ttfBzaKk.
A BIT OF
WAX
A Diabolical
Plot
The Story of "Mrs.
r
R
escue
By M. QUAD
Copyright, 19H, by Associated Lit
erary Press,
Dy WILLARD DLAKEMAN
By MARGARET C DEVEREAUX
J
7
I liml gone out to Indln to Bervc as
an accountant lu u banking house; but,
becoming homesick, I decided to return
to America. A few days before I sail
ed the bend of the Arm called me Into
his private olllce and told mo that u
client of the house desired that 1 carry
for him to Boston a valuable sapphire,
lie would pay uie handsomely for Its
delivery In that city.
I needed the money and accepted the
commission. 1 called for It the day I
sailed, wearing a coat with a pocket
In the lining, lu which the sapphire
was sewed by an Indian woman who
was called lu for the purpose, though
she did nut see the contents of the
pocket or know that there was a pock
et there.
My route was by Aden, the Awz ca
nal, the Mediterranean and over the
Atlantic to New York, quite a long
tourney and all In the same vessel. I
made the acquaintance of an Ameri
can lady, Mrs. (Illletto. whose maid
was a young Indian woman. The lady
told me that shortly before she sailed
the woman Susan she was called, be
cause her Indian name Avas hard to
pronounce hearing that she was In
tending to sail for America, came and
begged her to take her with her as her
maid, with no compensation except
paying for her passage. The lady,
who was subject to seasickness and
wished some one to wait on her, con
sented. Mrs. Gillette was 111 in rough
weather, but well on a smooth sea.
Susan took very good care of her.
Since I had told no one that I car
ried a valuable gem and no one ex
cept myself and the man through
whom it came to mo knew where it
was I felt very little fear of losing it.
I simply wore the coat in which It was
sewed by day and used it for a pillow
by night, so that It was always either
en my back or under my head. But
one thing occurred during the voyage
to causo mo to suspect the possibility
of any one being on my track. One
day when about to enter my state
room I noticed something white not
as big as a pea on the floor directly un
der the lock. 1 have no idea what in
duced me to pick it up, but I did so
and. crushing it between my thumb
and forefinger, found it to be wax.
Could any one have been taking an
impression of the lock on my state
room door? 1 dismissed the sugges
tion at once as farfetched.
AVc had left Gibraltar and were
Hearing the Azores when one morning
t awoke with a head swimming sen
sation. I smelled a peculiar odor In the
room. 1 put up my hand to grasp my
coat, for I felt that my head was with
out support, and was horrified to find
the coat was not there. I arose nud
looked about the room for it as best 1
could, but it was not in the room. 1
tried the door and found it locked.
The key 1 had concealed under my
mattress. It was where I had placed it.
The remembrance of the bit of wax I
had found came back to me as the
only clew to this robbery. If an im
pression had been made for a key the
key must have been made aboard the
ship. It could not have been filed j
without the filing being heard. Doubt- l
less it had been made in the ship's
workshop. 1 went below and asked ,
the man in charge of the metal work
ing shop if he had been called to make
a key. He said that ho bad not, but,
after some thought, said that one of
the stewards had been in the shop
filing something. He remembered the
steward, and wo found lilm.
I reported the matter to the captain,
who called the steward before him
and obtained a confession that lie had
been tipped by n lady's maid to do
some filing on a key. When called
upon to identify the lady's maid he
pointed out-Mrs. Gillette's Indian girl,
Susan.
Before Susan got wind of the mat
ter a stewardess took her in charge and
another went through her effects.
My coat was found among them, but
the sapphire was missing. We were
obliged to tie a rope around Susan,
threatening to put her overboard, be
fore she broke down and told us where
she had concealed it.
No blame whatever was attached to
Mrs. Gillette. She had not the slightest
conception that her maid was not only
a thief, but had entered her service
knowing that she was about to leave
for America on the same steamer as
I and believing that I carried the sap
phire. This is tho explanation of how Su
san acquired tlds information. She
had been chambermaid in the hotel
where the owner of tho sapphire stay
ed and had suddenly entered the room
and had seen him handling It. She
had .watched him and had seen him
go to the bankers. There she had suc
ceeded In making tho acquaintance of
tho woman who had done the sew
ing on my coat. This was enough.
A brother of hers had got from the
passenger list of the steamer on which
I was to sail the names of several
ladies. Susan had gone to each of
these ladies, proposing lo go with her
as maid, and lind been successful with
Mrs. Gillette
Susan v;m kept In Umbo to tho end
if iin, vovneo. when I went ashore. I
learned afterward that sho was taken
back to India, being made to do menial
work on the return voyage. What be
came of her after reaching India I do
not know,
Tho Incident convinced mo that tho
natives of Asia are very shrewd.
A lady and a gentleman stood on the
deck of an ocean liner about to depart
for the Mediterranean.
"Upon my word," said tho latter. "If
there Isn't my old chum Dick Thurs
ton coming nboard loaded down with
hand baggage. I haven't seen him In
four years. He's going ncross, sure.
I wish I were going."
"Introduce him. He'll serve to light
en the ennui during the voyage."
"I'll do It on bne condition."
"What condition?"
"That you go for him. I'll let him
think you're my wife Instead of my
cousin, and you must keep tip tho de
ception. He's always prating about
honor in not making love to a friend's
wife and all that sort of thing, while
I claim that if a woman can get a man
In love with her she can turn him
over to Satan, body and soul. Ho you
agree?"
Miss Katherlne Mary weather in her
heart snapped at the Idea, but she oc
cupied the few minutes to spare In de
claring that she would do no such
abominable thing. Thurston was
brought up and Introduced lo her,
Frank Waters having given him the
Impression that he had been married !
since they had met and ho wished him
to take charge of his wife for tho voy
age. "Remember," said Dick, giving his
cousin n parting kiss, much to tho
envy of Thurston.
"I'll remember nothing." was the re
ply. Miss Maryweather was an uncon
scionable flirt, and this request of her
cousin especially appealed to her. She
had brought many a man to her feet,
as Waters well knew, but she had not
experienced the zest attending making
a man a traitor to an Intimate friend.
As to deliberately stating to Thurston
that she was Waters' wife, she re
pelled such a sin with horror; she
would merely suffer him to suppose
she was.
Alio voyage fuusuuiL'u nuiv ..-,
during which the weather was delight-
The voyage consumed twelve days
ful, the sea smooth, and all were on
deck every day and moonlight nights
from start to finish. Before the vessel
reached the Azores Thurston's con
science was troubling him dreadfully.
At Gibraltar he made a weak effort to
leave the ship and do the rest of the
journey by land. The night before
reaching Naples he seriously contem
plated jumping overboard. lie had
not offcuded, indeed, against bis old
friend, but lie had been criminal In
word and thought up to his chin. Miss
Maryweather had bewitched him.
Once ashore, he righted himself and
tied fled to Rome, where he had in
tended to remain a month. But, fear
ing that the supposed Mrs. Waters
would be coming up that way, he lit
out for Florence. Indeed, he never
stopped till he reached Lucerne.
Frank Waters had mode arrange
ments to join his cousin at a summer
resort on Lake Thun, and they met
there In July.
"Well?" said Frank inquiringly.
"Well what?"
"Did you break down Thurston's
self respect?"
"Certainly not. Mr. Thurston is a
very honorable man."
"Since you don't seem disposed to
tell me what happened I'll ask Dick."
"He'll tell you nothing."
"Won't he? Do you mean that he
will lie about it?"
"He needn't lie. He can simply re
fuse to tnlk."
"I won't ask him. I'll charge him
with all sorts of dishonorable things,
and he won't deny them."
"Such ns"-
"I'll say, 'Dick, you'vo been making
love to my wife?' "
"What else?"
" 'In a moment of weakness you
proposed to her to leave me and take
iqi wRh you.' "
"If you accuse him of sucli a thing
I'll never speak to you again."
"I won't do it if you assure mo ho
didn't."
"You had no business to introduce
him to me, letting him suppose I was
your wife."
1 "Why didn't you disabuse him?"
I "Why didn't I? Why, because"
He looked at her with an amused
smile, then continued:
I "Dick Thurston is a mighty good
friend of mine. When I saw him go
ing aboard the ship in which you, sail
ed I knew you would expect nn Intro
duction; that you would flirt him all
tho way over and send him off with
tho rest of them on reaching Italy.
What I did I did for his protection."
"How for ids protection?"
"In the first place, If he believed
you to be my wife It might help him
to resist you. In tho second, If you
succeeded you would bo so tangled up
In your deceptions that you could be
managed. I'm going to confess tho
matter to him my past and yours."
"You'll do no such thing!"
"What shall I say to him? He Is
ot Lucerne, and I'm going to run down
there tomorrow to see him."
"What shall you do? Why. let him
discover that I'm not your wlfo with-
( out saying anything about your detest
able plot."
"Or yours."
This thrust was received in silence.
"If I do as you say will yon treat
hi t honorably In future?"
"Yes. I will:"
Tho former Miss Maryweather
now Mi-. Thurston.
Is
We were between tho Azores and
Madeira, bound for a port In tho West
Indies, In tho American ship Ben Joyce
when a curious thing happened one
morning about an hour before day
light. I was digging my eyes and
fighting away sleep when a curious
sound from over the bows caught my
ear. As I listened to the noise the
only thing I could compare It to was
the noses of sharks bumping up
against a small boat. It would have
been ridiculous to call to the mate and
glvo him any such wild explanation,
but I finally called his attention to the
curious noises and left the cause to his
own perception.
"There's a raft or a boat out there,"
ho said after a moment, "and the noise
may be made by oars. I'll bum a port
fire."
The port lire lighted up the sea for
a hundred feet around, and the first
thing we saw was a ship's boat within
forty feet of us on the port bow. In
the bottom of tho boat were two hu
man figures, and one of them was a
woman, and all around the boat the
sea was alive with sharks. As soon as
we caught sight of the boat the mate
rnn to call the captain. By the time
the captain arrived the boat bad drift
ed right down against us. and one of
tile crew- lowered himself Into her and
made fast the painter. Then I got
down to assist him, and we passed up
the bodles-the man first. We might
Just as well have dropped him Into the
sea, for ho had been dead for twenty
four hours at least. He was recogniz
ed by all as a sailor. As we picked up
the woman, having not n doubt that
she was dead also, sho moved and ut
tered a groan. We had her on board
after n couple of minutes, and the
small boat, which was a captain's gig,
now and without n name, was later
hoisted up.
The woman awoke to find herself
aboard of a strange ship, with strange
men around her. She was a handsome,
well formed woman. English In looks
- - - p
leh and about thirty yeais of
age. iiiT npiuuvi hd niit ..in ..'ji
but she wore no jewelry and had
neither a purse nor a cardcase. When
asked how sho came to be at sea In
the gig, what her name was, If she
had visited Madeira or the Azores, if
she lived in Fngland, she could tell
nothing. She began a new life when
she opened her eyes In the cabin of
the Joyce. After three or four days
both cabin and fo'castlo came lo tho
same conclusion, which was this: The
sailor must have been rowing the
woman off to a ship or from a ship
to shore at some of tho Islands.
That's the way wc figured it out.
and It looked reasonable enough, and,
of course, the right tiling to do was
to leave the woman at Trinidad and
report tho case as widely as possible.
Queerly enough, she fought and bullied
this plan. Our captain was a good
looking man, and. feeling that she
owed him her life and doubtless being
rather romantic by nature, what did
she do but fall in love with him! That
Is only half the story. He fell head
over heels lu love with her. The posi
tion was most embarrassing for lilm.
1 however. All of us agreed that the
woman was or mm been a wue,
i though she had no finger ring to prove
it. I think he saw things as an honor
able man should, and yet be could not
help loving her. AVhen wo reached
Trinidad he notified the English coit-
sul. placed the woman In tho house
hold of a friend and then sailed for
the port of New York.
Tho story of our picking up tho liv
ing and the dead was published far
and wide. Tho publication of that
story all over the world did not solve
the mystery. No husband came for
ward; no relatives wrote.
When three years had elapsed and
still no news had come the two were
married. The woman bad not recovered
one single point of memory. She was
a stranger to herself. She had no
country, no relatives, no name except
by chance. After marriage the cap
tain left the sea nnd went Into the
ship chandlery business in Brooklyn.
Ono evening two years after tho wed
ding the captain of an English tramp
steamer Just In called to ask for some
information. He complained of not
being well, and, one thing leading to
another, he llnnlly related a tale of
woe. Several years before, while his
ship was at the Azores, bis wife, who
had been sent nshoro In the morning,
attempted to return about nightfall,
just as a squall was coming up. The
boat upset, and the occupants were
lost. They found neither tho boat nor
the bodies, but there was no doubt
of the calamity. The loss of the wife
so affected the husband that ho was 111
of brain fever for months, and ho had
never read a line of her rescue in mid
ocean. There was the husband at last,
and Captain Clark realized that ho had
rights before lilm. They wero alone in
the olllce. and perhaps lie thought of
Killing tho man who had eomo to break
up his happy home. It was only a
stop to the edge of tho slip, and per
haps he thought of suicide as the best
way out. Tho climax was a curious
one. but In keeping. Tho strange cap
tt.ln. who hail given his name as Burke.
i ..'.'-Hif.' at Captain Clark In a puz
zled way and wondering why ho should
bo so affected by the story when a
yacht anchor swinging from a heam
abovo his head parted Its fastenings
ami foil upon lilm and crushed him to
tho Moor. and. though he did not dlo
. : .. ;i . nnror ipoUo again
Scene from "The Deep
28th. Prices 50c, 75c, and
from 2Jto 5 p. m. Friday and
i!fwi!Fiuwvirri!Tiifwwmwwmwwi!fi!rwwwri!Fi!fi!rw!frwrwwi!rwwiwwwrwFin
1 POULTRY -POULTRY 1
EZ !G3KSiaEHBH
A Chance to Sell Your Surplus Hens. 3
sr: For one week ending Saturday, March 28th, we will pay you SPOT CASH 3
nriirmTTflnriTiMi
s eaEEaasEzaffigffsga
The Highest Market Price Paid for Live Hens in North Platte, Remember 3
SZ this price is good for this week only. Brinq them in today. JIS
w mmmm
I North Platte Produce Company. j
.Reliable Electric Service..,
For Light For Heat
will moke North Platte grow and grow fast.
1
Already you have seen signs of heller thing for North
Platte, with the prospect of High Class Electric Service.
Co-operate with ns, work with ns, anil let its aid in
the fabt growth of North l'lalle.
North Platte Electric Co.
Wilms Todd, I 'res.
Perfection Oil
- IZgZrlbr? Jiliwl f
I
Standard Oil Company
(MBU IIABKA)
Purple'' at the Keith Theatre
$1.00. Seats on sale at box
Saturday.
MI
LIVE
C. U. Mouby Mgr.
for Incubators
is the best. It burns
clean and evenly no
chance of smoke or
soot. It makes steady
burning certain. It's
the incubator oil with
out a risk. It's clean
tank wagon oil, not
barrel oil.
Dealer! everywheie.
Qmaiia
Saturday evening, March
office each evening and
A POUND FOR 1
HENS
irir:gmgEiffirAW4y'a.wm
Twentieth Century Club
Date of Meetings.
Central mcetlnjr, cecum Tuesday In crn.li month
at library building.
Clvlo Department, first nnd third Thursday
uvcnlngs ot t'licli month nt library building.
Literary Department, on each nltcrnnto Tuesday
a'ternoon beginning January zuin.
Domestic Scicnco Department, rucli alternate
Monday afternoon beginning January 2Gth.
Music Department, fit stand third Friday after
loan ot inch mouth.
Olllce Phono -110 Res. Illk G52
Bertha E. Mangon, M D.
Physician and Surgeon
Dosoasea of Women and Chlldron n'SpocUIty
NOItTH PLATTE, NEIl.
Now IcC:ibo Hlbg.
John S. Sim ims
Physician and Surgeon.
Officu In Kolth Thoatro Building
Special Attention given to Obstetrics
and Diseases of Women
OincoSOa l'HONKS Itcsldenco 88
Cattle and Hogs
WANTED.
Sell your Cattle and Hogs to
Julius Mogensen, No. Platte.
Hgiuest cash prices paid. Office
open day and night in North Side
Barn. First class horse nnd auto
livery in connection.
Phone No. 29.
Let Broeker Do It
AVhen your clothing needs cleaning
and pressing or repairing, let Broeker
do it; the man who has buen doing that
class of work in North Plntte for over
thirty years. Ladies' as well as men's
garments are cleaned, pressed and re
paired; in fact this shop does anything
from sewing on a button to making you
a suit that is guarranteud to fit and give
satisfaction.
Broeker's Tailor Shop,
Entrance North of the Nyal Drug Store
