Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-09-05
A sMUGGLER,s ROMANTIC YARN.
How u Seaman, Now n Merchant in New
York., Won His Beautiful Bride.

nearly opposite cooper nsItuU
and look up at the crayon portrait Of a
beautiful woman's face. Most people sup
pose it is an advertisement for some brand
of cigarettes, but it is not. Express
involuntary admiration; that will be
natural, and offer to buy it. You can
safely do this, for the gray-haired gentle
man behind the counter will c%ourteously
but firmly say you may, even while be
produces a private box, ~unstamped, but
containing an article which you will smoke
with delight. Then, if you are a good
listener and appear sociable, he will, or at
least he did the other evening, remark that
every mans life has its romance, and that
he is not as old as he looks. He looks al
least fifty years, Lut his dark eyes are
bright, and his strong, shapely hands are
white and smooth as a boys.
Twenty years ago, just after the war;
he said, putting that unstamped cigar box
out of sight, tho CustOm-house was just
getting down to work, trying to make up
for years Of generalization. The popular
idea in regard TO smuggling was more lib,
eral than now, and the President might
have imported his brides trosseau and
cargo of whisky and cigars for the White
House without stirring up the entire press
of the country. | was Captain OF the Car
men, a three-masted schooner, trading be-
tween this port and Havana. 1t was just
such a Icool August night as this that
the Carmen lay becalmed of Barnegat on
her trip south. We lay about q mile from
the Jersey coast. 1t was almost dark when
| heard a mans voice hail us. Suddenly
rowboat bumped our side, and a hatleS,
individual scrambled aboard with a wild
glare in his eyes and a big diamond in his
shirt front. He unhitched the diamond
and handed it to me with the remark
will this pay my passage 10 the port you
are bound for?" The stone was worth
81, 900 fit was worth anything, and, as the
breeze was springing up, | called it a bar
gain.
Il landed the fugitive in Havana ant
lost sight of him for nearly a year. One
day, however, he came aboard the Carmen
Just as l was making ready for New York
He introduced himself as Don EScoaces,
He said he was getting rich rs a tobacco
grower, and felt that he owed everything
to me. | told him that our accounts wert
squared. and asked after the sweetheart ht
said he had left behind him.
That was what he wished to see me about,
Would | take a parcel and deliver 1t 10 hel
hands al the Brunswick Hotel? 1t con
tanned 4 present of great value, and ht
begged that none hut the lady herself open
it. The NAME, Mrs. Agnes AnStruther,
was OH the wrapper. Having presented
me with a richly carved rosewood box con
tanning fifty cigars at least seven inches
long and of the choicest leafin the market,
Mr.. Don EscoacoS left me with the mys'
FERROUS package. The trip North was
stormy. Strangely enough, found myself
living off garnegat in a dead calm on the
very anniversary of my night adventure
with the man whose message of love | had
voluntarily undertaken. | had been won,
dering all during the voyage how | should
cOntrive to smuggle the package unopened
through the custOmhOuSe. Doubtless II
it contained jewels, and was pride rather
than a spirit of daring that tempted me tC
take 4 desperate chance.
Leaving the Carmen in command of the
first mate with orders not To await my re-
turn, | had the small boat lowered and
pulled ashore, determined TO run the
blockade of the revenue patrol. | had the
package belted under my shirt. No soon,
er had | hauled up on the beach than !
was hailed by four uniformed pickctS. ]
scaled the cliff and escaped Il pistol bullet
by accidentally stumbling headlOng. Tive
of the patrol gave chase, and the other
two seized the boat and rowed for the
Carmen. l learned afterwards that q
breeze sprang up Just in time for her tC
escape them. | ran Us | never ran before
or since through the woods along m occa'
siOnal piece of road, lodging behind fence.
and tOrding streams, and all the while
those two human hounds halloed in my
track, splitting lead after me and ~arouSing
a hundred farm dogs. Once in the moon.
light they succeeded in hitting me. See
that scar on my neck? But ! eludcd them
before midnight and reached jersey City
shortly before daylight TO be arrested fol
an escaped BURGLAR, for whose capture :
reward was offered
81 got ont of that scrape by acknowl
edging that ! was only a tramp who haC
got a bullet in a h]en-rOOSt and lay in the
hospital a whole week. On being released
| GOT a new suit of clothes, 4 Turkish bath
and fattered myself on my pale and inter
csting appearance. The clerk of tht
brunswick Hotel sent up TO my lady III,
note of Standardization ! wrote will
trembling hand. She would SEE me, ant
opened the door herself. What a vision 0
lOvelinesS she was! Mutely ! gave her tn,
package, and she courteouSly insisted tina
| take some refreshment and a little courage
before gratifying her curiosity. told my
story, and her soft, white hand tendcrl,
touched the livid scar, that testified 10 IL
veracity. so interest became she in III,
adventure that | had turned Ia 90 before
the seal upon the struggled souvenir Inn
been broken. She opened il with her bacl
toward me. Suddenly she uttered a low
cry, half turned and fell in a dead swOOn
The package, for the S%anctity of which
had risked my life, contained, not dia
mOnds, only a number of old letters. On,
was not so old. 1t read:
DEAR MAnAM-As | have Just beer
married to a Cuban maiden, whose Low,
may enable NE TO forget my diShOnerabl'
past. l feel compelled TO return theS,
leaves from the book of memory, and 4
free you from the allegiance they protest
| cannot ask you forgiveness, because
can not forgive myself"
There was the noise Of carriage wheels
che curb in front of the music store, ant
the prematurely old smuggler, and tObac
conist stopped talking and began to clos
mp for the night. His auditor, still il
suspense, saw a beautiful face at the car
riage window.
Who is she?" he was asked.
"Oh, that is my wife. She Away
comes after me. There is herportrait. He
name is Agnes
Femenine Amenities.
The Jadge.
Old beauty Ito young onel-"HO'
charmingly your new maid does your hair
She makes il look rs if You had quite
good suit
Wanna baauty Ito old onet-"SeS. WI