The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1889-08-21

nized the figure OF my patient, !oc-
cupying as secluded position as was
possible, evidently with the purpose OF
avoiding recognition. was positive
as to her identity, but something in
her shrinking manner caused me to
proceed again on deck without ap-
preaching her. Here was something
which related to the continued
wretched condition OF her health If l
could only unravel it, but If she pre-
ferred concealment | should certainly
make no endeavor to probe the mys-
terry.
business detained me for several
hours and then called at the cottage
for the last time, more, l will admit,
to crafty my curiosity than because l
deemed it necessary.
"Great was my surprise to find my
patient in a worse condition than that
in which l had left her upon the day
before and unable to arise from he1
couch.
"a troubled, half-frightened look as
| talked to her caused me to take
sudden resolution. / turned quickly to
her, saying: 1T must have been a
grave matter that caused you to cross
the ferry this morning in your present
state
"She made no answer, but locked
helplessly at me, her pale face flush
ing, then changing to a. ashen hue /
had spoken in a rather louder tone
than was necessary, not noticing that
the door leading into an adjoining
apartment was ajar until l perceived
the figure of a man standing in the
doorway.
elbow long has this thing been going
on? l asked, paying no attention to
the newcomer.
Direct your question to me, If you
please he said, coming forward, when
l at once recognized the grace and
courtliness of gentleman bred and
born.
This young lady is my patient
and as such am responsible to GER
tain extent for her recovery or re-
lapse, and consequently have right
to know what causes her protracted
illness, which l begin to believe is the
result of other such journeys as that to
which l was accidentally witness to-
day.
"Seeing that it was useless to con-
ceal the fact of her trip, he gave me,
after consultation with the young
lady, sketch of the facts surround
ing them which had so aroused my
curiosity.
"He stated that he had been engaged
in smuggling for some time, and the
fear of detection had been the cause
of his sisters anxiety and consequent
illness. He could not prevail upon
me to believe in his identity until he
donned the hunchback outfit and re-
appeared as the companion of my
trips across the ferry. Again and
again he declared that he had only es-
capped detection through being asso.
ciated with me, and that not trip
had been made in my society but that
the supposed physical deformity had
in reality been composed of jewels
and laces amounting in the aggregate
| to hundreds of thousands of dollars in
value; that this day was to be the last,
and his sister had been so agitated
with fear that at her earnest entreaty
he had sent carriage and she had
been driven to the landing, where she
had gone on board to be near him in
case of disaster. She had never gone
before, and NOW that he had left the
dangerous business she would doubt.
less rapidly recover.
1.-The young man explained the in.
genious pack which he had worn SC
long as a personal deformity, which
was fitted to a closely fitting con
trivance that is worn by real sufferers
from spinal disease while endeavorins
to produce cure, the straps and deli
cate springs and steels of which it was
fashioned enabling him to carry ;
weight scarcely guessed from its size
He also said that Immediately upor
her recovery he and his sister would
return at once to France, where b,
means of the money he had earned 81
dearly they would be enabled to liv,
in comfort. As a letter reached me
few weeks later telling me of their SAT-
arrival am released from my prom
Use OF secrecy, but in my future move
ments l shall be careful to not agail
be an innocent accessory to as gigantic
a fraud as delivering goods on boil
sides of well-watched, well-knowl
smuggling point. Chicago Times.