River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-05-28

4 next 70 MISS MerWln Win my carpet
bag. Had you looked IN the room you
would have seen me, but YOU probably
missed the key or thought it was lost. =
That is true; but"
Here is my warrant" he inter
rupted, handing me a paper. which, on
reading il by the lanterns light, | per.
eeived was signed document. appar-
emily from the proper authorities, in.
structing John Clews. the bearer, a de-
tective, to conceal himself aboard the
Hermione, and act as he might see III
IN his endeavor to detect the murderess,
Mrs Goungson. who, il was suspected.
was passenger in disguise aboard that
eel.
he is here. was his confident re-
when / remarked that there must
some mistake. Il have not watched
through the hole bored in the parti-
ton for nothing"
why, man. / cried aghast, ''she
cannot be the guilty one. She is limo
cenee itself-as artless as a child. Be
sides, she is very tall and young;
whereas l have been told that the muir
deress was much sho rter, and nearly
twice as old"
He laughed in way which to me was
indescribably disagreeable.
1T is not Miss Merwin / allude TO, >
he said You will remember that the
staterOOm of Miss Lorton is also next
10 mine"
WHAT ! exclaimed, almost as much
surprised as before, you suspect that
stout young lady who"
~ ! L L..
know her TO be the criminalr'
But she is young, plain and stout;
the accused woman was slender"
BAH he again interrupted "Dis-
guise, That will explain all 1t is
easy for a woman of that kind to make
herself look younger and stcuter than
she really is. Should we fall in with a
good Liverpool bound ship, shall ar
rest this woman and take her on board
Of it with me. / Will go back to my
room now. You may or may not see
me again before we sight a home
bound craft"
With that he glided like a shadow
into the cabin
Now, then, had something TO keep
me awake-to drive all thoughts of
III AAbiAA ~ dANNA
all, that woman-that terrible murder
ess-was aboard my ship.
/ began to walk the deck IN no pleas
ant frame of mind, and the morning
light stole around me before was
aware that the hour was so late.
When breakfast was ready in the cab
in. Miss Merwin was absent from her ac-
customed place at the table. During
the progress Of the meal, looked more
than once at Miss Lorton-the stout
young lady who the detective had posi-
lively asserted was Mary Youngson,
the POisoner.
The Quiet dignity and composure of
her manner the frank, honest express
sion of her face. and its undeniable
I plainness, seemed to me so natural. SO
real. that marvelled how the detective
contrived to penetrate through SO per-
/ feet a disguise
Feeling tired out after breakfast,
slept until near noon.
When ! went on deck. Tom was SUI
perintending the repairing of the
1 spanker-boom.
I 1T is very strange" he said to me,
uneasily, Miss Merwin has not yet
I shown herself"
/ The day wore on without our seeing
her. Even at supper-time she did not
make her appearance.
/ Tom looked pale and concerned. FL
nally he went and knocked at her door.
/ calling her name. There was no re-
| Spouse.
Il do not know what to make of ii, -
Z H.. fasha-fF
( he added. wildly. lis it possible she can
have suddenly died?"
Il don't think So" answered-"she
seemed to be in good health; and then
T thought to myself: Were it not that
we are where we are, and she differ
ent sort of person, might suspect that
she had absconded with your money"
/ As night approached, her nOn-ap-
/ pearance excited general comment, and
was advised to break open the door,
which was locked. l did SO, and we
found her room empty. Her trunk was
/ still there, but she was gone.
My son looked at me as pale as death.
My God, what can have become of
her?" he groaned.
In fact, il certainly was a very singu-
] lar case; and. coupled with my previous
I observation of the strange shortening
I of the young woman stature, it seemed
/ to me to partake almost of the super
natural
May she not have gone on deck last
night d fallen OverbOard?" inquired
one of the passengers.
.'Impossible.' l answered. 1T was
clear moonlight. l was on deck all
night; and. besides, l had good look
outs posted about the ship. The thing
could not have happened unknown to
Us"
{ We looked to see if we might not find
a note or something explanatory, but in
vain.
Then l ordered thorough search to
Z be made throughout the ship. This was
done; but no. she was not to be found,
I though every nook and corner was
/ looked into.
Then it occurred to me to speak to
the detective about IL; and, as soon as
could do so unobserved, / knocked at
his door. tie cautiously opened it, but
on seeing who was there he invited me
[ in
told him what had happened, not
even emitting to mention the sudden
change had previously noticed in the
young lady's height As proceeded,
I observed that his keen eyes seemed TO
I grow larger. while the thick beard that
covered the face of this singular man
kept twitching, as if every hair was in
stinct with life.
Give me time" he said. solemnly,
when had finished. land I will solve
this mystery. In few days l may be
able To do it-perhaps not for week. 3"
left him and went on deck. Tom
was there. looking so downcast and
I forlOrn that / resolved to acquaint him
with the presence of the detective, and
E tell him what he had said. and SO, per-
I haps. brighten him up little.
did SO. but my words had an effect
{ had not expected. Rejecting a mo-
ment. he cried out: Father. l believe
I that man is a humbug. But, whether
I he be a detective or not, l now suspect
I that he is thief and murderer; that
/ he knew of Miss Merwin's having that
I $, 600 bond. and that. in order to pos
sess himself of it, he has killed her and
/ thrown her body overboardr'
! l stared at him in amazement, and
told him l feared that his grief had dis
/ turbed his reason. How was it posi-
I ble, ! asked him, that the man could
+ have got the body overheard without our
b knowing it2