The L'Anse sentinel., 1904-12-24
TOM MUXRO'S
MURDER.
BY Herbert J. Allingham.

NJ CONFESS, said Munro. 81 have
| committed most crimes once.
Did ever tell you how blackmailed
man. and got $1,000 out of him?
Then there was my murder, quite an
artistic affair"
There were four of us loafing in the
club reading room. 1t was bright
but cold October afternoon, and the
first fire of the season blaZed in the
CRATE. We were all ranged about it,
sprawling in saddle back chairs. There
was Masters, the lawyer, who meant
to do something some day; there was
old Tufnell, the comedian, who had
done all he meant to do 20 years ago;
there was myself, the youngest Of the
group, an unacted playwright; and
there was Munro.
No one quite knew what Munro did
for living. He was wanderer, and
would absent himself from our set
for months at time, but he always
turned up at the club sooner or later.
He was man Of As or SO, hair grizzled
about the temples, face strong and
hard. eyes keen but kind.
Let's have the murder" said Mas
ters with yawn.
"A really artistic murder should pos
sess dramatic possibilities" remarked
the comedian ponderously, ''and may be
of service to our young friend here"
The old man Indicated me with pa
tronizing gesture. Munro took his pipe
from his mouth, and thoughtfully pol
ished the bowl on the sleeve of his
coat.
The beginning of the business was
in the summer of '97," he began pres
entity. Il left Chicago at a moments
notice Eventually | found myself in
Turkey, hobnobbing with wicked old
pasha of my acquaintance. One day l
was with him in the house. which was
more like palace, when a dealer
brought some newly-captured slave
girls for his inspection.
MY friend rejected the majority
with scorn; but one beautiful Greek
girl found favor in his sight and after
lot of haggling with the dealer he
purchased her.
THE girl, when she learned of her
fate, was terrified, and made a painful
scene.
Il am not, as you know, a ladies'
man, but confess the scared look in
the girls eyes made me feel qualm-
ish.
AT the pasha's request I spoke to
her in her own language, but could
get nothing from her except a despair
ing request to save her from her new
master.
THE end of It was that offered to
purchase her. My friend was amazed
and much amused. but he good ma
turedly consented, and so NADIA became
my property.
II offered to send the girl back to.
her people, but 1t appeared that they
had been ruthlessly slaughtered when
she was captured, and she swore that
she would never leave me. The situ-
alton was embarrassing. and I antici-
pated all sorts of trouble. But NADIA
behaved splendidly. 1t is true she fol-
lowed me about like dog, but she
never obtruded herself upon my notice.
and yet was always at hand to render
me any service within her power.
All went well for time, and
had got quite used to her being about
the place, and even found myself mis-
sing her when she was absent.
Then, in the autumn Of '99, went to
Paris. There l found certain M.
Ionides lording II In fashionable soci-
ETY.. He was. 1t appeared, a Greek mer-
chant, who had made fortune out of
durrants. He occupied magnificent
hotel. kept retinue of servants, had
gorgeous equipage, and entertained In
lavish and princely fashion.
He was enormously rich, enormous
ly fat, and as ugly as satyr. We had
been In Paris about week, when this
M. Ionides saw NADIA, and at once took
a fancy to her. ] think have told you
the girl was really strikingly pretty.
People turned In the street to look a.
her. Well, the Greek was fascinated
by his countrywoman, and the result
was that one day NADIA came flying to
me for protection. l soothed her, and
thought no more OF the matter, but on
the morrow l had visit from the
great man, fa
HE was pretty frank. talking like
- man accustomed to pay for what he
PAINTED and to get 1t. He understood
the young lady was my ward. Would