New-York tribune., 1909-10-03
HIS HOSTILE NATURES
ROCCO INHERITED THO
SCOTCH and ITALIAN
Latter Planned Black Hand Grim,
Against Former and Latin
Wiles Triumphed.
BY Ellis Parker Butler.

The most permanently uncomfortable man n
Betzvile is Rocco Macintosh, and II IS al are
TO his two natures. which he Inherited from his
parents. From his mother, who was Rosa Gal.
Iucci. he inherited the hot-bIooded nature Of Ialy
and from his father. Sandy Mackintosh he IN
hertted the cautious nature OF Scot; and vhHs
both OF these natures are excellent they DO nor
mix well. and in Rocco Macintosh they did not
mix at all. They remained all times dlstnctly
separate, like the streaks Of fat and lean IN 4
piece OF bacon.
Three weeks ago last Wednesday Rocco uoEs
with his hot italian nature IN the saddle so 70
speak. and OverpOwering desire came upon him
to write a Black Hand letter. So he sat down
and began to write one. but when he was about
half through his cautious Scotch nature warned
him that he doing a very dangerous thing
and that IL he vas discovered he might be taken
10 court and made to pay fine. But when he
decided not TO write a Black Hand letter. his
warm italian nature rebeIled and insisted that
he write the letter. So. 20 placste both his
natures he wrote the letter and addressed II to
himself. Then he took the letter TO the posto-cs
and mailed II.
When his Macintosh nature received the letter
the next morning he very much excited.
Never before had he received Threatening letter.
and IL made him properly angry but he sUOrs
that no matter what happened. he would not put
500 under a stone. as the letter commanded him
TO DO. Instead. he went out and borrowed shOt-
gun from Uncle Ashdod Clute. as 70 Be really
for the worst.
Along about o'clock that afternoon his Italian
nature took hold OF him and he sat down and
wrote a threatening letter to himself. ten tines
worse than the first and mailed IL 20 himssk
When he received this letter the next morning
his Scotch blood fairly boiled. He was 50 angry
I he could hardly hold his pen while he was writing
another Black Hand letter TO himself that after
noon, but he was wise enough TO take every Ire-
caution, and before he went 70 bed he baFri--
( caded the house by pushing all the furnifIra
/ against the doors. Even then he was 50 excited
he could not sleep. and several times In the risne
he arose and wrote Black Hand letters 70 himself
= By the end OF the week he was in such stats
OF fear that he only ventured from the house once
/ day. and that was TO mail 10 himself the letters
he had written: but the letters kept getrns Hore
| and more threatening and they all mentioned as.
1 Wednesday the last day OF grace II the u"
not put under the FIAT stone AZ the cross roaas
| by noon that day ample vengeance would % taken
/ on him.
| Every one in Betzvilla noticed the change that
! had come over Rocco Macintosh, but no one sas-
| pected what his trouble and WEDNESDAY
/ morning dawned upon a placid scene. Inc "as
| stone at the cross roads was as hat as ever a.D
| the cross roads crossed usual. but Rocco MacA-
I intosh was twice as cross the roads. Aoou'
4 ten minutes after II he put on his hat and he IN
| stantly knew he was going 20 the cross rOaus
4 TO see whether the S00 had been put unaer u''
! stone as he had advised himself 10 do Wnen 10
| saw himself take dagger IN his hand ne AHs"
| he must be prepared for the worst, and that 10
had cruel Italian nature 10 deal with So ne 'oOA
| his shotgun in the other hand and saliisa '0'''
| bound. at all costs to protect himself
| But hardly had he stepped outside the NoOi '-
| he weakened. What, after all. was Sls0 as So--
pared with his life? He went back into uns nO-1. -
and took ten $40 bills from his sock and Went %.
/ again. lie walked to the cross roads ana tueNS- -
L fba
| behind a tree TO see what would happen. !"
minute or so he laid his shotgun on the s'0---
and stole slowly toward the hat stone u,o-.' 80 -
cautiously around. he lifted the stone P'NI !,
the 500 and slipped it into his pocAe'' VIZ"
| cruel Italian chucle OF glee- -.
AT that moment his stanch scotch ha'u1 =,
/ belled Never would he be robbed in this n''H-'- ~
! With a cry OF anger he dashed for the sAO' -
and at the very moment that he laid MS manu- -
it his left hand drew the trigger Then e"S-s~ s ~
/ terrific struggle. in which his Italian NATURE - -.
/ the advantage. Try as he would he was aI"as. 80.
too close 70 himself 20 use the shotgun NoNo -
dagger was Just the weapon TO use at eI0so s-rr,
! ters With groan he dashed the sho'sU.' -
him. and closed in upon himself Again anu - -,
| he vrested the dagger from himself oh.N 70 - -
it wrested away again At length ne put -. - 4,
upon his chest. and pinned himself aoNn .,s1
seized his ear in hts teeth. and bit until ne S.s =,
for mercy. Then puttins his hand IN MS
pulled out the ten bills and put them IN AS 49,
pocket He had triumphed. ,-.
All the way home his proud Scotch a :,
glOated on this unequalled achievement, - - =
took his seat at his dinner table with Isss :. !,
great content He felt in hts pocket TO see N'-
the S1CO vas stin there. and IT was
THAT for the Black Hand" he cried sl'-s.
his fingers and he set 90 work devourins nls - -,
Suddenly he paused and a look OF Us IS x,t5
| araazenent came over his face he paNSe n.
his fork half way to his face. and stared a. y - "a
was eating spaghetti, Instantly he kneW W. -.,s :.
happened. In his terrific strugge with hilis-..
had mixed his two natures. and the ItaA-i ..,l I-
had tciumphed after an He had aHoWeN - AZ
20 take the 500 away from himself re N-
lowed himself TO Black Hand himself -, A,
| As he finished his meal he laughed "0'- a,
think how he had carried out his threat 80 :,
the same time the tears ran down his eheeN' .ar.
thought how he had been victimtzed. ~ =
TibIe thing 20 have two natures
/ Copyright. 1909. by W G. Chapman