The San Francisco call., 1909-06-06

~The game IS up If can beat them will either
meet you or send word to Paris otherwise you will
know that have ended life as began-a gentleman"
That my last word from Lutreau The men
who had tracked him down found him still wafm with
wound in his temple
And so was alone in filth ridden Cairo and did
not dare to even see that my poor friend decently
buried.
The packet contained 5000 and written directions
to how to get away from Cairo, and what to do
when reached Paris. He even gave me the number
of the pension and the name Mile Jardrin that
was to use. But not one word was there of his
past or his friends.
That a sorry time and journeyed to Paris
with heavy heart, and, not knowing what else to
do, went to the pension he directed lived there
for year, employing impoverished old gentle
woman as companion dressed in deep mourning,
and the cnshrouding veil was sufficient disguise And
then my evil star sionc cut again
Youth and high spirits arc hard enough iii them
selves subduc, but when one drops suddenly from
life keyed to the highest pitch of excitement to a
drab existence mischief is sure to brew.
| missed Lutreau, his companionshp was vital
thing charged with infinite variety. Mime. DranoA
old sometimes querulous, and always self-ecr-
tered to the material side of life She weared me.
and the reaction threw me in the way of M. Duvigc,
who lived at the pension Possibly IS, he was very
good looking and exceedingly gay and arnusing( He
evinccd the hveliest admiration for and my crys-
tazed sensibities did not warn me to look beyond
his surface -
We became good comrades and life
showed to me its lighter phase will pass over the
froth that characterized this period. Jolly com
panions and outings put end to Nine. Dranon, and
/ found myself under Duvigne's protection.
AS had no business acumen did not look to the
future think what would happen when Lutreaus
legacy spent. Duvignc had no occupation, living
by chance, and so it was not long before he was
sharing my money.
had lived an honest life after Lutreaus death,
and though | had never weighed the question to
whether would take up my old profession, my
wits were as keen ever
Frequently amused the visitors who came to our
apartment with exhibitions of my sleight of hand
tricks. The cleverness of my work suggested to Du-
vignc that might work in vaudeville He arranged
all the details and made my debut. My act went
we'll, and later on engaged to go with troupe
of French players to New York.
Duvigne went with We opened in New
York vaudeville house, but VIC did not make HIT and
after two weeks we went to pieces
Then Duvigne deserted me, taking every cent OF
my money except $50
l was alone in New York. entirely friendless
Finally when almost reduced to starvation, pro-
cured the position of companion to an elderly woman
who semi-invalid. For two years my life
dragged along in deadly monotony The woman died
in Chicago. She had made will in the form of a
few paragraphs, signed by two witnesses. copied
the thing verbatim, changing the of the bene-
fciary to my
My work we'll done and would have passed
muster, but, alas for my plan she had made dupli-
cate one, the same date, that witnessed by a
notary in addition to the other two witnesses and
then placed it in the keeping of a lawyer
There is to dwell the details of the
investigation that finally landed me in the penitentary
under sentence for FIVE years. Nor will / write of
that dreadful time, when the days passed in cease
less monotony. My hands caoused with the drudg-
cry and my soul shrveled with the hopelessness.
My sentence committed and again | was con-
fronted with the problem of how to live The prison
matron sent to a woman in Chicago who looked
after convict who had no friends. She found
employment for these and helped them to the right