The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1896-06-06

my attention to the fact that in a Ger
tain article Of the week before I had
stated so and so, whereas such and such
was the real fact; Of the case. He gave
proofs, and as his letters were usually
unansWerable / didn' t. tempt to an
sWer them. He always wrote from a
club, in London, sometimes from one
and sometimes from another, andit
seemed as if he must belong to all
the principal clubs of the metropolis.
I argued from this that he must be a
rich man, and / thought that he was
also a gentleman of leisure, otherwise
he would not have so much time to at
tend so strictly to my affairs as he
was doing. fs &
Once sent to one of his numerous
addresses an American magazine
which contained a story-by Mr.. Young
Allison, of Louisville, Ky, which gave
an account of a man somewhat similar
to my correspondent who wrote to the
chief paper in that city correcting the
errors into which it fell. The man
in Mr.. Allison's story came to a bad
I end and so wrote for the first time
to my correspondent suggesting that
he. should read this story and take
warning from the hero of it. He an
! sWered politely enough that he had
read the story with interest, but was
panied to see some verbal inaccura-
c.es in it, to which he would be pleased
to call the authors attention if T
should be so good as to send him his
address add By and BY my resentment
against my correspondent faded away,
and there came in it's place an admira-
ton for the mans wonderful knowl-
edge, and the extreme accuracy of his
general informa tion. I wrote to him
saying /: would be pleased to meet him
any where he liked to name. He re-
piled rather evasively to this, and for
q year or two endeayored to make
an appointment with him, but always
Without success. Tfis, reluctance on
his part increased my interest in him..
and made me wonder why he spent
SO much time in writing. while plain
a unwilling to meet the man he wrote
s One Saturday night Mr.. Bronson
Howard. the dranatist, and myself,
attended one. Of the entertainments Of
the Press club which at that time had
rooms overlooking Ludgate circus
When the Press men found that Mr..
Howard was present they goaded him
into making a speech, and afterwards,
by request, [ addressed a few solemn
words to the assemblage. On Mon
day | received q letter from my COR
respondent, written this time from the
Eccentric club, and he said he had
been present at the: Press club en-.
reltainmeE+. and LSd been much
,plCasHd To see the man who had given
cut such a quantity of erroneous in
formation to a credulous world. He
added that he would have made him
self known to me but as he learned
that Mr. Howard was my guest he did
not intervene. / answered this letter.
@chlding him for his backWardness, and
said that now when he had seen me
it was only fail. that should have a
chance of seeing him. To this he an
sWered, appointing day when we
should lunch together at the Eccentric
club. At that time I had never en-
tered the precincts Of this association,
but judging from it's name, I thought
it was well chosen for such al meeting.
On the night before the day of the
appointment, was working late. in
my room,t which at time was at the
top of a building overlooking the
Strand. 1 t must have been near mid
night when I was startled by a knock
at my door. It was odd that anyone.
should call at that. hour. although /
was aware that any acquaintance who
knew Is occupied this room could have
seen from the Strand by the light in
( the window that / was there; still, the
street door was usually closed at 6
o'clock and no one could enter unless
he had latch-key, for there was no
fcaretaker in the house and it was use
less to ring the bell. Il Aside from this,
g friend had warned me that it was
Y dangerous to remain alone in an un-
] 5tenanted 1sllsa house late at ri gllt, as some
one mad been murdered in similar
situation not long before. 5si / thought
of this warning at the moment whan
81 shouted Come. in.''' HUI
ST. The man on the landing opened the
door but did not enter The hall was
quite dark, and the light from the
room merely showed the lower. part
!. OF the mans body his face was iii
SHADOW. He said: 6 Excuse me for
8calllng at this late hour, but Sc saw
! your. YOU u sght IN the window and thought
perhaps p}tsrl1;p you were working here. NV
name nan / Is #-, and you were to lunch
WITH me to-m morrow at the Eccentric
club. & n
1ass As he he said this 4 sprang to my feet.
Come in I cried. s5S 81 ever mind
tie lateness of the hour: 5I am .va,u
glad indeed to see you. z s. s3s35 s5
cannot stay 8 moment, j, 3 an
swered. s. must be off at & ones. .ssIss
merely called to tell you it would l,e
impossible for me to meet Won ~ To- NOR
! row, as arranged. You will excuse
my postp onings the meeting, L am sure
Fl The caISe of break mo tho II I, 81