Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-12-19
essly crept down the stairs. What visions

Sithh VI the Olu STAIRS seemed Ike NDe
voice of some demon come to accuse me
walked along the silent streets, aud,
having entered hotel registered myself
as Geo. Bdrridge, Esq London" When
had locked myself in my room pro
ceeded to examine the contents of my
pockets. In one of them found a worn
envelop which contained nothing but a
yellow piece of paper closely folded, and,
upon opening this, found it TO be writ.
ten over in strange kind of cipher. Not
being in mood for working out problems
of this kind, folded it and replaced Il in
the pocket, noticing as did SO the words
written on the back of the euvelOp, "Vl4
della COrso, 81" In one o. the vest peck
cts found an ivory miniature cased IN
velvet. The picture was that of q girl,
apparently not more than eighteen and OF
rare beauty. Beneath the portrait and
scratched upon the ivory with some sharp
instrument were the words sc Sul potrc
anne t0j0urs" After indulging in ali
sorts Of strange fancies concerning the
story OF the picture and the meaning of
the writing IN cipher on the yellow paper,
| retired and lay in half conscious state
till morning. During the next day close
~ kept my room, and at night read in the
evening papers that John Waterman "a
Bohemian writer, who wrote under the
signature Of u. DeV,' had been guilty
of death by his own hand. That night |
ventured out and stroled around To my
old room and there | saw dim light
burning, but heard no sound. | came
back to my hotel and sic but little
During the forenoon of the next day
saw hearse of no grand pretensions
slowly wind along the street, and in the
three carriages that followed it | noticed
my old friends who had ''chipped inn to
do the last sad duty 10 one more of the
brotherhood Of strolling writers. Then
it WAS, If never before, that | realized
that was, hencetorth and forever, be.
yOnd all ability to prove 10 the contrary,
Geo. Burridge, ESD London. | was
literary "in his shoes"
That night | was awakened by the con
seriousness that l WAS not alone in my
room, There, by the dim light Of the
gas, which was partly turned on, | saw
the form Of man, with dark, piercing
eyes, holding in one hand the yellow
paper on which was the cipher writing,
and in the other gliStcncd the barrel OF a
revolver which he slightly elevated as he
said, Monsieur need not fear, this wea-
pom is only for self-defense M0nsieUr's
life is too valuable to he wasted for he
is the only man living who can read this
paper" Terrified, told him to let me
take the paper and ! would read every
word it contained. When he gave it to
me began, as if reading, TO relate the
way in which certain letters could be
found, thinking that might accidentally,
bit upon some information which would
satisfy him for the present. But he in
tcrrupted me, saying, ''Monsieur need
not try to deceive me in that way; for he
well knows that the ciphers must be read
in Italian and that it tells where the
parchment may be found. ] will not be
hard with Monsieur, only tell me where
the parchment is and Monsieur shall not
be troubled again; but if he refuses, ah,
let him remember his crime
In vain ! asserted that | could tread
the CiphcTs, ami in vain told him that
knew nothing Of the mysterious parch-
ment. ThenI told him to take my life if
he would; but that could give him 10
information concerning the parchment.
After more threats he left the room say
ing that he would keep the cipher and
should never have a days peace till the
parchment was found. His last words
were, "Monsieur remember your crime,
! tid not sleep any more that night. 1t
secured that in assuming the shoes OF
Geo. Burrdge, Esq, London, | had as
sumod his crime also and forever locked
a secret which | could not cXpound and
which would haunt me forever.
In looking over a letter found in one Of
the pockets, thought | had discovered q
way of escaping from this prosecution;
for dare not mention my tridnight yisi-
tor to the authorities for fear Of detection,
and my only cstapc seemed in FIGHT, In
one Of the envelopes had found a first
cabin ticket for Paris by steamer which
was to sail that night Hastily packing a
valsc left my hotel, and placed my bag
gage on the steamer; and rs | was anE-
iOusly awaiting the time for her dcpar.
ture, | read in the evening paper that
John Waterman, who committed suicide
some days since, had just fallen heir TO a
large fortune by the death Of his uncle IN
the West. Then followed column Of
mOralizing on the fact that when we are
lust about to grasp our treasures our
hands are ncrveless, and when fortune
comes TO US she often finds Us Just gone.
thought of the few hundred pounds in
nv possession, | thought Of the wealth
that would have beer mine; and then
wished, but not fOE the FIRST time, that
we're not in his Shoes That night vs.
sailed, and so far had seen nothing o.
| my prosecutor
Late in the evening | was standing bj
1 the side of the vessel, leaning over Thu
rail aud thinking over my i,lfortune
when hand touched me on my shoulder
and hoard in n cool French accent thu