The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-02-03


aware that it was to be fatal They gave me no ink
ling of their dastardly intention. But there is no
time to admit of explanations now, signore,' he added
breathlessly, in low desperate voice Say that you
will not PREJUDICE me-" he pleaded earnestly
81 will not PREJUDICE you until I've heard your
explanation" / said, IL certainly owe my life to
you tonight"
"Then quick! Fly from this house this instant.
If you stopped then use your revolver, Don't
hesitate. In moment they will be here upon you"
"But who they Olintoy You must tell me-
| cried in desperation,
'Dio! Col Got" he cried pushing me violently
toward the door, "Fly, or we shall both die-both
of us! Run downstairs. must make feint of dash
ing after YOU"
| turned, and seeing his desperate eagerness, pre-
ciptately fed while he ran down behind me, utterng
fierce imprecations in Italian, as though | had es-
capped him.
A man in the narrow dark passage attempted to
trip me up as ran, but fired point blank at him,
and gaining the door unlocked it, and an instant
later found myself out in the street.
II was the narrowcst escape from death that !
had ever had in all my fe-surely the stranges and
most remarkable adventure. What | wondered, did
it meany
Next morning | searched up and down Oxford
Street for the Restaurant MianO but could not find
it, asked shopkeepers, postmen and policemen; |
examined the London directory ut the bar of the Ok
ford Music Hall, and made every inquiry possible
But all was to no purpose, No one knew of such n
place. There were restaurants in plenty in Oxford
Street from the Fmscat down to the humble coffee
shop, but nobody had ever heard of the "Milano."
Even Olinto had played me fase
! was filled with cmgrin for had trusted him
as honest, upright, and Industrious; and was puz
zed to know the he had deceived me, and why
he had enticcd me to the very brink of the grave
lie had told me that he himself had fallen into
the trap laid by my enemies, and yet he had stead
tasty refused to tell me who they were The whole
thing was utterly ineNplicablc
| drove over to Lambeth and wandered through
the maze of mean streets off the York Road yet for
the life of me could not decide into which house |
had been taken There dozen which seemed
to me that they might be the identical house from
which had so narrowly escaped with my life.
Gradually it became impressed upon me that my
cx-servant had somehow gained knowledge that was
in London, that he had watched my exit from the
club and that all his piifu story regarding Armida
was false He the envoy of my unknown en-.
emies who had so ingcniously and relentlessly
plotted my destruction.
That had enemies knew quite we'll The man
who believes he has not is an arrant fool There is
no man breathing who has not enemy, from the
pauper in the wOrkhouse to the king in his automO
bile. But the unseen enemy is always the most dan
gcrous; hence my deep apprehcnsive reflections that
day rs walked those sOrdid back streets cover the
water" the Cockney refers to the district between
those two main arteries of traffic, the Waterloo and
Westminster Bridge Roads
My unknown enemies had secured the services of
Olinto in their dastardly plot to Kill me. With what
motive?
| wondered as | crossed Waterloo Bridge to the
Strand, whether OntO Santin would again approach
me and make the promised explanation. | had given
my word not to PREJUDICE him until he revealed to
me the truth. Yet could not, in the circumstances,
repose entire confidence in him.
When ones enemies unknown, the feeling of
apprehension is always much greater, for in the
imagination danger turks in every corner and every
action of II friend covers the rusc of II suspected
enemy.
That day did my business in the city with dis
trust of everyone, not knowing whether | was not
followed or whether those who sought my life were
not plotting some other equally ingenious move
whereby | might 90 nnoccntly to my DEATH | en-.
deavored to discover Olinto by every possible means
during those sitting days that followed. The heat
of London was, to me, more oppressive than the fiery
sunshine of the oldworld Tuscany, and everyone who
could be out of town had left for the country or the
sea.
The only trace found of the Italian was that he
was registered ut the office of the International So.
ciety of Hotel Servants, in Shaftesbury Avenue, as
being employed at Gatts Adelaide Gallery, but on