by his unvarying good luck, in escaping
the dragons of the law, as well as because of his lucky ventures, he
became known to his intimates as Lucky Jim.

"In these days, Miss Sybil Schuyler, the daughter of a wealthy old
Maryland aristocrat, came to the city to reside with an aunt, while she
completed her musical education. Lucky Jim saw her, and fell in love
with her beautiful, haughty face.

"He contrived to make her acquaintance, and the rest was easy; it was a
repetition of the old story; he was handsome and fascinating, she young
and unsophisticated, with plenty of headstrong Southern blood and self
will.

"After a brief courtship, Lucky Jim married the Maryland heiress. Her
father, as may be supposed, repudiated the marriage, but she clung to
her scamp, and so the old Maryland aristocrat sent her a small fortune,
which was hers, inherited from her mother's mother, and beyond his
control; and bade her consider herself no more a Schuyler, of _the_
Schuylers.

"For a time, Lucky Jim rode smoothly on the top wave of prosperity; his
wife easily duped, believed him a Wall street operator. Frank was born,
and then Sybil, and the Maryland beauty queened it in an elegant and
secluded little home.

"But the crisis came. The silver cloud turned its dark side.

"Lucky Jim played a losing game, one day, and his wife suddenly found
herself face to face with the truth.

"They lived through stormy times, but Jim had, in his palmy days, left
his wife's fortune intact, and now it proved an anchor to windward.

"They absented themselves from this country for more than two years;
then they came back, and Lucky Jim brought his family, which now
included Evan, to W----. The Maryland fortune enabled them to set up as
aristocrats, and Lucky Jim seems to have aspired to become a power in
the community.

"I don't think he often attempted any of his old confidence and
swindling games; but, during his absences from home, which were
frequent, during his earlier residence here, he made a study of fine
burglary.

"I can fancy how carefully he put his new schemes in practice, and how
he passed himself off upon W---- as a rising speculator.

"He probably spent years in gathering together that select society,
known as the Diamond Coterie.

"At first, it consisted of four; himself, a city pawn-broker, known as
Ezras, who received and negotiated the sale of the stolen goods, and who
is as keen a rascal as ever escaped justice, and tw