Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-04-22

considerable amount OF converting,
but it has been converting other, peo-
pies money into his own pockets"
He laughed at his own bad joke,
and almost instantly grew serious
once more. He was quite at his
ease, and, though he must have
known that I was familiar with the
story, or supposed story, of his VIII
lainy, seemed in no way ashamed.
"Now, Mr.. Fairfax" he went on,
81 know that you are surprised to
see me this morning, but I don't
think you will be when we have had
a little talk together. First and fore
most, you have been told the story
of the stones possess?"
81 have heard Mr.. Kitwater's ver-
sion of it," I answered, cautiously.
81 know that you robbed my clients
OF them and then Disappeared"
I did not rob them of the stones"
he said, not in the least offended by
the bluntness of my speech. "It is
plain that you do not know how we
obtained them. Perhaps it's as well
that you should not, for there's more
behind, and you'd go and get them.
MOL We obtained them honestly
enough at a certain place, and I was
appointed to carry them. For this
reason I secured them in belt
about my waist. That night the Chi
nese came down upon US and made
us prisoners. They murdered our
two native servants, blinded Kit
water, and cut out Codd's tongue.
alone managed to effect my escape.
Leaving my two companions for
dead, I managed to get away into
the jungle. Good heavens! man, you
can't imagine what I suffered after
that"
1 looked at him and saw that. his
face had grown pale at the mere
recollection of his experiences.
cat last reached the British out
post of Nampoung, on the Burmah-
Chinese border, where the officers
took me in and played the part of
the good Samaritan. When I was
we'll enough to travel, I made my
way down to Rangoon, where, still
believing my late companions to be
dead, shipped for England"
"As Mr.. George Bertram," said,
quietly. "Why under an assumed
name, when, according to your story,
you had nothing to fear?"
."Because 1 had good and sufficient
reason for SO doing" he replied.
''You must remember that I had a
quarter of a millions worth of pre-
cious stones in my possession, and,
well, to put it bluntly, up to that
time I had been living what you
might call make-shift sort of life.
For the future 1 told myself was
going to be a rich man. That being
SO, 1 wanted to start with a clean
sheet. You can scarcely blame mel"
did not answer him on this point,
but continued my cross-examination.
"You reached London, and sold
some of the stones there, later on
you disposed of some more in Am
sterdam. Why did you refuse the
dealers your name and address?"
Once more he was quite equal to
the occasion.
Because if I had told them, every
body would have to know it, and,
to be perfectly frank with you, !
could not feel quite certain that Kit
water and Codd were really dead"
BY that am to presume that you
intended, if possible, to swindle them
out of their share?" I asked, not q
little surprised by his admission.
"Once more, to be frank with YOU,
I did. I have no desire to be rude,
but I rather fancy you would have
done the same had you been SIM
ilarly situated. l never was much
of success in the moral business"
I could well believe this, but I did
not tell him so.
"When did you first become aware
that they were in London?"
''On the day that they landed" he
answered. II watched every ship
that came in from Rangoon, and at
last had the doubtful satisfaction of
seeing my two old friends pass out
of the dock-gates. Poor beggars,
they had indeed had hard time
of it,"
''Then you could pity them? Even
while you were robbing them?"
why not?" he answered. '"There
was no reason because / had the
stones that 1 should not feel sorry
for the pain they had suffered. I
had to remember how near I'd been
to it myself"
This speech sounded very pretty,
though somewhat illogical.
"And pray how did you know that
they had called in my assistance?"
Because 1 kept my eyes on them.
I knew Mr.. Kitwater of old, you see.
I watched them go into your Office
and come out from shop ON the
other side of the street."
The whole mystery was now ex-
planned. What an amount of trouble
l should have been spared had only
known this before.
4 "You did not approve, then, of my
being imported into the case?"
| 1T distinctly disapproyed" he an.