The Washington critic., 1886-02-20
TALES TOLD IN A SNOWDRIFT.
THE CHICAGO pnUMMER's STORY.

lIE illl'Nto bhtMMEh ; NlDlNt.
"You see, it was this way" said
Roots, crossing his leg over the arm of
the scat, II used to run into New York
frequently, selling canned meats for
Chicago firm. made the acquaintance
of jolly young fellow, Jimmie Cross,
who was completing his medical edu.
cation by practical work In the hos
pitals there. This Cross was rare
fellow, and one Of the boys One night
he came up TO my room and said
Roots, are you in for queer goY OF
course | was, and he told me that IL
was this: An old man, an inmate of
one of the hospitals, realizing that he
was dying, wanted to make q state.
ment, or confession, in the presence of
two witnesses. Cross had been attend.
ing him, and he proposed to receive
the statement. We took cab and
drove down to the hospital. AS l
stepped into the long ward, where lay
so many manned and dying people, my
heart almost failed me. Here lay
man with ghastly hole in his fore.
head. Plain suicide, remarked Cross
as we passed along. Next Il man who
had been run over in the tunnel. A
negro boy was just carrying away one
of the fellows legs, which had been
amputated. On a little cot lay the man
who was TO make the statement. lie
had noble head and face, and seemed
to be far above the average man met in
such hospitals.
sit down he said, fecbly. 4 am
sinking rapidly; 1t will soon be over
We sat down, and Cross took one of
the mans hands in his own. The fol-
lowing was his strange tale:
My name is Grosvcnor-Percy
Grosvenor. In England was Count
Malvern. When I'went to Italy on
pleasure trip in my yacht met Nita.
She was Madame Lanini to others, but
Nita to me. Her husband died two
months after their marriage, and she
was left at 90 years of ace with noble
name and an income of 100000 lires a
year. We loved each other and were
happy. | had as much money rs she,
and am of as noble birth. Naples was
to me the most beautiful place in the
world then; everything around me was
swimming in joy. In the spring we
were married and took our wedding
tour in my yacht, landing in Liverpool
in September. We went Immediately
to my house in London, which an army
of laborers and artists had been putting
in repair.
That was gay season in London
and my wife was the BELLE She cap.
tivated everyone. One night in the
midst of a grand ball at the Earl of
Warsaw's, Nita drew me into the cor
ridor and said
"'My husband, can you trust me ?
"'To the utmost
My husband, ! will leave in two
hours for Italy. will be gone eight
days, cannot tell you what calls me
thele. Will you trust mo?'
TO doubt her were impossible.
Those were the days of Garibaldi.
Some political scrape kinsman has
fallen into, thought. She left that
night for Italy. Six days afterward
my friend Morton met me at the club
and said /:
"'Percy, I saw your wife at the
Grand Palaise in Rome she was en-
bracing tall, bearded Italian, fellow
with apeculiar scar on his cheek. 1t
was in an ante-room and they thought
they were not observed.
"'My friend Morton said that to me.
We fought the next day in Hampton
Fields. shot him through the
shoulder and he shattered my right
arm, or ! would have killed him.
When my wife returned l mentioned
| the matter to her.
"'NoH said she.
'"The matter passed from my mind.
In two weeks from this / received
an anonymous letter, which said, Be
ware Of the bearded Italian with the
scarf burned the letter. The next
evening about twilight j was standing
with my wife near the window. Sud
| denly she started and turned very pale.
| l looked out the window. On the
pavement, looking up at the house, was
tall, bearded fellow with n livid scar
across his check
81 said nothing, but went out. That
night j wondered all night what it
meant. did not for an instant doubt
my wife. When went down to break
fast next morning picked up piece
Va luPbi hNNi wv iioiiV tOOi' ~ lSii
| thus:
"MY NITA: At A p m. on the 21st
be at No. 0 Moody Lane
This was the 2lst. j went to my
room and cleaned my pistols, aud at 2
O'Clock took hired cab for Moody
Lane, No. 0 was n long, lonesome
looking, gloomy house, the shutters all
| closed and seemingly deserted. | tried
the front door; It was unlocked /
walked in and passed through the hall
to the last room, where | heard some
one moving about,
81 tiptoed silently to the door and
looked in. Before the fire sat q tall,
tlne-looking fellow with black beard.
Across his face was lived scar. 1t
was the man described by my friend
Morton, the man allnded to in the
anonymous letter and the man who
caused Nita so much excitement when
she saw him on the sidewalk The
staircase was opposite the door of the
room, and there was niche in the
wall ON the staircase, This was excel
lent. could be secreted in the niche
and have full view of the room. |
| posted myself silently there, and fold
ing my arms awaited developments.
The man was engrossed in his own
thoughts, looking moodily into the fire.
What was thinking Off ! was Won
dering how | could have been 50 blind
I