The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1893-04-07

&pproache0 by Q narrow passage B yarde
long running out of the saloon, in which,
as we passed through, | noticed the in
valid lady and her attendant being ush-
cred into q stateroom by the stewardess.
The stateroom was the nearest to the
goldroom passage fact which further
impressed upon me the hint given by the
| detective.
The captain opened the door of the
goldroom with his key, and my men de-
posted the boxes on the floor. Captain
Temple waited till l had dismissed them
and then stopped down in another cor
ner of the room and pulled at a small
tag Of wire that protruded through a
hole.
When he had got enough wire to make
a fair sized loop, he carried over one of
the boxes, put the loop of wire around
it and turned to me with a smile.
There, Dutton." he said. Nov, if
any one touches that box l shall know it
up on the bridge as soon as you will in
the saloon there-sooner, if You don't
happen to spot them going in"
complimented the skipper on his in
genuity, though | made the mental res
ervation that on occasions when l hap
pened to be on duty his electric bell
would never be used. did not mean to
take my eye off that passage during the
voyage. 81
The captain put the other box on the
top of the one to which the wire was at
tached. and after a last look round we
locked the door, this time with my key,
to make sure that the new lock answered
satisfactorily to both of them.
1t vas a fine night. and the saloon was
nearly empty. most of the passengers
preferring the fresh air on deck. One
respectable old gentleman, evidently a
clergyman. was immersed in a book at
the table that ran down the center of the
saloon, but with these exceptions all the
occupants of the place were ladies. and
not many of them.
In my immediate vicinity only one
lady was sitting, and | paid very little
attention to her, all my thoughts being
concentrated o. the goldroom door, with
just half a wink now and then toward
the invalid lady's cabin.
But it soon came to my notice that the
lady near me was in trouble of some
kind. From my position l could see her
without turning round, and l noticed
that she kept her head in her hands and
appeared to be shaken with suppressed
sobbing.
At length she raised her face and
looked at me. Her eyes were red with
weeping and there were tears on her
cheeks. She was quite young and very
pretty-far too pretty to be travelling
alone, | thought.
There was a pleading expression in her
eyes as she looked at me which half sug-
gested that she required some service at
my hands, though l quite made up my
mind not to grant it, whatever it might
be. if it should take me from my post for
one single instant. Beauty in distress
was a decoy not altogether unknown in
the annals of crime, and, at the risk Of
impoliteness, would avoid all chance of
becoming a victim.
Hesitating and struggling with emo
ton, the girl opened her lips and essayed
to speak. The words seemed to come
with difficulty and were almost inau-
dible.
MAY | ask you to give me your atten-
ton for a moment?:'' she stammered. "Be-
lieve me, it is on a matter of great i'm
portance."
81 am on duty here" l answered, land
l cannot come over to you. You had
better come a little nearer"
"Itis about yourduty I wish to speak,"
was her astounding reply as she moved
I'VE and took a seat by my side. "You
are in charge Of the goldroom. are you
not?"
YES" l said shortly. not knowing
what to expect.
She paused for a moment and then
went on, speaking hurriedly in a whis-
per. II wish to save my brother from
the preparation of a great crime" she
said. HE is the dupe Of a wicked man
of Red Jem. the notorious boat thief,
and his gang. There is a plot on foot to
steal the valuables from the goldroom
tonight. A thousand times better for
my brother to suffer punishment at the
hands Of the law for a first unsuccessful
dtUeulpC Gudu 10 U0COue d udrO0Qeu
criminal. Oh, sir, stop him in time and
be as merciful as your duty will permit"
The young lady need have no appre-
hension lest I should fail to stop the rob-
berry, l said to myself. Then 1 asked
aloud, Where is your brother. them"
In the goldroom at this moment"
was the reply. which took my breath
away.
''Impossiblew | exclaimed. 81 have
not moved from this spot since the gold
room door was locked"
My brother slipped into the passage
just after we started, while you were
looking at that cabin door. He was con-
cealed under the saloon table. And you
do not know Red Jem, sir. He has mas
ter keys that will fit any lock"
was puzzled sorely. felt as sure as
man could feel that no one could have
passed into the passage without my see
ing him. And, again, if there was some
one in the goldroom tampering with the
boxes, how was it that the captains
booctod nloctric ba11 had MT uarDa1 him