The morning news., 1899-04-30
THE DEAR INSURED.
CutIiHe Hyne.

dry smile. my immediate interest iu him
woulI cease. ana the company would
shruE its shoulders and pay. ard iook
pleasant. In the meanwhile. he's-shal
We saye-.rhe dear insured. and a pre-
m4um-pay.ns asset that the -mFany's toii
n, on To keep an eye on
DO much business I'm your particular
uue-~
why. YES. recently. a good deal It's
go, to b. quite "a fashionable industry OF
lale to- pick up some foolish young gen
tgman with expectations. insure his life
flf big pile knock him quietly on the
head. and then come back home i'm a neat
black slii TO pocket the proceeds.
Does This NIr -" Kettle referred to
tie passenger hst-"HamHton the
rogue's name. ISN'T it?''
No he's the flat. Crauze is the-er-
his friend VINO stands To draw the
stamps"
Does Mr.. Hamilton know you?"
Never seen me In his lie"
Does Cranze2"
same"
Then. sir. I'll tel YOU what's your tick
ct" said Kettle, who had got an eye to
business. Take "a passage with me and
keep an eye on the young gentleman your
Portable for sou"
I'm sure YOU would. captain but It
can't be done at the price
Kettle looked thoughJfully at the pas
senger list Il could promise you a room
TO yourself. Were not very full I'D this
run. In fact Mr.. Hamilton and Mr..
Cr8nze are the only two names I've got
down 50 far. You see Birds lay them
selves out more Tor cargo than passen-
gers"
so our local agent in Liverpool found
out for us already. ana that's mostly why
I'm here. Don't YOU see, captain. If the
pair of them had started in one of the
regular passenger boats there would have
been nothing suspicious. But when they
book berths by YOU. why then it begins TO
look fishy 1t once"
Kettle turned on his companion with a
sudden viciousness. BY James," he snap-
ped you better take care of your words
or there'H be man in this smoke room
with a broken jaw. 1 allow no one to
sling sights 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 I was a common railway direc-
tor?''
My dear sir" said Lupton. soothingly.
Ito insult you was the last thing in my
mind. I quite know you've got fine
i
that Messrs. Bird have chosen to sche-
dule you for the less frequented Gulf
ports. finding. as You hint, that cargo
pays them better than passengers.'
'Weu?''
And naturally therefore, anything that
was done on the Flamingo would not
have the same publicity that il would get
on-say-one of the royal mail boats.
Their passengers are just az their wits
end for something to do. Give them
topic like this-young man with expecta-
tions suddenly knocked overheard. no
holy knows by who-'n'other young man
on board drawing a heavy insurance from
hm-and they aren't long in putting two
and two together"
You seem 10 think it requires a pretty
! ~ brain 90 run steam packet" said
j-tttie coutemp,uOusly. How long would
! 1e before / had that joker in irons?"
'If hc did il openly not long. But you
r'~st remember Cranze will have been
thinking out his game for perhaps a year
beforehand till he thinks that there's not
the VaEuest chance Of being dropped on
] anything happens to Hamilton, his dear
friend Cranze viii be the last man TO
be suspected OF il. And, mark you. he's
a clever chap.
'stit. I don't see how he'd be better
OF on my ship than he would be on one
- A-iE afEHCf passenger packets
Just because you won't have a crowd
OF passengers. Crane. ships like
woman; any breath OF scandal damages
her reputation. whether it's deserved or
not And a ship captains like a womans
husband he'll put up with a lot TO keep
any trace OF scandal away from her.
That's a holy truth"
But passengers are an impious lot. and
II they can spot a bit Of foul play-why,
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
nent to do lots Of ferreting that a ships
busy officers would not dream about"
Capt Kettle pulled thoughtfully at his
neat red-pointed beard You're putting
the thing in new light sir. and thank
You for what you've said. see my course
plain before me. So soon as we have
dropped the pilot. I shall go straight TO
this Mr.. Cranze. and tell him that from
information received hear he's going to
put Mr. Hamilton over the side And then
i shall say, Into irons you go. nv man.
so soon as ever Hamllton's missing"
Lupton laughed rather angrilv. And
what would be the result Of that do you
think2''
Crane viii get mad He'll probably
talk a good deal But he'll not hit me.
j m not the kind Of man that other peo-
btc SO ~ 20 fdiee tneir handS to-
But my good sir, don't you see that
If you speak out like that, you'u prob
ably scare the beggar of his game alto
Gether2"
And why not? Do you think my ships
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 a chance here of our put-
ting a stop TO a murderOus game that's
been going on too long. by catching a
rogue red-hauded/ It's 70 our interest ~
get a conviction and make an example
It's 70 your interest to keep your ship free
from fuss"
An the way"
quite so Ny company's prepared to
buy your interest up"
fo1 must put il palmer than that"
I'll give you 30 TO keep your eve On
thee men, and say nothing about wnat
I've tod yor. but just watch. II Won
catch Cranze-"
- not going 20 let him murder the
eafr fellow before my eyes. What h.
goI ase ue for1-'
a. 10 asking you TO- say. II yoY