Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-05-22
THE BATH OF B0KHARA.

was an Englishman, and he lived with
another artist, young American, as poor as
himself, just behind the Church of San Mar
tho, in one of the oldest houses of old Ma
pies. So poor were they that they could
hardly ever afford a model, so they used to
take it in turns TO sit TO each other. Cecil
Dacre and friend, Orlando z. Jones, were
both rising artists, but Dacre had an addi-
tional talent-he was a farceur of the first
water. He hadn't been six months in Naples
before he attended before the committee Of
Monte di Misericordia and suggested that
they should pay his debts 81 am poor" he
said, IL am deserving, and am deeply in
febt-so deeply that | can get no more
credit. Pay my debts, give me a little ready
Fash to go on with, and you gentlemen will
be doing your duty. That is your raison
d'etre." But the committee laughed and
bowed Mr.. Dacre out declining to accede to
his very modest proposition On another
occasion Dacre becoming indignant at the
pertinacious way in which his move
ments were watched by one of his
heighbors, who was accustomed to
stare at him from his balcony oPpo-
site, drove up to his door late one evening
In a street cab. The cabman got down from
his box, and a female figure wrapped in
cloak was carried carefully into the house
by the artist and cabman; the two men re-
appeared in the street, the artist my steriously
placed his fingers to his lips, paid the cab
driver, and the man drove off. The little
drama was well lighted by the solitary gas
lamp that stood in front of the artists lodg
ings. The inquisitive neighbor was at his
post and carefully noted all the details of this
mysterious affair. At noon the next day
i
presented themselves at Dacre's room door,
end knocked loudly for admission in the
name of the law. Only at the third and very
imperative summons was the door opened by
Orlando P. Jones The supposed criminal
was discovered seated at his little table, upon
which lay blood stained dagger; his face
was buried in his hands.
'Sig. Dacre," said the chief of police, II
call upon you to surrender and l demand to
search your apartments. This gentleman"
said he, pointing to the informer, detected
you last night in conveying the body of
dead or insensible female into this house,
The informer, being an Italian, Immediately
struck an attitude.
al yield,n said Dacre in broken voice;
''the proofSof my crime you will find in the
next room"
supposed murderer by either arm.
Il should recognize her at once" cried the
inforrner THE poor creature wore a dress
of a bright blue color; l saw the edge of it
from under the cloak in which she was en-
veloped."
The bedroom door was flung open by the
leader of the little party. In the center Of
the room was a lay figure In a bright blns
dress; it was standing on its head.
The police instantly released their prisoner.
'Let this be lesson to you, SIR" said
Dacre to his too curious victim in a voice of
thunder, ''whcn you next dare to intrude
upon the privacy of gentlemen and men OF
honor"
And then Messrs. Dacre and Jones executed
a ferocious pas de triomphe
A less sublime but equally ridiculous joke
was perpetrated by Dacre upon an unfortu-
nate old lady who had the misfortune 20
dwell upon the second floor of the great house
of which the comrades occupied the sky par
lors.
She was devotee, her one harmless amuse-
ment being the keeping of two immense gold
fish in a big glass globe upon her balcony.
With diaboli-al ingenuity Dacre, by means
of piece of ,'otton, bent pin, and a small
piece of meat, angled for the two finny mon
sters who formed the joy of the old ladys
life, caught them, fried them in egg and
bread crumbs and then restored them to their
once happy and transparent home.
In the Cafe Verdi, Cecil Dacre once calmly
declared, after a rather hilarious breakfast,
that he would cause twenty innocent citizens
of Naples to be arrested within the hour. The
Cafe Verdi is, as we know, situated il the
Piazza del Martiri Dacre went out and pur
chased large ball of string; he made a loop
in the end of it, and then he took mean ad-
vantage of the urbane politeneSs of the
Italians. Producing a huge note book, he
courteously raised his hat to the first reSpec-
table bystander.
"Signor," said he, Twill you greatly oblige
ma by holding this piece of string while L
take few measurements! Thank you So
much"
And then, with great strides, he COM
menced to pace the piazza. Of course, a
little crowd collected at once. Dacre selected
another victim, with the same result.
Keep it quite taut, if you please, > and he
bowed politely Within five minutes thirty
individuals We're holding the tightly stretched
string, an immense crowd had assembled
and Dacre had finished his pacings, his string
and the careful notes he had appeared TO be
making.
.'Be patient, gentlemen" he said; Il shall
not detain you long" Then he disappeared,
only to re-enter the Cafe Verdi by the back
door, to watch the result. He had chosen his 1
time with considerable ingenuity. for he knew
that the police patrol always arrived on the /
Piazza del Martiri punctually at noon. 1t I
wanted but two minutes of the hour. Just at
that time the peace of Naples was much dis /.
turbed by political demonstrations, which
were severely put down by the authorities.
The hour struck. Twenty policemen, headed
by a sergeant, appeared upon the scene; of
course they proceeded at once to arrest the
thirty mysterious conspiratorS, who were still
innocently engaged in holding Dacre's string,
Dacre and his friends watching the whole
scene from the windows of the Cafe Verdi
with delighted amusement.
But the master stroke of DacreS ingenuity
was the artfully arranged plan by which lie
obtained feloniously a sum of five pounds
sterling from Mr.. Donald MacTaggart, OF
Leith MacTaggart was an ambitious young
fellow of small talent, who had recently ar
rived in Naples to study art MacIaSgarl
naturally ugly, and preposteroas!y short /
lie was one of the ''unco' guid;' ne wouldn't /!
foregather with the other students, his ways
were not their ways, and young Mr.. Mac
TaCgart, of Leith, was Stunned when he was
rot made butt of.
MacTaggart had one grievance against (
Providence upon which he constantly harped, I
1t was his want of stature 1t was this !