Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-07-18

/ Once L sent TO one of his numerous
| addresses. an American magazine i
| which contained story by Mr.. Young
Allison. of Louisville. Ky. which gave
| an account of man somewhat similar
/ TO INV correspondent who wrote 10 the
| chief parer in that city correcting tue I
/ errors into which il fell. The man
| in Mr.. Allison's story came 10 bad
/ end. and so | wrote for the first time
i TO my correspondent suggesting that
\ he should read this story and take
/ warning from the hero OF il. He an
swered politely enough that he had
| read the story with interest. but was
panied, TO see some verbal inaccura-
1 c,es in il. TO which he would be pleased
l to call the authors attention IL
/ should be so good as TO send him his
| address. BY and 10y my resentment
/ against my correspondent faded away,
and there came in its place an admira-
4 ton for the mans wonderful knowl-
! edge. and the extreme accuracy OF his
general Information. l wrote TO him
saying | would be pleased to meet him
anywhere he liked TO name. He re
piled rather evasively TO this. and for
| year or two | endeavored TO make
an appointment with him. but always
without success. This reluctance on
his part increased my interest in him.
and made me wonder why he spent
so much time in writing. while plain
~ unwilling to meet the man he wrote
10.
One saturday night Mr.. Bronson
Howard. the dramatist. 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 -equest. l addressed few solemn
words 10 the assemblage On Mon
day I received letter from my cor
respondent. written this time from the
Eccentric club. and he said he had
been present az the Press club en-
!. rertainn.eE. ard Lid been nuch
pleased - see tine man who had given
| out such quantity Of erroneous in
. formation TO 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
Gliding him for his backwardness, and
! said that now when he had seen me
, it was only fair that | should have Il
chance of seeing him. To this he an
J swered, appointing a day when We
/ should lunch tOE sther at the Eccentric
! club. At that time 1 had never en-
tered the precincts OF this association.
: but Judging from its name. | thought
1 il was well chosen for such a meeting
, ON the night before the day of the
, appointment. | was working late in
. my room, which at time was at the
/ top Of building overlooking the
Strand. 1t must have been near mid
! night when | was startled by knock
3 AT my door. Ii was odd thai anyone
: should call at that hour. although !
!, was aware that any acquaintance WHO
q knew | occupied this room could have
4 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
!, caretaker in the house and it was use
Z less to ring the bell Aside from this.
:, a friend had warned me that il was
!, dangerous to remain alone in an un.
Z tenanted house late at night. as some
{ one had been murdered in a similar
situation not long before. I thought
!, of this warning at the moment when
z shouted -"Come in
y The man on the landing opened the
= door but did not enter The hall was
% quite dark. and the light from the
p room merely showed the lower part
q of the mans bodys his face was il
a. shadow. He said: Excuse me fol
. calling at this late hour, but I saw
n your light in the window and thought
p perhaps you We're working here Nj
n name Is -, and yOu were to luucl
q with me tomorrow at the Eccentri,
4. club"
r AS he said this I sprang to my feet
~ Come in" | cried "Neyer mine
=. the lateDess of the hour; am yer,
h glad indeed to see YOU
II cannot stay moment" he an
swered. II must be Off at once.
merely called to tell you II would b,
impossible for me to meet you to-mor
row, as arranged. You will excus,
my p0stpOning the meeting, am sure
The cause of breaking the appoint
ment Is quite unexpected. but impera
tive. | shall let you know when cal
meet you"
That's all right | answered. %
shall be very pleased to lunch wit
you at any time that is convenient. I
is too bad, you're having the troubl
of climbing all these stairs merely b
let me know the appointment is OF
You write so many letters that on
a note, more or less. wouldn't hav
iii made mueh difference and | shout
IM have gotten it in the morning"
u II happened to be passing. and sa,
your light in the window, and it wa
such short notice that | thought
was better not 10 trust to letter,
you happened to be here"
With that. he turned down the dar
stairway. went out TO the landin
and struck a match. but he said
was not necessary and that he coul
find his way down all right enough
and begged me not TO follow. which
was about to do. having descende
nc several steps. Hit one or two MOI
or, matches. holding them over the we
IA of the staircase, and at the foot h
,eh shouted Goodnight" and that wa
100 the last | saw OF him.
1lv After he had gone ! began to VOL
m. der how he had gotten in. for
! seemed almost impossible that ii
mo door should be open at that hour
I, the night. The street door closed wit
t..tx a. -