St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1892-05-21

when, if at all, would they make
themselves known to me?
For the answer to this question 4
had to wait, and you can imagine
how miserable the waiting must have
been-for whole week. And then
there came only half a revelation. L
was leaning over the rail Of the sa-
loon deck, forward, gazing down up
on the thickly-crOwded and cOn1ln-
ing space Of the deck below, which
was appropriated to the steerage
PASSENGERS. Suddenly | heard low
:: Hist!'' beneath me, and scrap OF
paper, rolled into ball, fell at my
feet. Picking it up and opening 1t, L
read:
Not down here. He must be in
the cabin. Keep your eyes open.
And in the lower left-hand corner
of the paper | saw. pricked out with
a pin, the form of Il Maltese cross,
the pin-holes corresponding in num-
Der with the stones and cOral5 IN my
mysterious scarf pin.
OF course it was hopeless to THINK
of looking for the sender or TINS
strange missive, nor did L make any
ATTEMPT to do so. | felt, however,
that | should receive more OF these
communications, and, as you will see,
[ was right.
The saloon-deck Of the Circassienne
was separated from the intermedl-
ate" deck only by a rope stretched
across. and while the intermediate
passengers were careful, as a rule,
not to trespass beyond this barrier,
we Of the saloon often walked and
talked with them on their side OF the
rope, where the deck, being almost
clear Of membranes really made a
finer promenade than our own.
Sauntering up and down on this part
of the deck one evening ABOUT III
o'clock. [ was accosted by a man
whom [ had observed with some GU
riOsity more than once. he was
dressed as clergyman of the Church
Of England, and was tall and slight,
with thin, ascetic face; but there
was a certain sharp foX-lil1e look
about his eyes that produced in ine
an instant aversion to him. This
man now came up to me, and bend
ing down, said, in a sharp whisper:
Hes not travelling intermediate ;
look out for him among your lot
And then, half drawing off one OF
his gloves, he pointed to his hand, on
which I could see, by the light from
the smOke-rOOm door standing open
behind us, a diamond ring-its stones
set in the form Of a diminutive Nal
teSe cross.
Before could answer he was
gone.
An examination of the way-bill,
which 7 made Immediately after this
interview, did not help me much.
The Rev. Erastus Leigh, bound from
sydney to Cheltenham, via Marsellles
and London, might be anybody.
And the mystery was as far from So
luton as ever.
The rest Of the voyage was I'M
eventful: if, indeed, any period OF
time could be called uneventful
which was passed in continual sus-
pense. in waiting for some impending
event. which seemed to hang like
Damocles' sword above my head,
and still delaying its fall.
We were but one day out from
MarseilIes, and all had gone we'll SO
far, when, in dressing for dinner, |
happened to notice that the diamond
scarf-pin was missing from my bag.
Tat once rang for Gustav, and asked
him whether he knew anything Of it.
To my surprise he looked carefully
I'D and down the passage, without
speaking, then entered my cabin,
! and shut and bolted the door.
.Listen.'' he said and there was
an insOlent familiarity in his voice
"You don't want that pin no longer
| and you might make mischief il you
had it. When I've done this days
work, you'll find the pin; anyways
YOU shall have it back before you
leave the ship.
but why not now" I asked
mystitied beyond measure, beginning
to be Il little frightened.
Zoos you might show with i
again, as you did that first morning
P'raps he might see it. Why, you
amt safe to trust with a business o
this kind. Who gave you you
mark? GOrkolf 20
" My mark -
Eyes; your Bridegroom pin. Wh(
admitted you %
Good gracious, mani" [ cried il
amaZement. What Oh earth do 20,
mean? No one admitted me, a
you call it. No one gave me that pin
I bought it myself i'll a shop"
Whe-e-w!' He gave vent to ;
long, low whistle of surprise. "Ihel
you haven 't-It-it must be his =
And with one bound he was out O
m Y cabin, and flying down the pas
sage.
Well, this beat all that had gon'
before! | was more mystitied than
ever: but, through all my Whirlin!
thoughts, one fact began to make it
self clear to me- [ must do some
thing, and at once! [ had waited to-
long, far too long, already. Gustav
allusions to admission" to "badg
es,' his mention Of this days work
and business of this kind'-the,
could but point to some conspiracy
perhaps some crime. Yes, the yer.
| instant dinner was over, L would g
and lay the whole business before
the captain.
When [ got to the saloon, [ noticed
that strange steward stood behin'
my chair. also that Mrs. Charter
was at table, but not her husband.
Afer dinner had gone on for a few
minutes:
"Mr. Stone," she said, would
trouble you to 60 to our cabin an
tell my husband that we have begu1
dinner? I can't think why he hasn'
come in. [ know he heard the bel
because I was with him when !
rang"
The small te-cabin which tn
Charterises occupied was at the eX
treme end OF a long passage, on tn
starboard side Of the ship, while min
was on the port side. Hence it too
me a minute or two to find the RICH
cabin-No. At. Then [ knocked
dinners waiting, Charters, an
your wife's sent me to tell YOU
What with the creaking of tn
| b,,lIybaoIc and the t.l1,ttnr of th