The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1915-08-13
My enemies, Who are thew"

present must remain SO. But if you
doubt your peril, watch" and taking
the rusty fire-tongs from the CRATE he
carefully placed them on end in front
OF the deep old armchair in which |
had sat, and then allowed them to fall
against the edge of the seat, springing
quickly back as he did so.
IN an instant a bright blue flash shot
through the place. and the irons fell
aside, fused and twisted out of all
recognition.
! stood aghast, utterly unable for the
moment to sufficiently realize how
narrowly | had escaped DEATH
Look! See here, behind" cried the
Italian, directing my attention to the
back legs of the chair, where, on bend
ing with the lamp, saw, to my sur.
prise, that two wires were connected,
and ran along the floor and out of the
window, while concealed beneath the
ragged carpet, in front of the chair,
was a thin plate of steel, whereon my
feet had rested.
Those who had so ingeniously en-
ticed me to that gloomy house of death
had connected up the overhead electric
light main with that innocent looking
chair and from some unseen point had
been able to switch on a current of
sufficient voltage to kill fifty men.
| stood stock-still, not daring to
move lest | might come into contact
with some hidden wire, the slightest
touch of which must bring instant
death upon me-
Your enemies prepared this ter
rible trap for you." declared the man
who was once my trusted servant
When | entered into the affair | was
not aware that it was to be fatal. They
gave me no inkling of their dastardly
intention. But there is no time to adj
nit of explanations now, signore," he
added breathlessly, in low desperate
'OiSC. ods lHoI Sou Will iol pleJuu6C
me-" he pleaded earnestly.
Il 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 are stopped. then
use your revolver. Don't hesitate. In
a moment they will be here upon you"
But who are they, Olinto? You
must tell me-" cried in desperation.
"Dio! Go! Col" he cried. pushing
me violently towards the door Fly,
or we shall both die--both of usl Run
downstairs. must make feint OF
dashing after you"
| turned, and seeing his desperate
eagerness, precipitately fed, while he
ran down behind me, uttering fierce
imprecations in Italian, as though |
had escaped him.
A man in the narrow dark passage
attempted to trip me up as ran, but l
fired point blank at him, and gaining
the door unlocked it, and an instant
later found myself out in the street.
1t was the narrowest escape from
death that had ever had in all my life
surely the strangest and most re-
markable adventure. What, | won
dered, did it mean?
Next morning | searched up and
down Oxford street for the Restaurant
Milano, but could not find it. | asked |
shopkeepers, postmen and policemen;
| examined the London directory at
the bar of the Oxford Music hall, and
made every inquiry possible. But all
was to no purpose. No one knew of
such a place. There were restaurants
in plenty in Oxford street, from the
Frascati down to the humble coffee
shop, but nobody had ever heard of
the "Milano."
| drove over to Lambeth and wan |
dered through the maze of mean
streets off the York road, yet for the
life of me could not decide into which
house l had been taken. There were
a dozen which seemed to me that they
might be the identical house from
which l had so narrowly escaped with |
my life.
Gradually it became impressed upon
me that my ex-servant had somehow
gained knowledge that I was in Lon
don, that he had watched my exit from
the club, and that all his pitiful story
regarding Armida was false. He was
the envoy Of my unknown enemies, |
who had so ingeniously and so relent-
lessly plotted my destruction My un.
known enemies had secured the serv.
ices of Olinto in their dastardly plot to |
kill me. With what motive? i
That day did my business in the |
city with distrust 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 go |
to my death. | endeavored
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 0ld-world Tuscany,
and everyone who could be out of town
had left for the country or the sea.
Defeated in every inquiry, and my
business at last concluded in London,
went up to Dumfries on a duty visit
which | paid annually to my uncle, Sir