me see as much of you as
possible, for, being both foreigners, we ought to have a common bond of
sympathy."
"It will give me great pleasure," replied Lesparre. "Of course our
friends here are very attentive; but then, you know, they lack the
polish one meets in European _salons_, and they are too apt to obtrude
their business into their social relations."
"Exactly; I agree with you perfectly, and it is for that reason that I
enjoy a conversation with a gentleman of Continental education and
tastes. It is wonderful how keen these Americans are in their pursuit of
the 'Almighty Dollar.' Why, only a week or two ago, I happened to
mention to Mr. Mather and a few others, that some of my estates in the
Peruvian Andes contained extensive diamond fields, when they began to
upbraid me for not working them and adding to my already ample revenue.
They seemed positively shocked when I told them, that I saw no reason
for increasing my income, as I had as much money as I could use now.
They insisted that I was doing a positive wrong to my fellow mortals in
refusing to burden myself with a new enterprise, and I assure you they
were quite in earnest in their remonstrances. Ah! how droll they are,
Monsieur Lesparre!"
"Yes, indeed, I have found the same spirit even with reference to my
humble means," replied Lesparre. "They want me to invest in something
right away, and I have very many disinterested offers of advice; but
they cannot understand my delay, and they think I am throwing away so
many good chances by waiting. Now, I should be content to settle down
for a year, before investing, just to examine at length all the openings
offered me; but I doubt whether I could afford to do that, unless I
could obtain a satisfactory salaried position, and I feel that that is
impossible. There are very few such positions as I would be willing to
accept, as I do not care to be tied down to regular duties."
The gentlemen had stepped into the supper-room while this conversation
was going on, and were about to take a glass of wine together.
Lesparre's last remark seemed to give a sudden idea to Don Pedro, and he
sipped his wine in silence for a moment or two. Then he said,
inquiringly:
"I suppose you would like a position of a responsible character, where
your knowledge of commercial and financial affairs would be available,
but where your whole time would not be absorbed?"
"Yes, that was my wish," answered Lesparre; "but, of course, I do not
expect to realize my hopes."
"Possibly you may, Monsieur Lesparre," said Don Pedro; "but let us leave
the subject of business until to-morrow, when I should like to talk with
you more fully about this matter. Now, let us return to the
drawing-room, and when you see any of my guests approaching, please,
tell me briefly who and what they are. For instance, tell me about that
stiff and military-looking person crossing the room."
"That is Captain Adrian L. Kerr, a retired army officer, who has lived
here a long time. He has been unsuccessful in business, and it would be
difficult to account for his means of livelihood were it not that his
wife, the brilliant brunette near the mantel-piece, is supposed to have
an income of her own. Some people are so ill-natured as to suggest that
Alexander McIntyre, the wealthy Scotch banker now talking to her, is the
source of her revenue, but that may be pure gossip. At any rate, she is
always elegantly dressed, and she moves in the best society."
"If people suspect her of improper intimacy with McIntyre, why do they
admit her to their houses?" asked Don Pedro.
"Well, you see, many of the merchants and business men have financial
dealings with McIntyre, and they do not dare to offend him. As an
illustration of his power, I will relate an incident that occurred
recently. The wife of a well-known merchant was about to give a large
party, and, in making out her list of invitations, she purposely left
out the name of Mrs. Kerr. Her husband, on going to the bank to obtain
the renewal of a note, found McIntyre as surly and savage as a bear, and
the renewal was refused. As he had never before had any difficulty in
obtaining such an accommodation when hard pressed for money, he could
not account for the change in McIntyre's conduct; but when his wife
informed him of her action the day previous in withholding an invitation
from Mrs. Kerr, he understood it all. His affairs were in such a
condition that he could not afford to quarrel with McIntyre, and so he
insisted that an invitation be sent to Mrs. Kerr, in spite of his wife's
assertion that Mrs. Kerr was an improper character. He was willing to
admit that fact, but he preferred to submit to her presence rather than
to be seriously crippled in business. An invitation was therefore sent
in such a way as to make the delay in its delivery appear accidental,
and in a few days Mr. McIntyre was willing to renew the merchant's
note."
"Well, she certainly does carry things with a high hand," replied Don
Pedro, smiling. "I wonder how she would have retaliated upon me if I
had struck her name off my list to-night? However, it is not my business
to question her character, and if my wife is satisfied to receive her, I
shall not interfere."
As the Don finished speaking, the music sounded the preliminary notes of
a quadrille, and he hastened to find a partner. Among the guests were
Mr. and Mrs. Arlington, whose minds were of such opposite characters as
to keep them continually quarreling. He was a wealthy banker of austere
manners and Puritanic tastes, while she was a butterfly of fashion, fit
only to be petted, kissed, and caressed. She was all gayety and life;
he, all piety and gloom. Her pleasures he considered sinful, while his
recreations were to her the most painfully melancholy observances that
could be devised. While he believed that she was a child of wrath, a
creature of the world, the flesh, and the devil, she was equally
satisfied that he was on the highway to fanaticism and hypocrisy. Under
these circumstances, it was not unnatural that she should seek her
friends among those who mingled in fashionable society, nor that her
husband should consider it necessary to follow her into the gay world in
order to keep a watch upon her. Her most attentive cavalier was a young
bachelor named Harry Bertram, who seemed infatuated with her. Indeed,
their preference for each other's society was so marked that the tongue
of scandal had already begun to wag, although no overt act could be
cited against them. The Don, on leaving Lesparre, chanced to meet Mrs.
Arlington, and she readily accorded him the pleasure of dancing with
her. In the same set were Daniel McCarthy and Donna Lucia, Charles
Sylvanus and Madame Sevier, and Mr. Mather and Mrs. Simon. In the
adjoining set were Mr. Benson and Miss Jennie Humphrey, Alexander
McIntyre and Mrs. Kerr, Harry Bertram and Mrs. Sanders, and Judge Robert
Morgan and Mrs. Middleton.
Judge Morgan was a remarkable-looking person at any time, but his
appearance was especially noticeable in a dancing-set, the incongruity
of his presence in such a scene being irresistibly comical. He was about
fifty years of age, but his face was smooth and unwrinkled; though he
was of the medium height, his great size gave him the look of a short
man, which effect was partly increased by his long arms. He was very
broad and fat, his stomach projecting to an absurd degree. At the same
time he stood very erect, so that a profile view gave him a general
resemblance to a loggerhead turtle set on end. His eyes were small and
treacherous, his cheeks were puffy and flabby, his mouth was large and
sensual. His hair and whiskers were brown and fine, but they always
seemed unkempt. He wore closely-fitting black clothes, and he was fond
of displaying an unusual amount of jewelry. He had obtained the office
of judge of the criminal court by currying favor with the very classes
most likely to be brought before him for trial, and his judicial
ermine was not considered free from the foulest stains. His private life
was, in many respects, a counterpart of his official conduct; though
married to an agreeable woman, he was a notorious libertine and
profligate. Still, he held his position in society, and was admitted to
the acquaintance of the most reputable people in the city; hence, he
frequently appeared at balls and dancing-parties, where he always tried
to act like a light and graceful youth.
[Illustration: _The Judge's downfall._]
On this occasion he was especially anxious to display his manly form in
the same set with the Donna, but being disappointed in this, he chose
the set next to hers, and acted like a playful hippopotamus. While
backing rapidly, in an attempt to balance to his partner, he came in
contact with Mrs. Simon of the next set, and, tripping on her dress, he
fell violently upon her. Her partner, Mr. Mather, tried to catch her as
she also fell, but the ponderous form of the Judge came upon them both
with crushing effect, and all three were brought to the floor at once.
Mr. Mather and Mrs. Simon were quickly on their feet again, flushed with
mortification but unhurt. But it was no such easy matter for the
corpulent Judge to raise himself erect; he lay on his back a moment
groaning, and it was thought that he might be seriously injured, as his
fall had jarred the whole house. Several gentlemen carefully lifted him
upright, and the ladies gathered about to condole with him, when it was
suddenly discovered that, if the Judge's person had not suffered, his
clothing had. His tight dress coat was split several inches down the
back, while a hasty glimpse behind his coat-tails satisfied the
spectators that his pants were in an even worse condition than his coat.
It may be imagined that the situation caused some merriment, in spite of
the efforts of the more well-bred guests to preserve their gravity; but
when the Judge, having regained his feet, vociferated in great wrath:
"You are a pack of monkeys. I don't see anything to laugh at," there was
a universal burst of laughter which could not be repressed. This so
enraged him that it was difficult to make him understand his absurd
position, but at length Don Pedro and Monsieur Lesparre induced him to
go to the dressing-room for repairs. As there was no coat in the house
large enough for him, the Don was at his wits' end to make him
sufficiently presentable to enable him to return to the drawing-room;
but at length the Judge was arrayed in one of the Don's gorgeous
dressing-gowns, which was large enough to hide most of the effects of
the fall. He soon returned to the lower rooms dressed in the most
remarkable costume ever worn at a full-dress party in Gloster.
With the exception of this accident, the evening passed off with the
most perfect success, and the unanimous verdict was that there had never
been a more thoroughly enjoyable entertainment given in the city. During
the evening, Madame Sevier informed Donna Lucia of her willingness to
take charge of the Morito establishment, and agreed to begin her reign
the next day. Donna Lucia was delighted at this news, and willingly
accepted all the conditions, though she insisted for some time on giving
Madame Sevier a liberal salary. Finding that Madame Sevier was resolute
in her refusal to receive pay, the Donna informed her friends that she
had invited Madame Sevier to live with her, and that the Madame had
kindly agreed to assist her in entertaining her numerous guests.
It was not until nearly daybreak that the more indefatigable revelers
became weary of dancing and flirting, so that the Donna was quite
exhausted when the last guest had departed. Madame Sevier remained to
the end, as she intended occupying her room in the Morito mansion at
once, instead of returning to her boarding-place. Donna Lucia left
orders that she was not to be disturbed until five o'clock in the
afternoon, but Madame Sevier decided to get up at twelve o'clock, in
order to superintend the work of clearing away the decorations and
_debris_ of the ball. The Don had invited Monsieur Lesparre to dine with
him at six o'clock, and so it was arranged that they should all meet at
that hour.
CHAPTER IV.
_Madame Sevier and Her Work.--Unaccountable Coquettishness between
Man and Wife.--A Startling Scheme, illustrating the Rashness
and Gullibility of American Business Men and the Supreme
Assurance of Don Pedro.--Disaster approaching the Gloster
Capitalists.--Other Suspicions Aroused.--The Story of Mr.
Warne, English Diplomatic Agent.--A New Move._
Madame Sevier began her work of reform in the household as soon as she
was dressed that afternoon. Finding that they now had a mistress
competent to control them, the servants showed a greater willingness to
be useful, though some of them were inclined to be lazy and impudent as
before. The Madame made mental notes of everything, took charge of the
keys to all storerooms and closets, and clearly demonstrated that she
was able to manage the house according to her own ideas. The cook,
thinking she was indispensable, and that she could act independent of
control, was very impertinent to Madame, and she evinced an
insubordinate spirit that created a good deal of trouble. Seeing that
prompt and severe measures were necessary, Madame Sevier paid this woman
her wages and discharged her without a moment's warning. The effect upon
the other servants was most satisfactory, and although the Madame was
obliged to make some minor changes afterward, she was never again
annoyed by impertinence or presumption. The dinner for that day was
prepared by the assistant cook, under Madame Sevier's direction, and
when the Don and Donna came down from their chamber, they were delighted
to find that the house was in perfect order, showing no signs of having
been the scene of revelry and dissipation the night before.
[Illustration: Madame Sevier discharging the servants.]
During dinner, at which Monsieur Lesparre was the only guest, Don Pedro,
after complimenting Madame Sevier very highly upon her success in
bringing order out of chaos, turned to his wife and said:
"Lucia, your selection of a companion and advisor has been so fortunate
that I am more than ever disposed to follow your example. What do you
think, Monsieur Lesparre, cannot you serve me as confidential secretary
and financial agent as satisfactorily as Madame Sevier assists my wife?"
"Indeed, Don Pedro," replied Lesparre, gallantly, "if you impose upon me
the task of equalling so accomplished and charming a lady as Madame
Sevier, you will probably be disappointed in everything I do."
"Bravo, bravo, Monsieur Lesparre!" cried the Donna; "you will certainly
be successful in paying delicate compliments, at least. Yes, Pedro, I
think you ought to secure Monsieur Lesparre's services at once; when you
have nothing for him to do, he will be an agreeable companion for us.
What say you, Madame Sevier?"
"I quite agree with you," replied the Madame, casting down her eyes
coquettishly; "but I prophesy that Monsieur Lesparre would find his
position an onerous one if he should be under obligations to pay me
compliments."
"Ah! the obligation would be unnecessary," said Lesparre; "the
difficulty would be to avoid doing so constantly."
The Don and Donna smiled at each other significantly, thinking that they
saw the incipient signs of a mutual attachment between these two, and
that it was not unreasonable to imagine that a wedding might result
therefrom. How little they imagined that these apparently distant
acquaintances were, in fact, already man and wife!
After dinner, the Don and Lesparre repaired to the billiard-room to
smoke, while the ladies entered the drawing-room to receive visitors.
"Monsieur Lesparre," said the Don, as they lounged back in luxuriant
easy-chairs, "what do you think of my suggestion at dinner? I should
really like to obtain your services as private secretary, and I will
gladly give you such a salary as will make you independent of other
labor. While you are attending to my affairs you will naturally become
well acquainted with many business men, and will be able to investigate
a number of enterprises, so that you will be better able a year hence to
invest your capital to advantage."
"Your offer is truly liberal," replied Lesparre, puffing his cigar
thoughtfully, "and I feel disposed to accept it. What would be my
duties?"
"Well, I will explain what I wish fully, and then you can judge how the
position would suit you," answered Don Pedro. "In the first place, I
wish a financial agent, a man whom I can trust, who will attend to all
my affairs. You see, I detest the details of business. I desire to live
free from the vexing annoyances consequent upon the providing and
disbursing of money. My estates produce as much as I can use, and I do
not trouble myself to inquire whether they might not yield more. I am
accustomed to buy whatever I wish, but I hate to bother my head to know
whether I have enough on hand to pay for my purchases; hence I want my
secretary to attend to such matters for me. There is another thing in
which you could be of the greatest service to me; for, while it is an
affair of great importance, involving large interests, I am positively
too fond of my own ease to give it the attention which it deserves. I
know I can trust you not to repeat the slightest portion of what I am
about to tell you, for it is not desirable that it should be talked
about, unless the enterprise is successfully carried out."
"Indeed, you can rest assured that I shall never mention a hint of it to
any one," replied Lesparre.
"Well, you recollect I told you last night that Mather, Perkins, and
some others were anxious to have me explore and open up the diamond
fields which, I have reason to believe, constitute a large part of one
of my estates in Peru? Some time after I spoke to you, toward the end
of the party, I missed Mather, Perkins, McIntyre, Sanders, and several
others from the rooms, and while I was wondering what had become of
them, Mather came up and asked me to go up to my dressing-room, which,
you recollect, adjoined the room used for the gentlemen's dressing-room
last night. On arriving there, I found about a dozen of the wealthiest
men of Gloster sitting around the room, with Dan McCarthy at the table
acting as secretary. Will you believe it? They had actually formed a
business meeting in my own house, and had made speeches, passed
resolutions, and voted upon two propositions, which they wished to
submit to me; they had then sent the chairman, Mr. Mather, to bring me
in, and I was expected to stand and deliver my decision at a moment's
notice. The idea was perfectly ludicrous to me, yet it did not strike
any of them that they were doing anything unusual. I believe that if a
party of these Gloster business men were to be landed suddenly in hell,
they would organize a stock exchange to deal in brimstone and ashes!"
"They certainly carry their business instincts everywhere," said
Lesparre, laughing heartily. "I suppose they had fully arranged
everything before you were sent for?"
"Yes, indeed; the very minor details were provided for, and I could not
raise an objection which had not already been discussed and removed.
Both propositions provided for the formation of a stock company for the
mining, cutting, and sale of diamonds. According to the first plan, I
was to fix a price upon my diamond fields, which the company would then
purchase, paying me three-fourths in cash, and one-fourth in stock. In
case, however, that I should be unwilling to part with my controlling
interest, the second plan provided that I should receive one-fourth the
estimated value of the land in money, giving to the company therefor the
privilege of mining for a certain length of time, and receiving also
one-half of the value of the diamonds found. The idea of disposing of
this property had never before occurred to me, and naturally I was not
prepared to give any answer on such short notice; but if I had done so
then, I should have positively rejected both propositions. In fact, I
said as much to Mather, and he then suggested to the meeting that 'Senor
Morito be given a week to decide upon the propositions submitted to
him.' The cool impudence of thus graciously giving me a week did not
seem to strike them, and the meeting broke up with great satisfaction,
every man feeling certain that I _must_ accept one proposition or the
other. It was further decided to appoint a committee to draw up a
charter and by-laws, 'so as to save time,' as one gentleman remarked.
After the gentlemen had left the room, Mather urged the matter upon me
very strongly. He apologized for having acted with such precipitation,
but, he said, the others were so eager, as soon as they heard that I
owned a vast tract of unworked diamond fields, that he could not
restrain them. He begged me to make some arrangement with the proposed
company, as the men who had become interested in it were wealthy and
enterprising, and they would surely push it to a profitable conclusion.
In answer to my remark that I was rich enough already, he said that I
ought to give others a chance to make some money who needed it, perhaps,
more than I. Finally, as he urged it as a personal favor to himself, I
agreed to give the most favorable answer that I could, and so the matter
stands."
"When are you to give your answer?" asked Lesparre.
"The committee adjourned until a week from last night," replied the Don,
"and I shall then again be summoned before them, I presume. Now,
although the first proposition would not probably pay me so well in the
end as the second, I much prefer it. You see I do not wish to keep a
controlling interest because I should have the continual annoyance of
supervising the business; and, as I have said before, I wish to be
perfectly free from cares and responsibilities. My object is to enjoy
life, and I can't be happy if I am obliged to work. Nevertheless, I do
not wish to turn over this property to a body of men who will squeeze it
like a sponge, leaving it a mere waste. There are a large body of
tenants occupying portions of it, whose rights must be respected. They
will make willing and honest laborers if properly treated, and I wish
to protect them as far as possible from cruelty and extortion. Hence, I
desire to learn all I can about the men who will create and manage the
company before I agree to put the property into their hands, no matter
what price they may be willing to pay for it; it is here, my dear
Lesparre, that you can be of great service to me. You are well
acquainted among all classes of business men in Gloster, and you can
readily learn all about the people who purpose buying stock. This will
be considered very natural and proper if you become my private
secretary, and your duties will not be severe. What do you say?"
"I think I can do what you wish," said Lesparre, "but I should like a
day for reflection. I never like to act hastily in an important matter,
even where my mind is already made up."
"You are quite right," said the Don; "but I hope your mind will remain
unchanged in regard to this matter. I will give you whatever salary you
wish, and shall expect you, of course, to live here on equal terms with
myself and wife. Now, let us join the ladies."
On receiving Lesparre's report, I saw the whole scheme at a glance, and
I was now convinced that Senator Muirhead's suspicions with regard to
Don Pedro were correct. I immediately visited the Senator, and laid the
latest developments before him. We could not help admiring the
consummate knowledge of human nature which the Don displayed; he had
baited his hook so skillfully that the gudgeons were actually fearful
lest something should prevent them from swallowing it; but there seemed
to be no probability of defeating his schemes unless we could obtain
positive proofs of his dishonesty elsewhere, or detect him in some
criminal offense in this country. We therefore decided to keep a close
watch upon all his movements, and await further developments. It was
evident that the sufferers by Don Jose Michel's forgeries in California
would not take any active steps against him unless they were sure of the
identity of the man, and so we had no ground of accusation against him
which we could rely upon. Both Senator Muirhead and myself were
indignant at the audacity displayed in his swindling projects, but we
did not dare to attempt his exposure without absolute proof of our
charges. The waiting game is never a pleasant one to play, but I could
not do otherwise under the circumstances.
About this time I was called back to Chicago on important business, but
I immediately sent my superintendent, Mr. Bangs, to Gloster, to take
charge of the case there. During my absence little of note occurred,
except the meeting to hear the Don's answer to the propositions to
purchase the diamond fields. At this meeting the Don was apparently
anxious to decline all offers, saying that the property had been in the
possession of his family for about two hundred years, and that he
considered himself in honor bound to retain an interest in it. Also, he
tried to cool the ardor of the would-be purchasers by telling them that
he had no positive certainty that there were valuable diamond fields on
the property, though such was probably the case. His reluctance to sell
the land only made them more determined to buy, for they argued that he
was so well satisfied with it as a means of revenue that he wished to
retain possession of it all himself. At length he found that they would
give him no peace until he yielded, and so he graciously agreed to
accept the first proposition. The question of price then remained to be
discussed, but, on this point, there was little opportunity for
disagreement. Having had so much difficulty in inducing the Don to sell
at all, they were not disposed to endanger the sale by haggling about
the price; and when the latter was fixed at one million five hundred
thousand dollars, they made no demur, although the sum rather staggered
their enthusiasm at first. This effect was only momentary, however, for
the vivid anticipations of dividends in proportion to this price quickly
banished their fears, and they hastened to subscribe the amounts
required. These facts were all reported to me immediately after my
return to Gloster, which occurred a day or two after the meeting, and I
saw that the day of disaster to the trusting capitalists of that city
was fast approaching.
Neither Monsieur Lesparre nor Madame Sevier had learned much about the
private affairs of the Moritos, for, whenever the latter had anything
important to say to each other, they usually spoke Spanish. The Don's
remaining funds amounted to only about eight thousand dollars, and at
the rate with which he had hitherto spent money, this sum would not last
much more than five or six weeks. The time might be extended to two
months by running the establishment on credit; but the Don was averse to
such a course, and all bills were paid promptly at the end of each
month. He showed no uneasiness as his cash began to run low, but merely
said that if the first installment on the mine should be paid in soon,
it would obviate the necessity of drawing upon his agents in Lima,
otherwise he should call upon them for fifty thousand dollars to carry
him through the year. There was nothing in his manner or actions to
excite suspicion, and certainly, if he intended to defraud the Diamond
Company, he had too much nerve to betray himself, even to so close an
observer as Monsieur Lesparre.
Having heard the reports, I strolled out in the evening for a walk with
Mr. Bangs, and while passing one of the leading hotels, I met a very
intimate friend, named Judge Key. The Judge was an old resident of
Gloster, and his character was highly esteemed by all who knew him. He
was a man of great ability and force; but, possessing little ambition,
he was not nearly so well known as many of those who were his inferiors
in point of intellect and morals. We had a great deal of business
between us at one time, and our relations to each other were of the
most cordial character, partaking more of the nature of personal
friendship than mere business acquaintance. I had not visited him
previously during my stay in Gloster, for the reason that, even to my
intimate friends, I never make my presence known when engaged in an
operation, if I can avoid doing so. On this occasion, the Judge
recognized me instantly, and greeted me with great warmth, at the same
time adding that I was just the man above all others whom he wished to
see. He then introduced his companion to Mr. Bangs and myself as Mr.
Edward Ashley Warne, of London, England.
"Now, Mr. Pinkerton," said the Judge, "let us step into the club close
by, and over a social glass of wine, Mr. Warne will tell you about a
peculiar case of mistaken identity, or of consummate rascality--it is
hard to know which. Possibly you may be able to understand some things
which puzzle us, and to frustrate a fraudulent scheme, if our suspicions
are correct. You both know each other by reputation, I guess, and I
presume, Mr. Warne, that you will not object to tell Mr. Pinkerton what
you have told me."
"Oh! yes, I have often heard of Mr. Pinkerton," said Mr. Warne, "and I
think, as you say, that he can clear up the mystery, if any one can. I
shall be pleased to tell him all that I know with regard to it."
Mr. Edward Ashley Warne was an _attache_ of the British diplomatic
service, and having been entrusted with the settlement of some
questions relative to commerce between the United States and Great
Britain, he had executed his mission with such fairness, good sense, and
courtesy that he was regarded with great kindness and respect by our
people as well as by his own government. He was on a rapid tour through
the United States, previous to his return to London, and he had spent a
week in Gloster with Judge Key at the time when we met in front of the
hotel. We were soon comfortably seated in one of the private
dining-rooms of the club, and, after a few sips of wine, Mr. Warne began
his story.
"I don't know whether I am the victim of imagination, or the gentlemen
of Gloster are likely to be the victims of an impostor; but one thing is
certain, that a gentleman here known as Don Pedro P. L. de Morito is the
exact image of a man who was known in London as Don Jose Arias."
This information came so unawares that I almost betrayed my interest in
the case by uttering a hasty exclamation. I restrained my feelings,
however, and asked Mr. Warne to tell me all he knew about this man.
"Well, I first met him in Paris, when I was a member of the French
Legation," replied Mr. Warne. "He was then moving in the most
aristocratic society, and his wealth was reputed enormous. I saw a great
deal of him at times, and, indeed, I was better acquainted with him than
I was with many of my countrymen; but I was recalled to London about
that time, and I soon forgot all about Don Jose Arias."
"Pardon me," I interrupted; "was the Don married?"
"Oh! yes; he had a beautiful wife, I have been told, but I never
happened to see her. I think she was Spanish, if I recollect rightly.
One day, after my return to England, as I was entering the Foreign
Office, I met Don Jose coming out, and he seemed delighted to see me. He
said that he had come to spend some months in London, and he hoped to
enjoy my society frequently. I was then engaged in studying a very
difficult diplomatic question, and I was unable to give any time
whatever to society; I therefore expressed my regrets that I should be
obliged to decline all invitations, and, after some further
conversation, we separated. I often heard of him in connection with
social events in the best circles, and, on one or two occasions, I met
him in the street; but I did not renew our former degree of intimacy,
for the simple reason that I did not have the time to do so. Just before
I left London on the mission for which I had been preparing myself, I
was astonished to learn that Don Jose Arias had proved to be a scoundrel
of the most dangerous character. He had not hunted small game, it is
true, but this was probably a part of his whole scheme. So far as I
could learn, he had left no unpaid bills in the hands of tradesmen, but
he had taken enough out of bankers and capitalists to pay his
tradesmen's bills for half a century. The aggregate fraudulently
obtained by him was never known, for many of his victims refused to
state their loss; but it was surmised that he obtained as much as forty
or fifty thousand pounds sterling in London alone, while several Paris
bankers also suffered heavily. I was not specially interested in the
affair, and it had wholly passed from my mind, when suddenly, while
walking in the streets of this city last week, I came upon Don Jose
Arias again. He wore his hair differently from his old way in London and
Paris, having now full side-whiskers, whereas then he wore only
moustache and goatee; but I could not be mistaken, and I said to Judge
Key: 'There is a man who forged paper to an immense amount in London
less than two years ago.' 'Impossible!' replied the Judge; 'he is a very
wealthy man, moving in the best society in the city.' The Judge then
vouched for him with such earnestness that I began to believe that I was
mistaken; but I determined to meet him face to face, to see whether
there could be two persons so nearly resembling each other.
Unfortunately he had an opportunity to see me before I saw him when I
next met him, so that I lost the chance of surprising him into betraying
himself. He appeared to glance at me casually, as any stranger would do,
and then went on with his conversation without hesitation or
embarrassment. I have met him several times since then, and he always
acts with the same natural ease of manner, as if we had always been
perfect strangers to each other; but, Mr. Pinkerton, the more I see of
him, the more fully am I convinced that Don Jose Arias, of London, and
Don Pedro P. L. de Morito, of Gloster, are identical; and, believing
this, I consider it my duty to tell you these facts in order that your
citizens may be protected against him, if possible."
"Well, Mr. Pinkerton," said Judge Key, "what do you think of this
affair? Mr. Warne does not admit that he can be mistaken, and there are
some corroboratory evidences that he may be right; yet, it seems
incredible. It is a pity that Mr. Warne should have never seen Don
Jose's wife, because he could then compare her with Senora Morito, and
if they, too, were exact resemblances, there would be no longer any room
for doubt."