The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1888-03-22
CECIL DACRE.
Stories From the Life of a London
Artist.

Cecil Dacre was an artist. He was des
perately poor, undeniaby good looking, ant
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
MARITIME, in one of the oldest houses of old
Naples. So poor were they that they could
hardly ever afford a model, so they used tC
talre it in turn to sit to each other Cecil
Dacre and his friend, Orlando p. Jones, were
both rival artists, but Dacre had an addition
al talent-he was a fdrcer 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,
u am deserving, and am deeply in debt
80 deeply that can get no more credit. Pay
my debts, give me little cash to go on with,
and you, gentlemen, will be doing your duty.
That is your raison d'etre.n
But the committee laughed and bowed Mr..
Dacre out, declining to accede to this very
Z modest proposition. On another occasion
Dacre, becoming indignant at the pertina-
cious way in which his movements were
watched by one of his neighbors who were
accustomed to stare at him from his balcony
opposite, drove up to his door late one even
ing in 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 reappeared 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 lodgings The inquisitive neighbor
was at his post and carefully noted all the
details Of this mysterious affair.
At noon the next day four officers, accom-
panied by the neighbor, presented them
selves at Dacre's room door and knocked
loudly for admission in the name of the law
Only at the third and very imperative sum
mons was the door opened by Orlando z.
Jones. The supposed criminal was dis
covered seated at his little table, upon which
lay blood-stained dagger; his face was
buried in his hands.
.Signor Dacre,n said the chief of police.
II call upon you TO surrender, and demand
to search Your apartments. This gentle
man. said he, pointing to the informer,
.detected you last night conveying the body
of a dead or insensible female into the
house, The informer, being an italian,
Immediately struck an attitude.
II yield,r said Dacre, in a broken voice:
'sthe 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. ~The poor creature wore dress
of bright blue color; saw tho edge of it
from under the cloak in which she was en-
veloped.n
The bedroom door was flung open by the
leader of the little party, In the center of
the room was lay figure in a bright blue
dress; it was standing on its head.
The police instantly released their pris-
oncr.
LET this be a lesson to you, sir" said Da-
ere to his too curious victim, in voice of
thunder, twhen you next dare to intrude
upon the privacy of gentlemen and men of
honorn
And then Messrs. Dacre and Jones execu-
ted ferocious pas de triomphs.
A less sublime but equally ridiculous Joke
was perpetrated by Dacre upon an unfortu-
nate cid lady who had the misfortune to
dwell upon the second floor of the great
mouse of which the comrades occupied the
sky parlors,
She was devotee- one harmless
amusement being the keeping of two i'm
mense goldfish in big glass globe upon
her balcony. With diabolical ingenuity
Dacre, by means of piece Of string, bent
pin and a small piece of meat, angled for the
two finny monsters 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 rather hilarious
breakfast, that he would cause twenty inno-
cent citizens OF Naples to be arrested within
tho hour, The Cafe Verdi is, as we know,
situated in the Plaza del Martiri. Dacre
went out and purchased large ball of
etring; he made loop in the end of Il, and
then he took a mean advantage of the
urbane polteness Of the Italians. Produc-
ing a huge note book, he courteously raised
his hat TO the first respectable bystander
nSignor,u 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
menced to pace the plaza. OF course little
crowd collected at once Dacre selected
another victim with the same result.
'.Keep II quite taut. if you pleasen ,nd
he bowed politely. Within five minutes
thirty individuals we're holding the tightly
stretched string, an immense crowd had vs.
sclnblcd and Dacre had finished his pacinHs,
his string and the careful. notes he had ap-
pearcd TO be making
s'Bc patient, gentlemen" he said ~
shall not detsin you long.r Then he disap
only 70 re-enter the Cafe Verdi by
The back door 10 watch the result He had
chcecn his time with considerable ingenuity,
for bo knaw that the podoe petrs always