Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1901-10-11
The Daily Short Story:
A FAIR FoRoER.

| wish you'd just see what you can do in
this matter. Let's see. Here's the
cashiers sketch of the woman: Dress
ed in dark clothes, short and stout.
snow white hair, red nose, diamond
and sapphire cluster finger ring He
guessed her age at sixty-five, and she
led him to understand that the check,
Endorsed Mary WOoler, was N pay
nent of some house property she had
engaged Mr.. Hewitt to SELL"
tracked a woman answering to the
description to Liverpool, where 1 lost
her. The next day l sailed for New
York on the extradition case, and
careful scrutiny Of every passenger on
board the liner convinced me that she
was not among them. AS 1 did not in
tend to let the disappointment interfere
with my enjoyment of the voyage, L
lost no time in making friends among
my fellow passengers.
The next cabin TO mine was that of
Mrs. Beslake and her daughter, Anne.
The mother was a tall, fragile looking
lady, while the daughter, slim and
graceful, possessed as pretty a face as
II nus ever Dcen lOI W iOOh upOh'
To while away the tedium of the long
and often cold evenings, when we could
not remain on deck with comfort, i'm
promptu concerts would be started In
the music room, and on these occasions
Miss Beslake sometimes sang. She pos
sessed a rich contralto voice, which
held one cntranced, the notes sweet,
sympathetic and mellow as a black
birds. Naturally when the great con-
cert was organized in the saloon, two
days before we passed Sandy Hook,
Miss Beslake was asked to take part
in it. She readily consented.
AS 1 made my way along the main
deck toward the saloon l saw Mrs.
Beslake and her daughter just ahead
of me. Mrs. Beslake was reading n
sheet of paper she held in her hand.
Presently she tore it up and tossed the
shreds overheard
a scrap of the paper borne upward
by the wind fell on the deck at my feet.
On it was Mr.. Hewitt's name, cleverly
forged in the same hand as the check.
1 could scarcely control the cry that
rose to my lips. STOPPING, l picked up
the fragment and placed it securely in
my pocket.
Immediately thought of the captain
and confided my suspicious to him.
Its little more than conjecture yet"
1 concluded, land 1 must ask you TO
help me in confirming it."
Willingly" said the captain. "How
can assist youE"
you have the keys, 1 presume, for
the various cabins?" 1 replied. Mrs.
Beslake and her daughter are now in
the saloon. The concert will last an
hour. In the meantime you and will
see what we can find"
In the cabin of the two ladies my APP
prehensions received abundant confir-
nation. With some little difficulty L sue
ceeded in forcing back the catch of a
large portmanteau that stood in the
corner of the compartment. The first
object that met my eyes was wig of
white hair. Beneath it lay a box of
grease paints similar to those used by
actors in making up.
At the bottom OF the portmanteau we
found pocketbook containing several
bank notes, the numbers Of which
agreed with the list given me on the
spurious check.
We had reached this stage of our
search when the cabin door suddenly
swung open and Miss Beslake appear
ed in the entrance.
What is the meaning Of this-thiS
ungentlemanly proceeding" she cried,
not without a tremor of fear in her
voice.
1t is needless to describe the scene
that ensued. Even now l cannot recall
it without pang OF sorrow. Suffice it
to say that on my return to England L
had three prisoners under my care
Mrs. and Miss Beslake. as well as the
man, Tom Purdoe. whose safe custody
back to London had been the prime
object of my mission. OF him Ii Is not
necessary to speak here.
Miss Beslake- was identified by Mr..
Hewitt as n former governess of his
children, she having left his employ
ment a month prior to the presentation
of the check on the bank. In her conf !
Dental capacity she had had no diff
Guilty in obtaining access TO the library
and so accomplishing her nefarious
purpose. She had stepped into the car
riage at Euston decrepit old woman
and issued from it a bright and agile |
girl. At Liverpool her mother had met !
her, Mrs. Beslake having reasons of f,
her own for not wishing to be seen in !,
London.
There can be no doubt that in reality |
Mrs. Beslake was the prime mover in !
the whole disreputable affair, for at the |
trial before sentence was passed upon /,
them II was conclusively shown that |
she had more than once served terms /
of Imprisonment for similar offenses.-t
Woman's Life.
How Good Manners Saved Him. "A
This anecdote proves the profitable,