The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1888-04-07
1.-THE DARK BLUE SPOT.
Some Queer Franks Of the Gay Old
Blades Of England

018UoD VI 0A&AA AA
Every visitor to Venice is apt to
stand enraptured before the mag
nificent gold barge in which the old
Doges went forth and married the
Adritaic, flinging q gold ring into
the sea; but what interested me
most was the case which contained
relics of the Duke of francesca
Carrara, commonly called "the
Tyrant of Padua." I was in very
bad temper myself the day l saw
his "relics." The bitter cold had
upset my liver, and made me extra
fendish, and so I felt in perfect
sympathy with the gentleman who
wreaked his vengeance on his enc
mics in the most ingeniously dia-
bo1ical manner possible. The first
specimen" which attracts your at
tention is a beautifully decorated
jewel-box, all velvet and gold, and
Get with precious stones. Duke
Francis was in love with a lady
who snubbed him before company.
Francis smiled a sweet smile and
bit his lip, but never by word or
deed allowed the fair charmer to
see that she had trodden on his
corns.
But when her birthday came
round he sent her anonymously
this beautiful box, with an inscrip-
ton npon it, to say that it was from
an unknown admirer of Queen Of
Beauty. When the box was deliv-
cred the lady was out, so her maid
took it in, and, with the natural
curiosity of the female sex, she be-
gan to wonder what the beautiful
box contained. It was delivered
uncovered, and attached to it by
ribbon was a little gold key with
which to unlock it,
The maid though to herself, "1'll
just open this and see what lovely
thing is inside for missus." She
put the golden key in the lock, she
gave it a turn; up then flew the
lid, and all that remained Of the
inquisitive maid was gathered from
the floor and scraped off the walls.
The dear Dukes notion of a birth
day present for lady was decided
ly original, was it not?
Another delightful relic of the
life and times of the Tyrant of Pa
dua is in the same cause as the
beautiful box. 1t is simple key,
about the size of an ordinary door
key. 1t was the key of the Dukes
library in his private room. When
he wanted to get rid of any Of his
suite or any person of his house
hold that he had bitter feeling
against he used to ring his bell and
ask for Mr.. John to be sent to. him
fancy name of course). When
John entered the Duke would say |
20 John, I wish you would go to the
bookcase in my private room and
bring me the 'Dagonet Ballads"
Certainly, your Grace" Mr.. John
would say, and away he would trot
with the key in his hand. When
he got to the library he would put
the key in the lock of the bookcase
and turn it. But directly he turned
it, out of the handle of the key shot
a long poisoned needle, which stab
bed the hand of the holder and in
stantly shot back again. John
would letgo the key and say "What
the deuce is that?' He would look
at his hand and see only a small
dark blue spot. He would think
nothing of it, but all of sudden
he would begin to feel queer in his
head. Presently some one would
come in and find him in fit on
the floor and the household would
be alarmed. "Mr. John has had a
stroke or fit," the people would
say. A doctor would be sent for,
but his services would be of no
avail. In twenty-four hours Mr..
John would be dead and everybody
would think that he had died trough
a fit. There was no bothering cor
oners' inquests to upset the plans
of clever fellows like the Duke Fran
CHS in those days.-London Referee.