Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-04-29
THE DEAR INSURED.

He isn't the dear deceased yet b.
very long chalk said Captain Kettle.
IF he was" retorted Lupton. with a dry
smile, my immediate interest in him would
cease, and the company would shrug its
shoulders and pay, and look pleasant. In
the meanwhile hes-shall we say?-'the
dear insured" and a premium-paying
set that the company's told me off to keep
an eye on
DO much business in your particular
line?"
why, yes, recently good deal It's got
to be quite fashionable industry of late to
pick UP some foolish young gentlemen with
expectations, insure his life for a big pile,
knock him quietly on the head, and then
come back home in a neat black suit to
pocket the proceeds"
Does this Mr.. =" Kettle referred to
the passenger Iist-"Hamilton's the rogue's
| name, isn't it?"
No, he's the fiat. Crane is the-er-his
friend who stands to draw the stamps"
Does Mr.. Hamilton know you?"
Never seen me in his life"
Does GRANGER"
Same"
Then, sir. I'll tell you what's your
ticket, said Kettle, who had got an eye to
business. Take a passage with me, and
Keep an eye on the young gentleman your
sell II do my best to make things com
Portable for YOU"
Il m sure you would captain, but 1t can't
be done at the price
Kettle looked thoughtfully at the pas
senger list: Il could promise you room
to yourself. We're not very full UP this
| run. In fact, Mr.. Hamilton and Mr. Crane
| are the only two names I've got down so
| lar. You see Birds lay themselves out
more for cargo than passengers"
so our local agent in Liverpool found
| out for us already, and that's mostly why
m here. Don't you see, captain, if the
pair of them had started in one of the regu-
| lar passenger boats there would have been
| nothing suspicious. But when they book
berths by you, why, then it begins to look
1Shy at once"
Kettle turned on his companion with
| sudden viciousness. by James, he snap
| PED, you better take care of your words,
| or there'l be q man in this smoke room
| with broken jaw. l allow no one to sling
| shghts at either me or my ship, nor at the
| firm that owns both of US. BY James do
| you think you can speak to me as if | was
common railway Director"
! My dear SIR said Lupton soothingly,
| 10 insult you was the last thing in my
| mind. l quite know you've got a fine new
| ship. What l meant to point out was that
| Messrs. Bird have chosen to schedule you
| Tor the less frequented gulf ports, finding.
| than passengers"
| ''Well?'
| And naturally therefore anything that
| was done on the Flamingo would not have
| IL
| say-one of the royal mail boats Their
| passengers are just at their wits end for
something to do. Give them a topic like
| this-young man with expectations sudden
| ~ knocked overheard, nobody knows by
| Who n other young man on board draw
| ing heavy insurance from hinl-and thew
| aren't long in putting two and two togeth-
| err"
| You seem to think it requires a pretty
| poor brain to run steam packet said
heitie contemptuously. How long would 1
| De before | had that joker In irons?"
| II ne did 1t openly, not long But Won
| must remember Crane will have been
thinking out his game for perhaps a wear
beforehand, Till he thinks that there's not
| ine Vaguest chance of being dropped on
II anything happens to Hamilton his dear
| friend Crane will be the last man TO he
| suspected Of it. And, mark you, he's
| Still, l don't see how he'd be better
| off on my ship than he would be on one of
the bigger passenger packets"
Just because you won't have a crowd of
passengers. Captain, a ships like a woman.
any breath of scandal damages her reDuta-
ton, whether it's deserved or not. And a
ship captains like womans husband: hen
put up with lot to keep any trace of scan
da away from her"
That's a holy truth"
| BUT passengers are an impious lot and
Il they can spot a bit of foul DIay-whv,
there they are, with one good solid never
stale yarn for all the rest of their natural
lives. SO, you, see, they've every induce
h b,vt t4 90 lots OF ferreting that ships
Captain Kettle pulled thoughtfully at his
neat red-pointed beard. You're putting
the thing in new light. sir. and 1 thank
plain before me. SO soon as we have drop
ped the pilot shall go straight to this Mr.
Cranze and tell him that from information
received l hear he's going to put Mr. Ham
llton over the side And then I shall say:
Into irons you go. my man, so soon as
ever Hamiltons missing"
lupton laughed rather angrily "And
what would be the result of that, do Won
Think"
Crane will get mad. He'll probably talk
a good deal, deal. But hen not hit me. I'm
fit to raise their hands to-"
But my good sir. don't YOU SEQ that If
you speak out like that you'll probably
scare the beggar off his game altogether?"
And why not? Do you think my Sims
blessed detective novel that's to be run
just for your amusement?"
Lupton tapped the table slowly with his
fingers. Now look here captain" he said
there's chance here of our putting a stop
to a murderous game that's been going on
too long. by catching the rogue red-handed
It's to our interest to get a conviction and
make an example. It's to your interest to
Keep your ship from fuss
"All the way.
quite so. My company's prepared RI In,v
your interest up"
You must put it palmer than that"
TN give you ego to keep your eve on
these men, and say nothing about what
I've told you, but just watch. If you catch
Cranze-'
I'm not going to let him murder the 9TH
er fellow before my eyes. What do you
take me for?''
I'm not asking you to- 1 say If Won
catch him so clearly trying it on that the
courts give conviction, the company will
pay you f200.''
IT'S a lot of money"
My company will find 1t a lot cheaner
than paying out 10000 and that's what
Hamilton's insured for"
"Phew! I didn't know we were dealing
with such big figures
Il told you that from the first Now. can
tain. are you going to take my cheuue for
that preliminary f20e
Hand it over" said Kettle 81 see no
objections And you may as well give me
a bit of a letter about the balance"
I'll do both" said Lupton.
Now. Captain Owen Kettle, once he had
taken up this piece of employment. entered
into it with a kind of chastened joy The
life insurance company's agent had rather
sneered at ship captains as a class Ket-
tie intended to- prove himself the complete