The doorbell rang. It was a little after ten o'clock on a summer night in 1879, a bit late for visitors. But Robert Jaffray was still up. He'd come home that evening from working at the grocery store he owned on Yonge Street — said to be the finest in the city — and then popped back out to pick up a telegram. He returned just in time to answer the door himself. On the other side of it, he found a man he didn't know standing on his front step.
"I am sorry we have had to deceive you so long," the false detective told him, "but we may as well now tell you that we are members of a secret revolutionary political organization, and you are in our power, and must do as we ask you to do."
Typical Canadian kidnappers- saying "sorry". And their last names were Deal- very fitting!
The Canadian League sounds a bit like the evil Masons Sir Arthur Conan Doyle portrayed in the Sherlock Holmes novel "The Valley Of Fear". Not to be crossed...
But at least they're out of business now. The current Liberal government would be in trouble, otherwise.
Yes, your enthusiasm is your secret sauce! Voices like yours are vital with our sovereignty under pressure. More than ever, we need to know where we came from, what we’re made of.
BTW, I stumbled upon your delightful “The Toronto Book of the Dead” when I was researching my novel, A GRAVE MISTAKE (out soon). It helped me with color and context as I conjured a fictional tale about a lost treasure from the War of 1812.
What an exciting story. Over and over again you disprove the myth that Canadian history is boring.
Thanks so much! There are soooo many fascinating stories; they're absolutely everywhere once you start looking for them!
"I am sorry we have had to deceive you so long," the false detective told him, "but we may as well now tell you that we are members of a secret revolutionary political organization, and you are in our power, and must do as we ask you to do."
Typical Canadian kidnappers- saying "sorry". And their last names were Deal- very fitting!
The Canadian League sounds a bit like the evil Masons Sir Arthur Conan Doyle portrayed in the Sherlock Holmes novel "The Valley Of Fear". Not to be crossed...
But at least they're out of business now. The current Liberal government would be in trouble, otherwise.
Ha, a good point about the apology! Funnily enough, Robert Jaffray was a mason himself, too.
Yes, your enthusiasm is your secret sauce! Voices like yours are vital with our sovereignty under pressure. More than ever, we need to know where we came from, what we’re made of.
BTW, I stumbled upon your delightful “The Toronto Book of the Dead” when I was researching my novel, A GRAVE MISTAKE (out soon). It helped me with color and context as I conjured a fictional tale about a lost treasure from the War of 1812.
On the subject of our survival here’s something I wrote recently: https://rmblinch.substack.com/p/can-carney-lead-us-beyond-our-yanxit