The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-06-05
in CARE OF THE CAPTAIN.


Miss Agnew had become quite pet She
was such dear-so natural. so really
chici" said the ladies; while the men en-
joyed to the full her utter or assumed lack
OF conventicnality. She was a fresh-coored
girl or about eighteen, handsome enough
after robust, dairy maid fashion, with full
red lips. white teeth and black eyes, under
shock of curly hair that shrank from no
mans gaze
Miss Agnew had come on board at the
very last moment, with an uncle and aunt
to see her off; also note from the owners
commencing her 10 the captains care.
Popularity 1t was known that she was a rich
squatter's daughter returning home after
long visit to England. Her sole occupation
of one of the best berths in the ship, as
well as the possession of plenty of spare
cash, gave some reason to the rumor of
wealth. 1t was also whispered that she had
been expelled from more than one fashion
able school. But nobody seemed to think
much worse Of her for that.
This trip the Illimani happened to have
rather aristocratic passenger list for Aus
trala. Besides poor young Badegge, who
was nobody's enemy but his own, there were
ansincoming governor and his countess; an
other couple of stray peers and peeresses;
a rich baronet and his wife and several
gentlemen, middle-aged and elderly, making
the round voyage for their health's sake
that is, the sake of a long and uninterrupt-
ed steady drinking. And with these, at
times, nothing 10th, Dolly" as she was
called tout court, would smoke q cigarette
and toss off glass of champagne, being
looked upon with a lenient eye by her fe-
male friends, not only on the plea of her be-
bI1t for fbo
sake Of the little scandalous tidbits she was
able to retail to them afterwards in the
privacy of their cabins.
AT Naples, among others, there came on
board for the second saloon a young
Frenchman, apparently pretty i'll with asth-
ma; SO much so, indeed, that he seemed able
to do nothing else but sit in his deck chair
all day long covered UP with rugs. Quite
curiosity, too, was this deck chair massive
but light, folding up into a compact COM
pass, curously carved, and made of neither
cane nor canvas, but of stout olive wood,
with big bullying arms and thick curved
back. And Monsieur Deschamps seemed to
set great store by it, for, always when the
day was over, and he walked feebly to his
berth, the quartermaster carefully folded
up the chair and carried it to it's owner.
AT first people laughed. But .'cranks'' and
'eccentrcs" are so plentiful on such ships
as the Illimani that far more outre things
ceased TO attract attention, and Deschamps
and his chair soon became part and parcel
of the daily and weekly monotony.
Curiously enough, among all the passen-
gers there was no one with a sufficient
knowledge of French to interpret between
the sick passenger and the Illimani's doc
was awkward, for Monsieur Deschamps
was unable to speak a word of any lam
guage but his own. This, matter presently
coming to Dollys ears, she volunteered to
have co. Il was" she said "a couple
of years at school at Rouen. and if can't
patter their lingo 1 reckon I'm due for the
leatheriest medal on board the canoe So,
tripping across the bridge that separated
the two classes, Dolly went up to the in
miration-tos discourse with eloquent Volu-
bility and gesture. Listening a minute, the
Frenchman, appearing to recognize the real
thing at last, sat up and waved his hands
and shrugged his shoulders, and smiled with
delight and qualification beautiful to wit
ness. And after this, nearly every day. Dol
ly went along and cheered the poor fellow
up, interpreting his symptoms to the doctor
and his wants to the stewards.
In most ocean liners there is posted up
somewhere notice advising passengers to
deposit their valua bles with the purSer for
safety during the voyage a small percent
age being charged for the accommodation.
Many people object to pay this; others are
too lazy to go to any trouble; others too
careless So that, very often, until some
thing is missing, the caution is a dead let
ter 1t was so on the Illimani. But one
morning Dolly, returning from her usual
Visit TO ner french 1flenQ. IOunQ the saloon
a scene of the utmost confusion-ladies run
ming about with empty jewel cases, stew
ards protesting, purser threatening, and the
chief stewardess in Mysteries The Countess
of TrebiZond had lost a diamond necklace
and set of priceless pearls; Lady Trotter
de Globe was minus her family jewels. sap
phireS, opalS and diamonds, valued at
&3, COO; the Honorable Mrs. Monopoles dia-
mond earrings (they were fashionable them,
tiara and necklace were gone. In fact, it
appeared that nearly everything worth hav
ing was gone. There were lot of paste
and Palais Royal mitations-beautifully
dCne-but all such had been rejected with
the nice appreciation of an expert or at
least an intimate. And, to complicate mat
tiers, nothing was forced-every lock intact
and the keys in their owners pockets. The
excitement and commotion were intense
The captain alone kept calm and when the
male relatives of the victims talked about
suing the company, he suavely drew their
attention to the notice aforementioned.
Dolly was demurely sad and condoled, even
wept, with her aristocratic friends. Her
own things, a set of pearls and few dia-
mond ornaments she explained had been IN
the pursers big safe from the commence
ment of the voyage. Her uncle had insisted
on it.
But who was the thief?
Public opinion pointed to some one among
the stewards: And the, first thing, done was
to ransack the 'glory-hole," as their quar-
tiers were called. Nothing was found. Then
search law was proclaimed throughout
the ship, much to the indignation Of the
second and third classes. 1t took some con-
siderable time to overhaul the effects of
pleasant matter as the purser, the chief
steward and their assistants discovered. Not
a trace of the lost jewelry was to be found.
But the captain grew anxious. He had been
quite certain that the things would be
found Although he was not liable, the
ships reputation would be ruined so tar as
carrying passengers concerned. And
this was serious consideration. STILL what
more could he do? Then suddenly he re-
membered that Watson was waiting at Co
lombo to go on with him to Melbourne. If
anybody could help it was Watson! Where
fore those who troubled about the daily
driven at almost top speed across the Arab
ian sea. In these days she was decidedly
uncomfortable ship within-suspicion writ
large on every face of all her great com
pany, each one doubtful of his nelghbor,
and all secretly watching, and so 1t seemed,
thinking about the reward offered by the
victims and the executive of the Illiman1-
G500-contributed to by captain and ship
boy alike, and very willingly. Dolly .AgneW
gave SO to the fund. and her friend. Mon
sieur Deschamps, when made aware of what
was going on, insisted on putting down his
name for G5. But nothing came of it,
At Colombo-reached after a record run
there was indignation when it was found
ing. and also barred the usual crowd of
dealers, jugglers, etc, from coming near
the ship.
Only one passenger came on board at Co
lornbo-an DID, gray-haired. gray-bearded
man who walked with a stoop, and peered
din1ly at people through tinted spectacleS:
He was accepted as a tea planter, an old
friend of the captains, going to Australia
on business. Speaking little himself, Mr..