The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1876-06-08


to say, admired his versatile powers, and
resolved TO help him when opportunity
offered. He was initiated into organiza
ions and clubs in the city, which widened
the circle of his acquaintance, and Cronan
understood the tact and art of making the
most he could of the circumstance. An
advertisement appeared in one of the
morning papers from the Anatomical
Museum, On Montgomery street, calling
for person to translate into English the
French inscriptions on specimens Just de,
| liyered at the museum, such translatiOns
to be written in a good legible hand
CrOnan applied for the job and gotit He
was paid ten dollars day for the work
and gave the utmost satisfaction TO his
employer. 1t would be supposing some,
| thing beyond human nature to think that
! he was in a hurry to get through with
the job. Whenever he completed a dozen
translatiOns or so his fertile imagination
would suggest some Improvement in the
work. His employer, who knew very
| well he could make the public pay for il
! all when his museum was opened, readily
adopted every suggestion, and Cronan, in
the receipt Of his ten dollars day, was
reCuperating fast. In fact, he thought
| Nemesis had forgotten all about him.
| But she was on his tracks still. One
morning he was stroling up Montgomery
street, jingling his gold in his pockets and
! ruminating whether he should try game
Of chance once more or put on the arm OF
virtuous resolution and keep aloof. II he
won he could go back to his wife in New
Orleans, pay his debts like Il man, and
resume business with his friend; but then
again, if he lOst-ah, there was the diff
culty While pondcring in this way he
reached the corner of Post street, where
| two or three men happened to be stand
ing engaged in conversation. As he was
brushing past, one of them lifted his hat.
"Ah, Colonel" said he, "you here ell ?
Glad to see you. 'Tis some time since we
met"
"Really, my dear sir"
| "You don't know me, eh?' interrupted
.',o stranger
81 have some vague recollection of you"
returned Cronan, but can't place you just
at this moment"
"Let me aid your memory" observed
the stranger. Do you remember the
| Wilderncss?'
II should think So" replied Cronan,
still cudgeling his brains.
"Do you remember the one armed man
you wanted to have shot as Union spy"
said the stranger, Haunting the armlcss
sleeve in the others face.
"Ccrtainly, sir, certainly" returned
Cronau, quickly, but without the change
of muscle. "You are the man, be
licve. Your name is Smith, if | don't
forget"
"You don't forget. That's my name
And now, my dear Colonel, since you re-
member my name you must also remem.
Der that you owe me reckoning"
Anything you wish," returned Gro
nan, promptly.
"Well, thcn,' resumed Smith. 81
challenge you to mortal combat. 1t is
moonlight, and we must meet to night, as
| have urgent business which calls mt
elsewhere"
That evening at eight the parties me-
three blocks to the north of Laurel Hill
Cemetery. Cronan went alone, the only
friend in whom he could contide being
absent from the city. Revolvers were the
weapons, and Cronan fell at the first eX
change of shots. The blood ooZed from
his side, and he was apparently danger
ously, if not fatally, wounded. Smith and
his friends thought him hopelessly in
iured, and to conceal the deed, wipe ou
all traces of the encounter, and thus pre-
vent tedious and unpleasant investiga
tion, they carried him to Meigg's whar
and threw him in and LETT him. The
friend on returning to the city and miss
ing Cronan, acquainted six or sever
mutual friends of the circumstance tina
Cronan had left him a note in his room
announcing that he was about to fight /
duel. Not doubling that he was killed
they made diligent search for his remains
but to no purpose. They were anxious tt
recover the body in order to give it de
cent interment, but the search was fruit
less.
Fifteen months afterward a respectable
painter in this city-the friend al
ready alluded to as being absen
from the city at the time of th'
hostile meeting-reccived letter from
our adventurer, detailing, among othel
things, the circumstances of the duel; hi
fell slightly wounded; how he feignet
insensibility for fear of being assassin
ated, and how the parties bore him t.
Meiggs' wharf and threw him into th'
water, where the shock from the colo
water revived him, and he swan out wher
his enemies We're at a short distance; ant
finally how he left California as cook OF
shipboard to escape his vengeful enemy
who, he had no doubt, would pursue hin
like sleuth hound if he remained in thu
country. 1t remains to tell the post-marl
of this extraordinary letter, and the mor'
extraordinary announcement with which
it was concluded The versatile Cronar
dates his letter from Cairo, and make
the astounding revelation that he is an OF
ticer in high command in the khedive'
service! Not later than six weeks ago
gentleman in this city received lette
from Mrs. Cronan, in New Orleans, in
curing about her husband, stating tha
as she had never heard from him since h
left she must conclude he was dead, ant
in that event her interests prompted he
TO listen to the addresses of his forme
partner in business and get married. Blu
if, on the other hand, he was still livinI
and would return all would be forgottel
and forgiven, and they might spend thei
days in content and happiness. Smith
whereabouts have lately been discovered
and the last heard of him is that he
u living with an Indian wife in the Blacl
Hills.-San Francisco Chronicle.