The Topeka state journal., 1902-09-13
The TiTTOOED LETTER.

/ lFrOm the Commercial Adveff1ser.1
Now, venning. with this old Madeira
| we must have story from you.''
| The gentleman addressed fingered the
decanter thoughtfully before he spoke
! Il never tell the story will relate to-
night without drinking a silent toast
Your Dermission?" he asked. with
questioning glance at his host.
Certainly, anything that pleases
you
The gracious reply gave no hint of the
curiosity Vennings request had aroused
in his host-a curiosity shared by every
man seated around the table. Thes
! watched the whimsical guest with much
interest He slowly poured out the wine:
his lips as if speaking to himself, gave
quick upward glance, and draiued the
glass to the last drop Then, while the
| freight peopled the room with dtful
shadows, Eenning told his tale.
AZ most OF you know, / spent my
youth III France It was there silat l
mar cd-and there my son was born.
after three years of happiness sush Is
is known to few men my wife died,
leaving our home SO lonely and full of
painful associations that / determined
to sell it Having disposed of the place,
J. with my little son, boarded steam
ship bound for New York, where no
haunting memory of past joy would
poison every hour.
During the voyage I made the ac-
quaintance of a strange fellow-a Him
doc. Peculiar people always attract me
and I'm never quite satisfied until find
out something about them. By quiet
persistence finally discovered his pro-
fession, for such he called it. He was a
tattooer, intending to practice his art i'll
America, where he thought there would
be more fresh opportunity than in
France. AT first it rather amused me
to talk to him. but / found him SO
doggedly unres1sonsive that after a lit
| tie let him alone
Toward night of the fourth day out I
was pacing the deck uneasily noting
the signs of a gathering storm. AS you
may imagine, my son was the very core
of my heart, and any danger that APP
preached him was magnised to me. So
it was that while the increasing wind
| drove the clouds into huge dark masses
| pictured all the terrible possibilities
of shipwreck. In the midst OF these
nervous thoughts it suddenly occurred
to me that it might be a wise precau-
tion to have my son tattooed. then. in
case of disaster and separation it would
\ be easier to trace him. I Immediately
started off to seek the Hindoo. After
some little search found him huddled
up near a lifeboat, mumbling over an
amulet, He seemed strangely unwilling
to give the boy an Identification mark,
but by doubling the price. finally per-
suaded him to do SO. shall never for
| get that night, when. as fierce gale
| tossed the steamer to and fro. I held
| the child and watched. the swarthy art
| ist ink the letter into the white skin.
| The storm passed, however, without do
ing us any harm. and the rest of the
trip was calmly uneventful.
when we reached New York and
were ready to land. the little fellow was
fast asleep. SO l carefully led the
state-room, leaving him in hi berth
while put my trunks through tn Gus
tom house. On my return the door stood
Open-the boy was gone!
In the confusion of landing some one
had forced the lock-very cieverly, too
) and carried off the child. God knows
what I lived through, as one after an
& have advertised and employed detec-
8 tives in every land; I myself have be-
IS come wanderer-always looking fol
B the boy. I have also made every effort
q to locate the Hindoo, thinking that ht
8 might for money tell me something Of
& the abduction with which he may have
been connected. But it as all been use
& less. even the precaution of tattooing
S Through all these lonely years of search
g have found no trace of my boy
Venning paused for moment. Sym
no one spoke; the silence was broker
g only by the cracking fire and the tai
clock ticking away in the corner.
6 Now. gentlemen Venning continued
s | you know to whom I drank the silen
3 toast never tell this story withou
6 drinking the health of my boy, who, i
6 living, is now man, and never mis-
g chance to tell it, always hoping tina
q clue, however slight
g Venning ceased speaking and looked
g around the table. an appeal in his eye
q that went straight to the heart of ever,
g man.
3 BY George!" exclaimed the host az
q give a good deal if / could help you!'
. $50 would l." said DR.. Ames, one o
those kind hearted men who better tn
world by living. But you haven't tol,
} u sabout the marking. What was th
letter, and where was the boy tattooed-
on leg or arm?"
! Neither" Venning promptly replied
, "A leg or an arm may be lost. My Sol
, was marked on the right side of tn
breast-heavily marked with the lette
"Well.'' said the physician decidedly. :.
man with mark like that ought to b
That's what I think returned Yer
ming, but haven't found him yet
As he spoke the tall clock in the corne
chimed the midnight hour. the gentlema
arose, bidding their host good night an
departing, each one thinking of Venning'
A few weeks after this Dr. Ames wa
! starting out for his afternoon round c
I young man came up the steps, smlins
| though rather pale.
Caught you just in time, didn't I, do<
whats the matter. Eaton, said til
wrong with his Young friend. s''-
,Oh, I've been trying to blow up tn
there's some glass lodged in my shoulder.
Come in,' said the doctor leading til
. way back to his office. .'In patch yo
s up.''
- Though Eaton 1aughingly demonstrate,
the physician assisted him to remove h
\ clothing. AS the young fellows muscuIa
\ chest was barred. DR.. Ames stified an e,
clamatfon. almost the same instant h
face clouded with disappointment. Their
on the right side of the breast. letts
was tattoed-but not the letter V. HoI
ing that Eaton hadn't noticed his momeI
tary confusion, the doctor quietly took OF
the glass and began to dress the sligi
wound.
70 Lnow where vn,1 had that fattoo;r
done?''
Eaton laughed 'sYou know as muc
about it as I do,'' he said. THAT letts
has been there ever since can remembe
Haven't you seen it before ~