The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-12-05
Letter,

AhkSs toiN llS ibNoLblhNltCiLJl-
bic slip OF paper aside, and, in search OF an
explanation, returned to the letter. Here
again she found herself in a state of per-
pleXity. Directed to Mrs. Roderick Wester-
field the letter began abruptly. without the
customary form of address. Did it mean
that her husband was angry with her when
he wrote: 1t meant that he doubted her.
In these terms he expressed himself:
Il write TO you before my trial takes place.
II the verdict goes in my favor / shall de-
stroy what l have written. If ! am found
guilty ! must leave it to youto do what /
should otherwise have done for myself.
THE mdeserved misfortune that has over
taken me began with the arrival of my ship
in the port OF Rio. Our second mate {his
duty for the day being done) asked leave to
go OF shore-and never returned. What mo
tive determined him OH deserving / am not
able to say. 1t was my wv wish TO supply
his place by promoting the best seaman on
board. My owners agents overruled me,
and appointed a man OF their W choosing.
What nation he belonged to, l don't
know. The name he gave was G ljalnes,
and he was reported to be a broken-down
gentleman. Whoever he might be, his man
ner and his talk We're captivating. Every
body liked him.
.Alttl lHc lNo tdlhiIlltleS VI VIC ioso VI liC
ship and the disappearance of the diamonds
these latter being valued at f5.oo0-l re-
turned to England by the first opportunity
that offered, having Beliames for a compan-
lon.
shortly after getting back to my house in
London I was privately warned bya good
friend that my owners had decided to pros
ecute me for willfully casting away the ship,
and ~(crueller still for having stolen the miss
ing diamonds. The second mate, who had
been in command of the vessel when she
struck the rock, was similarly charged along
With me. Knowing myself to be innocent
determined, of course, to stand my trial. My
wonder was what Beljames would do.
Would he follow my example, or, if he got q
chance, would he try to make his escape?
Il might have thought it only friendly to
give this person a word of warning, II l had
known where to find him. We had separated
when the ship reached the port of Falmouth,
in Cornwall, and had not met since. l gave
him my address in London, but lie gave me
no address iE return.
son the voyage home Bcljames told me
that a legacy had been LETT to him, being a
small freehold house and garden in st Johns
Wood, London. His agent, writing to him
on the subject, had reported the place to be
sadly out of repair and had advised him tc
find somebody who would take 1t off his
hands on reasonable terms. This seemed t.
point to a likelihood OF his being still in Lon
don, trying to sell his house.
while my mind was running on thest
recol]ections l was told that q decent elderly
woman wanted to see me. She proved 10 be
the landlady Of the house in which Beljames
lodged; and she brought an alarming mes
sage. The man was dying, and desired tt
see me. l went to him Immediately.
Few words are best, when n has Il
write about one's own troubles.
"Beljames had heard of the intended prose
cution. How he had been made aware OF
1t, death left him no time to tell me. TIL,
miserable wretch had poisoned himself
whether in terror of standing his trial, or il
demorse of conscience, it is not any business
iof mine to decide. Most unluckiIy for me
die first ordered the doctor and the landlad,
out of the room-and then, when we twt
were alone, owned that he had %purposel,
altered the course of the ship, and had stolel
the diamonds.
TO do him justice, he was eager to save
me from suffering for his fault.
Having eased his mind by confession, IL
gave me the slip of paper (written in cipher
which you will find inclosed in this. 'Ther,
is my note OF the place where the diamond
are hidden he said. Among the man,
Ignorant people who know nothing of ciphers
| am one-and | told hin 50. That's how
keep my secret he said; write from my die
tation, and you shall know what it means
Lift me up first AS Ibid it, he rolled hi
head to and fro, evidently In pain. But h
managed to point to pen, ink, and paper O.
a table hard by, on which his doctor had bee
!, writing. 1 left him for a moment to pull tn
!, table nearer to the bed-and, in that moment
he groaned and cried out for help. l ran I
the room downstairs where the doctor wa
, waiting. When we got back to him he wa
) in commissions. 1t was all over with Bel
7 james.
I THE lawyers who are to defend me hav
} tried to get experts, as they call them, to in
I terpre, t'm cipher. The experts have all fail
s ed. i will declare. If they are called a
5 witnesses, that the signs on the paper ar
7 not according TO any known rules, and ar
s marks made at random meaning nothing.
} A for any statement, on my part, OF tn
Z confession made to me, the law refuses I
{ hear 1t except from the mouth of n witness
) l might prove that the ships course wa
} changed, contrary to my directions after
: had gone below tn rest, II l could find tn
8 man who was steering ut the tine. God Onl
!, knows where that mar is.
: 'On the other hand, the errors OF my pa
life and my being In debt arc circumstance
. dead against me. The lawyers seem to tru!
: almost entirely in a famous counsel, whol
!. they have engaged to defend me. For m
: own part / go to my trial with little or II
a hope.
: IF you are now my widow, and IL 70
may have any love left for my memory, ne
er rest until you have found somebody VIII
can interpret these cursed signs. Do for In
l say, what I cannot do for myself. Reco
or the diamonds; and, when you restol
them. chow my owners this letter.