The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1902-11-21
we were tdlhiiib VI "oh'sn,
| had made his acquaintanc

L. L
had invited me on board for final smoke
and drink before turning into my capln
on the adjacent ship. The captain had
ample quarters below. The cabin was
ming down the middle and cubicles nank-
ing it. For this was one of the steamers
that hesitated between cargo ana paSsen-
gers The cargo won, and this saloon
which is now the captains cabin, where
i'm he usually sits alone, Is the only, re.
minder of the contest. At one, END or
the long table the whisky was placed py
a respectful boy; the, captain, from one
of the side cubicles, had brought a box
of cigars. Now he leaned back In his
swivelchair, blue-eyed, with white
able air of authority that every sea cap
tain acquires when he is on his own ship
And. as he twisted his cigar in his mouth
he repeated that they presumed.
to Petersburg" he said. There was an
instance You know. these steamers
often bring over small parcels, Christ mas
presents and so on. between Petersburg
and London-owners' friends, you see. 1t
saves postage and packing, and all that;
Well I'd made out to clear from Mlllwali
dock at in the morning, and there was q
matter of half a dozen little things That
had come down from the shipping once
that I'd slowed in one of these CABINS,
Just about when we'd made the More
iightship, early on Sunday morning, |
left the bridge and came. down for a
wash and there on the table, just where
your glass is, was big package-a sort
of box. 1t had name on It, Mrs. tleet,
wood, st. Petersburg To be called for
That was the first I'd seen of it. And
when I made inquiries, the only thing !
could find out was someone had prou gI1t
1t on board at the last moment. me
right thing to do would be to pitch IL
into the North sea. But 1t struck me
that it might be some friend OF the OWL
ers that I'd never heard of, so l gave
orders for the box to be slowed IN the
corner of the saloon, over there Wnere l
could keep an eye on 1t. Many a time. as
I sat in this chair, watching that pox,
half determined to chuck 1t overheard
/ didn't see why I should be turned INTO
a common carrier to please, Mrs. rect
wood, whoever she was BESIDES wnlcn,
have a sort of prejudice against convey
ing mysterious parcels into RUSSIA. wen,
I'm not n nervous man. as RUE, put
that box in the corner began TO get on
NV nerves as we came up the Balllc,
and by the time we made Cronstadt-lSS
was lust after gun fire, remember, anu
we had to drop anchor for the nlghtLl
had the box out ready ready, TO r3s orpp ba UIe But
/ was nervous about keeping II ana ner-
vous about getting rid of it, II you UNDER
stand" $500, e.
ward me. and then measured himself
Next morning" he continued, when
we'd berthed at Novoe Port ana tne
steyedore had set his men to work on the
cargo. was just going to catch the httie
steamer up to the Nicholas bridge to eau
on the agents In fact id got Drove my iV %p
alongside with a girl. A fine girl; quiet,
YOU know, but. Well, you should nave
seen the way she told the 'vorshik 70
walt. That's what we can cauiieh al
Russia, you know. 1T,
I" I wish to see the capting she salai
(Here the captain became suddenly MS
tronic. and initiated the accent Oh the
Tm the captain of this ship | SAID;
In what way can serve you mad fIiat
q You have a package for Mrs. Fleet
And suppose 1 have?' said. don't
know who sent it, and haven't the honor
of knowing Mrs. Fleetwood. Are you
Mrs. Fleetwood|
maid, and she wants that packet most
particular. ,o,
II considered a bit, and then | asked
what was in the parcel She SAID It was was
a hat and some other things, and-you
wouldn't think it when you've heard the
end-she blushed when she mentioned the
other things. OF course, / didn't belieVe
that; but L pretended | did; ana | asked
her how shed drive out of the dock gates
with a box full of dutiable articles on
the front seat of the droschky | had q
reputation with the Russian customs, ana
l wasn't going to risk 1t for people Ia
never heard of.
Look here said at last If your
mistress likes to come down and give me
proper explanations, I'd be glad to get
Quit of that box. Till then 1t stays where
it is I'd one foot en- the gangway SC
the young lady drove off in hun. L m
not man easily upset, and I'd go long
way round to oblige a woman If she asked
me properly. but l won't be put upon.
well, after I'd seen the agents and had
my midday meal, took the little steamer
from the Nicholas bridge back here
There was rather pretty girl on poard.
Her dress wasn't anything to boast Of
1t was almost in rags-and she hadn't
anything on her head but an old shawl.
l suppose l looked at her pretty hard,
we got to the landing stage she came over
and spoke to me In. English. That rather
surprised me, for there aren't many poor
English in st. Petersburg, 1t startled me
still more when she asked me If l could
tell her where the Mary Bacon lay But
told her. And then she said:
81 want to see the captain
"'Well,' 1 said, you see him.
"'Oh! Then you have package for me.
Tn Mrs. Fleetwood
Now, it wasn't reasonable to suppose
that the maid would come down in a
droschky, dressed up to the mines, and
that the mistress would come down in a
threepenny steamer, without hat. So
was very standoffish, and told her she
couldn't take that box ashore unless /
knew something more about 1t. But she
only laughed, and when we came along
side she was across the gangway before
could stop her.
said.
"'You may look as much as you like
said, and showed her the way down here.
l didn't come below myself, for / was
rather annoyed. 1t was some time before
l began to get uneasy. But when it came
to q quarter of an hour and twenty min
lItes l thought 1t as well to look after my
little lady, and when l came below |
found the saloon empty and the box
gone. There was only one way out, and
I'd had my eye on that all the time. She
couldn't have got through a portfolio, let
alone the box. 1 ran back on deck to see
If there was any sign of her on the quay.
But there was nothing except two or
three droschky men asleep on their
boxes. You'd hardly believe it. but the
explanation never occurred to me till my
lady came up the companion in one of the
finest dresses I ever set eyes on. and
hat to match, all feathers and fal-lals.
Thank you, captain she said: L
don't want the box. You can keep that.
And how do you like my dress? I've got
two evening ones under this and some
other things as well. And this parasol.
She opened it and stuck IL behind her hat
and laughed in my face. We'll pitch the
disguise into the Neva, for safety she
said. And over the side went bundle
she'd brought up from below.
"Of course. she'd been in one of the
sleeping berths. changing. But before
could think of anything to say she had
skipped over the gangway and prodded
one OF the droschky drivers with her par
rff,or ~ 1f