The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-07-08

his private asylum lot the insane; We
were returning to his residence, and
he was on the point of relating to me
the peculiaE circumstances connected
with the case of one OF his patients.
Whom we had met, and who had
greeted us with an air of great con-
descension.
At that moment the sharp report
of pistol rang out in the still morn
sng air.
I grasped the arm of my host and
exclaimed:
What is that? Surely some one
of your patients is doing mischief"
Dr. Noirot smiled.
NO." said he, "be composed; it is
merely another singular case, which
will show you"
Diyerging to the left, he drew me
toward a small pavilion hidden behind
cluster of trees. He opened door,
and after proceeding along a narrow
ye5tibule, we reached a sort Of long
court, surrounded by high brick walls.
"A man was there, tall of stature, and
clothed in the costume of a hunter,
resembling. in certain details, the
habit of the Mexican cattle herder.
He Was reclining against one of the
walls Of the pavilion, and at the mo-
ment Of our arrival raised slowly the
right hand, in which was firmly
graspsd a pistol. Our arrival dis
turhcd him not. | followed the di-
recoion of the weapon, and l saw at
about fifteen PAGES n white head with
). 81 black hole in the centre of the
forehead. It was, as far as I was able
to judge at that distance, a mask Of
plaster of paris, skillfully executed,
and in which l seemed to be able to
distinguish resemblance to Diana
the huntress.
The shot was discharged. The head
remained intact.
See" said the doctor. at is most
remarkable; he never misses a shot"
rs it possible?" said I, half in
credulously.
"Yes, all the balls are lodged in the
same place-in that dark spot not
larger than an inch and a half in d.
ameter Scel"
The man had drawn another pistol
from his belt. He fired. The head
moved not. The weapon was a hand
some revolver, charged with several
shot, The marksman discharged
succcssivery FIVE other shots, none of
which DAMAGED the figure.
The doctor placed his hand upon
the shou der of the marksman, who,
turning toward him, revealed a face
adorned by heavy black beard, and
upoa which reposed an air Of deter
miGation and melancholy
stop Z. moment said'the doctor.
Tho man bowed assentirSly, and
the doctor then conducted me to the
end OF the court and behind the mask.
and showed me kind of blackancd
iron Plate which protected the wall
from beirg damaged by the bullets.
In the centre of the plate 1 observed a
round spot which glistened brightly
from the effects Of the lead which had
been battered in striking.
You see,' said the doctor, In
showing me the exact correspondence
of the brilliant spot and the hole
which passed through the plaster
! head, "all balls have entered here
You will find this to be true in every
Instance"
1T is indeed marvellous" replied
/. Bat what of his strange history?"
"Let us go. l will relate it to you
without
We traversed again the court and
the vestibule, and this is the strange
recital Of DR.. Ncirot, interrupted at
regular intervals by the detonatio1s
of the mad marksman's revolver:
That poor unfortunate is called
Guido Ventura. Whether Italian,
Spanish or American, is not certainly
known. American 1 should say, for
1t is from the United States these
masters of the rife and revolver
come. 1t was from there he came TO
France. You could have seen him
last season at the Alcazar d 'Automne,
where he had given four or five exhi-
hltions of dexterity, and would have
performed elsewhere had not impera-
tive reasons terminated abruptly his
representations.
Guido Ventura, when he arrived at
Paris, was accompanied by a young
lady, known professionally as Made
moiselle Arabelle. She was a mag
nificent creature, with the form OF
statue and the head of goddess. She
lacked not adorers, and in less than
week it became quite the fashion to
seethe superb Arabelle assist Ventura
IN his wonderful performances.
She performed splendidly, the arms
crossed, the face immovable, while at
hfteen PAGES Ventura leveled his pis-
tol, the bullets from which invariably
pierced card held between the
fingers, or broke the stem of COM
mon clay pipe, held between her
snowy teeth, and within a few inches
OF her lips. The browning feat was
the breaking of small glass ball
placed upon her head.
A single tremor of the hand of
Ventura, and-but the hand of Ven
aura never trembled.
Evidently Ventura loved this splen-
did woman with love approaching
idolatry. 1t sufflced to prove this to
see once the fierce fires which flashed
an his eyes when in, the green room,