The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1883-12-07
kind of business in italy in which hon.

kind of business in Italy in which hon.
esty was the rule, so far as heard from.
One Englishman who had married a
widow several years his senior, who had
money, and who had foOlishly settled it
upon him. persuaded his wife to make
an excursion out to the mountains north
of Naples. The party was made up but
when the morning came he pleaded a
headache, but insisted that he would
| not deprive her of the pleasure, and in
sisted upon her going without him.
Had he an arrangement with brig
and? Who shall ever know? But it
is certain that the party were surprised.
and the wife was made prisoner. A
portion of the party escaped and re-
turned to the distracted husband with
the dread intelligence that his wife was
in the hands of q ferocious and cruel
band of brigands and that the ransom
had been fixed at ten thousand pounds.
The husband went to the authorities but
they could do nothing for him. The
brigands were too strong and too safely
intrenched to make capture possible,
and if he wanted his wife the only thing
he could do was to treat with the chief.
In those good old days the soldiers
and brigands were partners lin fact the
soldier was about the worst of the
brigands.
Then he became Indignant. To pay
a ransom was to compound crime.
That he would not do. Her left ear
came to him but he was 'iniiexible. A
few days afterwards her right ear was
sent to him with the assurance that if
the ransom was not paid within four
days the lady would be short mead.
He was still iniiexible. He would not en-
courage brigandage by paying 0rigands
for entrapping innocent travellers. The
only way, in his Judgment, to put down
brigandage was to make it Improbable,
and he would make a commencement.
Sure enough, four days after he re-
ceived information of her death by de-
capitation, and while he lamented in
public the early and untimely death of
his wife, he congratulated himself and
| that blow had been struck at brigan-
dage that would do something toward
putting stop to it. And he commenced
getting ready to return to England
to take possession of his deceased wife's
estatet and to marry younger and
more attractive woman Immediately.
But retribution always follows wrong
doing. The brigand, who was angry
and disappointed at the outcome of his
speculation, enraged that he had not re-
ceived the ransom-money. took speedy
and summary revenge.
He sent the lady back to him, safe
and sound, minus two ears, but other
wise in perfect health, and popular with
the glory of an adventure.
The willy robber had fathomed the
depths of the husbands scheme, and as
it was impossible to get money out of
the speculation he determined to have
sweet revenge upon the man who had
SO vilely disappointed him.
,He~sad to himself: 1.-The vile English
sman wanted sthe death of his wife, that
he might revel in her money. Had he
paid me l would have killed her cheer
fully, but l will not slit her weazand
just to please and profit him. No!
Giuseppe, the Brigand Chief, is brig
and but justone. Why kill if to en-
IOTCe no moral leSSOH! IL NIL tHlS
womansbecau she is old and ugly and
her husband wants her out of the way,
the mountain would be soon overrun with
old and ugly women whose husbands
want relief. / am not to be converted
into slayer of women without profit.
When imbrue my hands in gore it is
for profit to myself, and not for others.
The woman goes back, and hereafter l
will capture only young and beautiful
wives, honeymoon wives, whose hus-
bands have not yet tired of them, or
widows who have control of their own
money" g..
And he sent her back not whit the
worse except in matter of the two ears.
Indeed. her health had been improved
by the stay in the mountains, and the
prospects of long life materially i'm
proved. And the scheming husband
wept and rallied at fate.
Thus wrong-doing recoils upon the
head of the wrong-doer, and virtue al
ways triumphs and vice retires abashed.
ID. r.. Locke, IN Toledo Blade.