Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-04-06
THE BATH OF BOKHARA.

THE BATH OF B0KHARA.
Cecil Dacre was an artist. He was desper-
ately poor, undeniably good looking, and he
stood six feet in his stockings. Young Dacre
was an Englishman, and he lived with
another artist, young American, as poor as
himself, just behind the Church of San Mar
tino, in one of the Oldest houses of old Ma
pies So poor were they that they could
hardly ever afford model, so they used to
take it in turns to sit to each other. Cecil
Dacre and friend, Orlando P. Jones, were
both rising artists, but Dacre had an addi-
tional talent-he was 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, ~ am deserving, and am deeply in
debt-so deeply that I can get no more
credit. Pay my debts, give me a little ready
cash to go on with, and you gentlemen will
be doing your duty. That is your raison
detre." But the committee laughed and
bowed Mr.. Dacre out, declining to accede to
this very modest proposition On another
occasion Dacre, becoming indignant at the
pertinacious way in which his move
ments were watched by one of his
neighbors, who was accustomed to
stare at him from his balcony oppo-
site, drove up to his door late one evening
in street cab The cabman got down from
his box, and female figure wrapped in a
cloak was carried carefully into the house
by the artist and cabman; the two men re-
appeared in the street, the artist mysteriously
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
four sbirri, accompanied by the neighbor,
presented themselves at Dacres room door,
and 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, 81
call upon you to surrender, and demand to
search your apartments. This gentleman"
said he, pointing to the informer, detected
you ldSb ulSuu LII COlAFCyluS OiiC DOdJ VI "a
dead or insensible female into this house,
The informer being an Italian, Immediately
| struck an attitude.
| 81 YIELD" said Dacre in a broken voice;
| ''the proofs of my crime you will find in the
| next room"
| Two of the agents advanced and seized the
| supposed murderer by either. arm.
II should recognize her at once" cried the
| informer. 1.-THE poor creature wore dress
| of a bright blue color; I 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 lay figure in bright blue
| dress; it was standing on its head.
| The police instantly released their prisoner.
''Let this be a lesson to you, sir" said
| Dacre to his too curious victim in voice of
| thunder, "when 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 to
dwell upon the second floor of the great house
of which the comrades occupied the sky par
lors.
She was a devotee, her one harmless amuse-
| ment being the keeping of two immense gold
fish in a big glass globe upon her balcony.
With diabolical ingenuity Dacre, by means
of piece of cotton, a bent pin, and small
piece of meat, angled for the two finny mon
STEERS who formed the joy OF the old lady's
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 in the
Piazza del Martiri. Dacre went out and pur-
chased a large ball of string; he made a loop
in the end of it, and then he took mean adj
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,n said he, twill you greatly oblige
me by holding this piece of string while
take few measurements? Thank you SO
much"
And then, with great strides, he COM
meneed to pace the piazza. Of course,
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; II 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
time with considerable ingenuity, for he knew
that the police patrol always arrived on the
Piazza del MaFtiri punctually at noon. It
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 sergeant, appeared upon the scene; of
course they proceeded at once to arrest the
thirty mysterious conspirators, who were still
innocently engaged in holding Dacres string,
Dacre and his friends watching the whole
scene from the windows of the Cafe Verdi
with delighted amusement
But the master stroke of Dacre's ingenuity
was the artfully arranged plan by which he
Slotained feloniously sum OF five pounds
sterling from Mr.. Donald MacTaggart, of
IL. )
fellow of small talent, who had recently ar
rived IN Naples to study art. MacTaggart
was well to do, excessively stingy, prefer
naturally ugly, and preposterously short
He was one of the ''unco' guid;" he wouldn't
| foregather with the other students, his ways
were not their ways, and young Mr.. Mac
Taggart, of Leith, was Stunned when he was
| not made butt of.
MacTaggart had one grievance against
! Providence upon which he constantly harped;
| it was his want of stature. 1t was this
weakness of the young Scotchman's that
the willy Cecil Dacre determined to take adj
| vantage of, and at the same time crafty his
taste for practical Joking Cecil Dacre was
| in want of five pounds very badly indeed. He
always was in want of five pounds, but the
| want at this particular time was more than
usually urgent.
One day the three young men met by &C.
! cident in the Cafe Verdi.
"TA=t American doctors wonderful fel-