Wichita eagle., 1888-06-15
ed the house and went up stars 90

tered Inc mouse anu WenI up SttsiS w
bed
Five days later stood upon the deck OF
the Imam steamship City of Berlin. which
was lying in the Mersey, off Birkenhead-
The passengers were ell aboard, and an
hour would find Us steaming down the
channel, with New Brighton on the lee.
had deposited the good sized portman-
teau which carried in the little room as
signed me, and was standing beneath an
awning near the mizzenhatch ccnversmg
with Chief Officer Charles Robinson, when
some one tapped me upon the shoulder.
turned, to behold a man attired in q
tall hat fashionable light suit. with a
massive gold chain hiding the expanse OF
white silk vest.
II would like TO see you for moment,
he said, pleasantly.
followed him aft to the taffrail, where
he halted.
Now" said he, in very different tone
of voice, 81 would Hike to know who is
accompanying you to American
mo one. l replied, promptly.
'sAre you sure" he went on sternfy,
that you have no friend on board here
some one whom you are trying to sInuggle
out of England"
NO" | retorted simply, 81 have not"
What made you act SO suspiciousiy in
London continued the gentleman.
''In what way?" / asked with sudden
start. l could feel my blood growing
cold.
do you remember the night you went
TO Westminster-to the parliament man
sions?'
| must confess that I experienced
feeling of awe at that moment for the
English police department.
Il presume" | said, with a little lau gh.
THAT you mistake me for dynami ter
But had you been as careful In looking up
my good qualities you would have ssceT-
tanned that [ simply came to England to
visit relatives and enjoy myself"
Then the gentleman grew very plesSant
again and impaired to me in strict conf
dence the opinion Of certain London de-
tective that | was great pedestrian He
even went SO far as to point out the varl-
GUS places Of interest on the Birke1ihead
shore. until at last he suddenly ex cused
himself for moment, he said
That was the last saw of him. As the
tender steamed off simultaneously with
the disappearance supposed he was one
of it's passengers. But now for the
strange incident.
When | awolse next morning found
Queenstown harbor fading IN the dis lance
Il brisk wind was blowing and | sue denly
remembered cloth helmet which | had
purchased in London to wear during the
trip across l ran down to my cabin and
opened the portmanteau- But VIII ere was
the cloth helmet? l distinctly remem-
bered to have packed it away on top Of
my clothing just before leaving Forest
Gate, so that it would be at hand when [
needed it. After removing few articles
l found it wedged up on one side of the
portmanteau But how did it get there?
Everything was disarranged- This was
not the way had packed up my things
before leaving London.
| saw it all nowl While that detective
had kept me engaged in conversation, as
the City of Berlin was lying in the Afer-
sey, others had gone down into my room
and overhauled the contents Of my valisa
They had hoped to find some evidence to
confirm the suspicion which a foolish
whim of mine had caused to be cast upon
me.
At the last moment they had thrown
web about me-a web which would have
drawn the guilty to the scaffold--Phila-
delphia Press.