Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1901-03-23
CHAPTER XI.


CHAPTER XI.
MEETINGS.
All fell out as had planned. except
that, to my extreme surprise, at South
ampton, when embarking, l tumble
on friends, the dearest, most faithful
friends, and the unfailing instinct OF
one OF them was not to be denied. /
met both my love n my dog. The
first, | felt certain, was making this
voyage on my behalf, and | hungered
TO speak TO her, yet dared not make
myself nov too soon. j was nearly
betrayed, however, for Roy, clever
brute. soon penetrated my disguise and
was not to be shaken off. only when /
had seen him comfortably slowed away
In the fore part Of the ship near where
my own quarters were would he settle
down.
| had no opportunity OF meeting
Frida, nor was l able TO advance my
other business, until the voyage was
half over. There is a wide gulf set
between first and second cabin pas
scngers. My range was strictly limit
ed. | could not go nea the hurricane
deck nor enter the principal smoking
room, the music room, or saloon, al
though ! hung about constantly and
became at last an object of suspicion
to the officers, stewards and quarter
masters and met sometimes with rough
rebuffs.
The second day out / once more be-
came conscious that / was being
watched wherever / went. Recent
events had left me very sensitive OF
espionage. / was no longer disposed to
make little of It, but still my feeling
was more OF resentment than alarm.
so much so that | turned sharply on
my follower, VINO was a saloon passen-
ger and quite out Of place on the fore
deck, our territory, n / challenged
him to explain his conduct.
II am a friend, Captain Wood he
said in a whisper as he took me aside.
Rooster is my name. and'I represent
band and SnuyZer, who could not
sail wit IS. He went after YOU, fol-
lowing the Fieur-de-Lis. How In thun-
der are you here?'
AS soon as | was satisfied Of his good
ralth-and he proved 1t by his knowl-
edge Of every circumstance Of the case
i told him my story.
Miss Fairholme viii be real glad, l
tell you, sir. She knows nothing yet,
although | made you out from the first,
through the dog, sir; besides which, /
had your description and your photo
graph. SnuyZer is great sir, and miss
es no point OF detail. l have had no
chance Of speaking to her. h is her
first day on deck.
Snc must De lOlu at OilCc. L must
speak to her myself, You must man
age that, please, now, directly"
why, certainly, sir. l will bring
you together, and, at the earliest pos
sible moment after dark. 1t won't do
for that young lady to be seen con-
sorting too openly with a secon class
passenger. 1t might spoil the game"
And that is
Grand, sir, grand, now you're
d, b,,,1 NNr,'lI 1aN th,r, la,ya rnrn ,,l
just when things look rosiest produce
you. These ladies will identify you;
Sarabands have all the threads OF the
conspiracy, and Wen land the lot in
state prison, whenever II suits us. Yes,
sir, they're about fixed"
You say Sarabands have all the
threads, 1 haven't. What does it all
mean?" =
II got an outline from Snuyzer. The
plot originated with one McQuahe."
II know him. / have reason to do
So
"Well, he was In with Bully Nc
Taught, the testator; had some of his
secrets, and was the first to hear the
money was going to you. SO he joined
in with the Spaniard, who Is no duke,
and the pair brought over n clerk once
in Quinlan's law office. That's the lar
rikin who's personating you on board.
iPbN ~ Al on WHY AA6AlN AiOht biiN va
may trust that to Sarabands."
There's one thing j annot leave to
them" and / proceeded to tell my new
friend about the missing papers. II
Gov them before we arrive in
If all else fails we must have the
villains arrested on board; but that I'd
not do. for IL might expose the
contents of documents that are Of alb
solutely the most secret and coniden-
tial nature"
Don't you suppose this crook will
got them by heart long ago?"
"They are so strange that no one
would believe him on oath unless he
could back them up by the papers
themselves. 1 don't mind telling you
much"
"Then l guess you must have them,
only l 4 don't see a way short of lifting
them from the mans stateroom, and
that sort of thing has an ugly name
II it's found out"
ut would be theft for you, not me.
are mine or my employers, and
tell you 1 should not hesitate to take
them openly or secretly, to fight over
If l could get anywhere within
Reckon, captain, you'll be likely TO
qualify. too. for states prison. said
Mr.. Rossiter laughing.
/ had been promised news of Frida
by my new friend Rossiter. But day
followed day, and yet he had nothing |
to tell me. 1t was always the same
story: 'Missy's still under the weather,
ike the rest of the women folk. Not
able to leave her stateroom. Stew
lrdess thinks she'll be laid by till we
make Sandy Hook. But I'll let you
son as i hear"
At last, on the fourth day at sea, a
day, fresh and sunny, my dear
.!fl made her appearance on deck, and,
es l was ever on the watch, ] saw her
my distant second-class station
1ug before Rossiter came with his re-
port. indeed, he was to busy, good
soul, In seeing to her wants and dane
attendance upon her to think very |
much of me. When he did appear, II |
was only to get Roy. missy was mad |
about me-.