The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-12-19
THE DAILY STAR
SOME MISDIRECTED LETTERS.
CHAPTER II.
TWO LETTERS.

A year after, there came certain
morning when l sat leisurely at break
fast in my chambers in the temple. The
breakfast was good one; my breakfasts
are always good. To eat good break
fast is to Law a solid foundation of good
works for the rest of the day. My let
lers are neatly laid on the table i'll front
of the fire, and the "Times," and also the
book or review or magazine which l may
happen to 1--we in reading. The letters, of
course, have the prior claim. Then l
read the Times" and it is only in case
l can dispose of the "Times," that pro-
ceed to the book. As copy of the
"Times" is equivalent to a moderate
sized volume, it is only occasionally that
l can get beyond it. Indeed, so tremen.
dious is the demand which the "Times'
makes upon my limited power of read
ing. that have come to the resolution
that will lay it down as soon as ! have
have finished my breakfast, and only
take it up at odd times afterwards. One
result of which moral resolution is that
breakfast becomes a highly elongated
meal.
have read my letters, some seven or
eight of them. There is the letter from
the obliging money-lender who is willing
no accommodate me on the most liberal
terms. There are two or three from
wine-merchants, one or two begging-let-
tes, dinner-card, a card for CONVEX
sazione, delicious perfumed epistle
from my little cousin Fanny, letter
from my dear old school-fellow, Jones,
out in the Punjab, overfowing with wit
and wisdom and descriptive power such
as might make the fortune Of a. special
correspondent. And then come the two
following epistles-they are here given
in the order they were opened by me
which l read open-mouthed, with amaze
ment and CONSERVATION. ,.
The first came from the actuary of an
an insurance ofice-by Jove, my own in
.surance office!-dated the day before
from Gresham Chambers:
"SIR-We beg leave to acknowledge the
receipt of your communication conveying
the information of the death of your wife,
Louise, and the accompanying doc uments,
with your claim for one thousand pounds.
I had read so far when I nearly lost
my breath. "My wife Louise" l ejacu.
lated. "The only wife l ever intend to
have is my little cousin Fanny. and what
in the world would she say if she ever
heard that l had another wife called
LouiseW
However, resumed the official epistle
from the insurance company:
eAs we have no knowledge of the med
ical men who sign the papers, we shall
be Obliged if YOU will send us document
verifying their names and position from
the English c>nsnl at Milan.
"Your obedient servant
JAMES FoRTEsCUE Actuary."
This was really very queer. But q
minute or two's cogit ton was sufficient
to clear up the mytery. Itwas evidently
the case of a misdirected letter. l was
customer of this very insurance Office.
Fanny's papa had insisted that | should
insure my life, as preliminary step to
any further matrimonial negotiations
Evidently the letter had got into wrong
envelope.
The next letter which I took up was
one of the most horrifying communica
which I ever received in my life:
Don't be such an Internal fool. Why
you talk of coming to England? ]
kill YOU il you come. You are no W ife ol
xrryfa tnur hn,,
and eyes out If yon come. Suppose you
come to England. Then II am put in prison
becaus. marry you. l not like that.
will kill you before you put me in prison.
Then you will be base bad woman.yoursell
because you have got q baby and have not
got husband. Everybody will laugh and
where you are? My 'madre' Is vera GOO
Everything vera goot. a. l wish was there
Everythings beautiful there, the sky, the
water, the vines. If you are goot, | will
come and see you again. l was sorry moi
to be there. Only there is no money there
only in England, which is very rich. Icry
when tell you you are not my wife. Ny
wIfe old and ugly. When she die. l viii
espouSe you. Ii she do not die, l think
VIII polSuil HeI, Uut IL you petucT, dS yOt
say, myself, will poison you. If yor
come to England, will kill you, or yol
die in gutter. 70 kill you is best. Suppos,
you have impudence and write me anothe
letter. Then send you an answer. Wher
you open the letter you will fall dead.
will put something in the letter that will
make you fall dead. You know vera wei
l am claver with what l make with m
fingers. The Francais only very claver t.
make dishes, but we Romans know wha
to put in our dishes. Now, petite Louise
be goot. Be quiet, like a little brow
mouse and stop in your bole. Goodbye
How do you do? Curse youl'
This singular and horribly grotesqu
epistle had neither date, signature, nc
address.
examined it closely. Perhaps some
,ody was trying to play practical iok
upon me, wanted me, perhaps, to 20 t
Scotland-yard and make fool of mysel
But there was nothing in the letter t
give any clue in the world for the SEQ
land-yard people to work upon. The
would think it practical joke.
might be easy enough to concoct such
letter. But it was not easy to concoc
that quaint, delicate Italian caligraph,
That was genuinely and indisputabl