Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1899-04-01

along with me. Knowing myself to be n.
nocent, determined, Of course, to stand
my trial. Ny wonder was, what Bel.
james would do. We had separated In
Cornwall, and had not met since.
"On the voyage home Beljames told me
that legacy had been left to him. being
a small freehold house and garden In st.
Johns Wood, London. While my mind
was running on this recollection was
told that decent elderly woman wanted
to see me. She proved to be the landlady
Of the house In which Beljames lodged;
and she brought an alarming message.
The man was dying, and desired to see
me. I went to him Immediately.
"Beljames had heard Of the intended
prosecution. How he had been made
aware Of It death left him no time to tell
me. The miserable wretch had poisoned
himself-whether In terror of standing his
trial or in remorse Of conscience, Il Is not
any business Of mine to decide. Most un.
luckily for me, he first ordered the doc
tor and the landlady out Of the room
and then, when we two were alone, owned
that he had purposely altered the course
Of the ship, and had stolen the diamonds.
Having eased his mind by confession,
he gave me the slip Of paper which you
will End inclosed In this. There IL my
note Of the place where the diamonds are
hidden he said. Among the many ignor-
ant people who know nothing Of ciphers,
am one, and told him so. That's how
I keep my secret, he said; write from
my dictation, and you shall know what Il
means. Lift me up first As I did It he
rolled bis head to and fro, evidently In
pain. But he managed to point to pen,
Ink and paper on q table hard by, on
which his doctor had been writing. left
him for moment to pull the table nearer
to the bed, and In that moment he groan.
ed and cried out for help. ran to the
room downstairs where the doctor was
waiting. When We got back to him he
was In commissions. 1t was oil over with
Beijames.
1.-THE lawyers who are to defend me
have tried to get experts, as they call
perts have oil failed. They will declare,
signs on the paper are not according to
any known rule, and are marks made at
random meaning nothing.
AS for any statement on my part Of the
confession made to me, the law refuses to
oe0T ~ eACtpt lEVul TUG mVuSO VI y VIII
ness. might prove that the ships course
was changed, contrary to my directions,
after had gone below to rest, II could
lind the man who was steering at the time.
Heaven knows where that man 10.
"On the other hand, the errors Of ny
past life, and my being In debt, are cir
cumstances dead against me. The law.
yers seem to trust almost entirely II q
famous counsel, whom they have engaged
to defend me. For my own part, I 70 to
my trial with little or no hope.
III you are now my widow, and II you
may have any love left for my memory,
never rest until you have found somebody
who can interpret these curious signs. Do
for me, say, what cannot do for my.
| self. Recover the diamonds; and, when
you restore them, show my owners this
letter.
"Kiss the children for me. I wish them,
when they are old enough, to read this
defense Of myself and to know that their
father. who loved them dearly, died an
innocent man. My good brother will take
care Of you, for my sake. have DONE"
Mrs. Westerfeld took up the cipher once
more. She looked at II 40 IL Il was living
thing that defied her. III am ever able
to read this gibberish," she decided, II
know what III do with the diamonds!''