magic and real detectives-第8节

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New　York　City　to　receive　the　first　installment　of　the　legacy。　　I　do

not　propose　to　leave　you；　my　dear　parishioners；　but　to　remain　among

you　and　toil　with　you　as　I　have　done　for　so　many　years。　　A　goodly

portion　at　least　of　my　inheritance　I　intend　to　invest　in　this

community；　that　neighbors　and　friends　may　share　jointly　in　my

prosperity。　　I　trust　I　may　be　guided　to　make　a　wise　use　of　the

talents　thus　unexpectedly；　and　I　may　say　providentially；　committed

to　my　keeping。　　We　know　from　the　teachings　of　Scripture　that　wealth

brings　great　responsibilities；　and　that　we　shall　be　held　to　a

strict　account　for　the　manner　in　which　we　employ　it。　　May　your

prayers　go　with　me。〃



The　congregation　crowded　around　the　pastor　with　congratulations。

Particularly　demonstrative　were　the　ebullitions　of　two　or　three

brothers　who　saw　a　chance　of　exchanging　sundry　unsalable

possessions　for　slices　in　the　inheritance。



Mr。　Sapp　reached　New　York　City　in　the　evening；　and　the　momentous

interview　was　to　take　place　at　an　early　hour　the　next　day。　　Sleep

came　in　brief　and　fitful　snatches。　　But　the　stars　roll　on　in　their

majestic　spheres；　regardless　of　mortal　hopes　and　fears。　　At　length

day　broke；　when　the　preacher　rose　from　bed　anxious　and　unrefreshed。

A　little　before　the　appointed　time　he　proceeded　to　a　certain

building；　and　having　mounted　two　flights　of　stairs；　saw　the　magic

number　on　the　door　in　front　of　him。　　As　the　clock　struck　he

entered。　　Agreeably　to　a　preconcerted　plan；　he　wiped　the　right

corner　of　his　mouth　with　a　white　handkerchief；　and　nodded　three

times。　　The　only　person　in　the　room；　a　well…dressed　and　apparently

affable　gentleman；　responded　by　wiping　the　left　corner　of　his　mouth

with　a　red　silk　handkerchief；　and　nodding　three　times。　　The　signal

is　correctly　answered：　it　is　he！　　So　far　all　works　beautifully；

with　every　promise　kept。　　The　bill　was　a　perfect　imitation；　the

engraver　is　on　hand　to　a　second。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃Two　truths　are　told；

　　　　　As　happy　prologues　to　the　swelling　act

　　　　　Of　the　imperial　theme。〃





The　fellow　passing　under　the　name　of　Ragem　&　Co。　welcomed　the　new

arrival　cordially。　　〃Ah；〃　said　he　〃your　promptness　and

circumspection　show　that　I　am　not　disappointed　in　my　man。　　I　see

that　you　come　up　to　the　full　measure　of　my　expectations。　　Do　you

know　I　am　a　remarkable　judge　of　character？　　In　fact；　I　seldom　or

never　make　a　mistake。　　We　are　both　in　luck。〃



〃I　was　trained　to　punctuality　from　early　youth；〃　replied　the

preacher；　and　proceeding　directly　to　business；　without　further

circumlocution；　continued；　〃I　succeeded　in　raising　five　hundred

dollars；　which　entitles　me　under　the　agreement　to　twenty…five

thousand。〃



From　an　inner　pocket；　after　removing　a　number　of　pins；　he　produced

six　one　hundred　dollar　notes；　saying；　by　way　of　explanation；　〃For

greater　security　I　converted　my　funds　into　bills　of　large

denomination。　　One　I　reserve　for　contingencies；　the　other　five　are

for　you。〃



〃Your　money　is　here　in　the　safe；〃　said　Ragem；　taking　the　five

notes；　and　turning　toward　the　safe　as　if　to　unlock　it。　　But　the

scoundrel　evidently　reasoned　that　it　would　be　silly　to　remain

content　with　the　five　when　he　could　just　as　easily　capture　the

sixth。



Walking　back；　he　remarked；　〃I　want　to　show　you　that　my　large　bills

are　just　as　perfect　as　the　small　ones〃；　and；　as　if　for　purposes　of

comparison；　he　took　the　remaining　note　from　the　hand　of　the

clergyman。



At　this　moment　began　a　fearful　knocking　on　a　side　door；　that

threatened　the　speedy　demolition　of　the　frail　barrier。　　〃Run；　run；〃

whispered　Ragem；　as　if　in　the　extremity　of　terror；　〃the　police　are

on　us。〃



The　preacher　needed　no　second　invitation；　fear　of　exposure　giving

wings　to　his　feet。　　Almost　at　a　bound　he　cleared　the　two　flights　of

stairs　and　emerged　into　the　street；　walking　several　blocks；　and

turning　a　number　of　corners　before　he　dared　to　look　back。



The　bona　fide　occupant　of　the　room　where　these　parties　met　had　no

share　whatever　in　the　nefarious　transactions　carried　on　there。

Through　the　treachery　of　the　janitor；　Ragem　was　permitted　at

certain　hours　to　make　use　of　the　apartment　for　the　purpose　of

keeping　appointments　with　his　victims。　　A　confederate　stationed　on

the　outside　delivered　the　knocks　as　soon　as　customers　were　plucked

and　it　became　desirable　to　get　rid　of　their　company。　　Occasional

hints　of　improper　practices　reached　the　ear　of　the　real　lessee；　but

these　had　never　yet　taken　such　shape　as　to　give　a　decisive　clew　to

the　trouble；　dupes　for　the　most　part　pocketing　their　losses　in

silence。



After　an　interval　of　two　or　three　hours　Mr。　Sapp　plucked　up　courage

to　return。　　Having　mounted　the　stairs；　he　entered　the　room　warily。

His　late　partner　was　not　there。　　A　stalwart　gentleman；　who　seemed

to　be　the　proprietor；　1ooked　up　inquiringly；　and　was　not　a　little

puzzled　when　the　visitor　supplemented　the　performance　of　wiping　the

right　corner　of　his　mouth　by　three　deliberate　nods。　　〃What　can　I　do

for　you　to…day？〃　inquired　the　gentleman；　rising。



〃You　are；　I　presume；　a　partner　of　Mr。　Ragem；〃　answered　Sapp。　　〃I

see　he　is　out。　　Our　business　this　morning　was　unfortunately

interrupted　by　the　police；　and　I　have　returned　to　complete　it。〃



〃What　business？〃　asked　the　proprietor；　in　undisguised　astonishment。



Now　the　preacher　made　the　very　natural　mistake　of　supposing　that

the　surprise　manifested　by　his　interlocutor　was　a　mere　matter　of

policy　and　caution。　　Hence　he　proceeded　to　explain。　　〃Ragem　must

have　told　you。　　I　am　the　gentleman　who　gave　him　the　five　hundred

dollars；　and　he　said　that　my　twenty…five　thousand　were　locked　up　in

the　safe。〃



The　proprietor　did　not　wait　to　hear　more；　but　seizing　the

affrighted　creature　by　the　collar；　thundered　forth；　〃I　have　heard

of　you　before。　　You　are　the　villain；　are　you；　who　has　been　turning

my　office　into　a　den　of　thieves？　　I　have　caught　you　at　last！〃



Awaking　to　a　partial　comprehension　of　the　situation；　the　poor

wretch　stammered　forth；　〃There　must　be　some　mistake。　　My　name　is　a

is　ais　a　SmithSmithJohn　Smith。〃



〃John　Smith；　is　it？〃　growled　the　proprietor。　　〃Well；　all　I　have　to

say　is；　John　Smith；　if　not　the　biggest　is　the　most　numerous　rascal

in　the　city。　　John；　come　along　to　the　police　station。〃



And　John　went；　billows　of　trouble　rolling　over　him　as　the　waters　of

the　Red　Sea　closed　over　Pharaoh。　　Vain　the　effort　to　recall

consolatory　texts　pertinent　to　the　occasion！　　He　was　sorely

chastened　indeed；　but　the　stripes　were　inflicted　not　in　love　but　in

wrath。　　He　mourned；　yet　whence　could　he　look　for　comfort？



To　avoid　a　worse　fate；　the　prisoner　revealed　his　identity；

exhibited　the　correspondence　from　〃Ragem　&　Co。；〃　and　made　a　full

statement　of　the　facts。　　The　painful　news　reached　the　church

shortly　after　the　return　of　the　pastor；　when　his　pulpit　career　came

to　an　ignominious　end。　　He　soon　removed　to　the　far　West；　hoping　to

bury　his　disgrace　in　the　shades　of　the　primeval　forest。



The　fall　of　Rev。　Zachariah　Sapp　sounds　a　note　of　warning　not

without　its　lessons。　　The　only　safety　in　dealing　with　temptation　is

to　repel　its　insidious　approaches　from　the　outset。　　Whoever　listens

in　patience　to　the　siren　whisper　is　half　lost　already。　　Human

experience　abundantly　confirms　the　divine　wisdom　of　the　command；

〃Get　thee　behind　me；　Satan；〃　as　the　one　sole　safe　way　of　meeting

evil　advances。　　At　the　close　of　well…spent；　useful　lives；　myriads

can　thank　a　kind　Providence；　not　that　they　have　been　stronger　than

others　who　have　turned　out　differently；　but　that　they　have　been

tried　less。　　Walking　among　unseen　perils；　none　can　without　danger

of　ruin　discard　even　for　a　moment　the　armor　of　honesty　and　truth。







AN　ASPIRANT　FOR　CONGRESS





A　few　years　ago；　the　〃Hon。〃　John　Whimpery　Brass；　of　Georgia；　one　of

the　〃thoughtful　patriots〃　of　the　period；　who　now　and　then　found

time　to　lay　aside　the　cares　of　statecraft　to　nurse　little　private

jobs　of　his　own；　allured　by　the　seductive　offers　of　〃Wogan　&　Co。〃

of　New　York　City；　wrote　to　that　somewhat　mythical　concern　proposing

to　become　their　agent　for　the　circulation　of　the　〃queer。〃　　Even

after　receiving　the　first　installment　of　their　wares；　the　honorable

gentleman　did　not　comprehend　that　the　firm　dealt　exclusively　in

sawdust；　not　in　currency。　　He　wrote　again；　complaining　that；　after

a　journey　of　sixty　miles　over　a　rough　road　to　the　nearest　reliable

express　office；　he　found　nothing　but　a　worthless　package；　marked

〃C。　O。　D。；〃　awaiting　him。　　Did　Wogan　&　Co。　distrust　either　his

parts　or　fidelity？　　He　ventured　to　assert　that　no　man　in　the　State

could　serve　them　so　effectually。　　He　had　just　run　for　Congress；　and

though　beaten　at　the　polls　by　〃fraud；〃　intended　to　contest　the　seat

with　the　chances　of　success　in　his　favor。　　The　mountaineers　among

whom　he　lived　did　not　care　whether　the　money　in　their　pockets　was

good　or　bad　so　long　as　it　circulated。　　He　could　put　thousands　of

co