Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-03-02
DAILY. STORY
COLONEL PLUNKETT. V. c.

Copyright. 1906. by NJ. NJ. Cunningham
Colonel Plunkett, retired from the
Seventeenth ami Wearer of il Victoria
cross won in India. was sixty years
old and still unmarried. He belonged
to half a dozen London clubs, was seen
quite Il little i'll society and was famed
for his imperturbahility
The colonel Wore Il wig. He wore
Il corset. He used cosmetics. TO
certain extent he was taken To pieces
al night and put together again in the
morning. The knowledge of this was
confined To himself and his valet. and
the world might suspect and surmise
and be hanged to ii,
1t happened on November evening.
1t was Il Tuesday evening. The colo
mel remained in his chambers and read
and smoked up to Il certain hour and
then his valet took him in hand. On
this occasion the valet had performed
his task and retreated to his own quar-
ters when hand was clapped over
his mouth. knee thrust into the small
Of his back, and before he could utter
Il cry he was on the floor with a gag
in his mouth and his feet and hands
bound. He was surprised 10y the sud
den attack, but more by the want of
punctiliOusness. The groan he fetched
over the latter was long drawn and
genuine. The attacker had walked
over several roofs and then used
short ladder to enter the colonel's
apartments. He had few words to
say 10 the valet and then proceeded on
into the front apartments. The i'm
perturbable colonel was not asleep.
nor was his light yet turned out. Some
men would have started up and eX-
claimed at sight of strange man in
his bedroom at that hour. but it wasn't
Colonel Plunkett. He had always wait
ed to be addressed, and he did not
depart from the programme on this
occasion.
The intruder gave the colonel n look
| ing over and then took in the room.
| He saw the corset. and he chuCkled.
| He saw the cosmetics, and he gurgled
and said:
| We'll. old boy, you are playing EN-
| nicely. If YOUR glass eye and false
teeth We're here. the show would be
| complete. Oh, the vanity of man, eS-
| pecially an old ass of a man, | would
| not have believed this of n man wear
| ing the V. c.
| Sir | never receive callers at this
| hour of the night and never in my
bedroom replied the colonel in his
everyday tones.
| "Ics, | knew that I'd he de trop. but
| there are times when one must break
| through the bounds Of etiquette. This
is one of them. Your valet is gagged
and bound, you are helpless III bed,
and I've got Il soft snap before me.
| I'm after Doodle. of course
My practice has been never to Dor
| row or lend
Il was aware of that fact. and that's
the reason | made my entrance i'll the
way | did. Any objections to tobacco
| smoke"
Il have, sir. have never smoked in
this room or allowed others to do So"
Sorry TO break over rules, colonel
| but this is an extra occasion"
The man drew from his pocket an
old pipe and filed it with strong to
bacco and sat down and leaned back
and crossed his legs and pulled away
for three or four minutes before he
said:
How does it feel, colonel. to be TAX
en- apart at night and put together in
the morning? I'm not asking out OF
vulgar curiosity, but from a scientific
point of view. Do you feel as if you
were loom or an engine or some
other piece of machinery
You will excuse me. sir, if l refuse
to debate the matter with you," replied
the colonel in even tones.
The intruder picked up the wig ant
sought to adjust it. and then the corse
: and closely examined it, and then con
. tinued:
!, 81 have heard it contended that tn,
male wearer of corset has womanisl
feelings come over hun NOW and theI