News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-11-05

my immediate interes
;.....sn0.o.,.? in him would cease anC
the company would shrus
its shoulders and pay and look pleas
ant In the meanwhile he's-sAall we
say the dear insured and a premium
paying asset that the companys told
Inc off to keep an eye on"
do much business in your particu
lar IiDeT
why, yes, recently a good deal. It's
got to be quite a fashionable industry
Of late to pick up some foolish young
gentleman with expectations, insure
his lie for a big pie, knock him quiet
Iy on the head and then come back
home in a neat black suit to pocket the
proceeds"
Does this NLr."-Kettle referred to
the passenger list "uamiIton's the
rogue's name, isn't it?'
mo, he's the fat. Crane is the-er
his friend who stands to draw the
stamps"
''Does Mr.. Hamilton know you?"
"Neyer saw me in his life"
"Does Cranze|
"Same."
Then, sir, I'll tell you what's your
ticket" said Kettle, who had got an
eye to business. Take a passage with
me and keep an eye on the young gen
tleman yourself. III do the best to
make things comfortable for you"
I'm sure you would, captain, but it
can't be done at the price"
Kettle looked tHOughtfully at the
passenger list. Il could promise you Il
room to yourself. We're not very full
up this run. In fact, Mr.. Hamilton
and Mr.. Crane are the only two
names I've got down so far. You see.
Birds lay themselves out more for car
60 than passengers"
80 our local agent in Liverpool
found out for us already, and that's
mostly why I'm here. Don't you see
captain. il the pair of them had start
Cd in one Of tie regular passenger
beats there would have been nothing
suspicious. But when they took berths
by you, why, then it begins to look
fishy at once"
Kettle turned on his companion with
a sudden viciousness. by James,"
he snapped. you better take care of
your words or there'Il be a man in this
smokeroom with broken jaw. 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 was
common railway director|
"My dear sir" said LuptCn soothing
ly, ito insult you was the last thing
in my mind. quite know you've got
a fine new ship. What | meant to point
out was that ALessrs. Bird have chosen
to schedule you for the less freQuented
gulf ports, finding, as you hint, that
cargo pays them better than passen-
gers"
"WelI?"
And naturally, therefore, anything
that was done on the Flamingo would
not have the same publicity that it
would get on, say, one Of the royal
mail boats. Their passengers are just
at their wits end for something to do.
Give them a topic like this: Young
man with expectations suddenly
knocked overheard. nobody knows by
whom; mother young man on board
drawing u heavy Insurance from him.
and they arent long in putting two and
two together"
You seem to think it requires
pretty poor brain to run a steam pack
et," said Kettle contemptuousy. How
long would be before had that joker
i'll irons?"
IF he did it openly, not long. But
you must remember Crane will have
been thinking out his game for perhaps
year beforehand till he thinks that
there's not the vaguest chance of
being dropped on. If anything hap
pens to Hamilton, his dear friend
Crane will be the last man to be sus-
pected Of it. And, mark you, he's
a clever chap
Still, l don't see how he'd be better
off on my ship than he would be on
one of the bigger passenger packets"
JuHI DCObbHG SOu NUu udN w Il
crowd Of passengers. Captain, a ships
like a woman-any breath of scandal
damages her reputation whether it's
deserved or not. And u ship captains
like a woman's husband-he'H 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 if they can spot 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 inducement to do a lot
of fcrreting that a ships busy officers
would not dream about"
Captain Kettle pulled thoughtfully
Mt his neat, red pointed beard. You're
putting the thing in a new light, sir,
and | thank you for what you've said,
1 see my course plain before me. So
soon as we have dropped the pilot
shall go straight to Mr.. Crane and
tell him that from information re-
ceived l hear he's going to put Mr.
Hamilton over the side. And then /
shall say, Into irons you go, my man,
so soon as ever HamiltOn's missing
Lupton laughed rather angrily. "And
what would be the result of that, do