Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1902-09-20
My Strangest Case
BY GUY BOOTHBY.
Author Of cdr. KikoIa, - The Beautiful
White Devii,'' 80 Pharos, Tho
Egyptian" Etc.
CHAPTER K.-CoNTINUED.
copyrighted. 1901, by Ward, Lock & Col


"At last 1 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
well enough to travel, I made my
way down to Rangoon, where, still
believing my late companions to be
dead, I shipped for England"
'sAs Mr.. George Bertram," I said,
quietly. "Why under an assumed
name, when, according to your story,
you had nothing to fear?"
Because I 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 I told myself I was
going to be rich man. That being
so, I wanted to start with clean
sheet. You can scarcely blame mel
I 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 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 I am to presume that you
Intended, if possible, to swindle them
gut Of their share?" I asked, not a
little surprised by his admission.
"Once more, to be frank with you
: did. I have no desire to be rude
but I rather fancy you would have
done the same had you been sim
ilarly situated. I never was much
Of a success in the moral business
I could we'll believe this, but die
not tell him so.
'sWhen did you first become aware
that they were in London?"
ION the day that they landed" he
answered. 81 watched every ship
that came in from Kangoon, and al
,ast had the doubtful satisfaction o.
seeing my two old friends pass out
IF the dock-gates. Poor beggars
hey had indeed had hard time
Of it."
Then you could pity them? Ever
while you were robbing them?"
"Why not?" he answered. ether.
was no reason because I had thu
stones that I should not feel sorry
for the pain they had suffered.
had to remember how near I'd beer
to it myself"
This speech sounded very pretty
though somewhat illogical.
"And pray how did you know thai
they had called in my assistance?"
Because I kept my eyes on them
I knew Mr.. Kitwater of old, you see
| watched them go into your Office
and come out from a shop on tht
other side of the street.
The whole mystery was now ex
planned. What an amount of troubl,
I should have been spared had 1 onl,
known this before.
'.You did not approve, then, of m.
being imported into the case?"
81 distinctly disapproved," he an
swered. II knew your reputation, o
course, and I began to see that i
you took up their case for them
should in all probability have t.
climb down."
1T is doubtless for that reason
you called upon me- Representing
yourself to be Mr.. Rayley, managing
director of that South American
Mining company? I can now quit,
understand your motive. You want
ed to get me out of the way in or
der that I might not hunt you? I
that not SOP"
"You hit the nail upon the hea,
exactly. But you were virtuous, an,
would not swallow the bait. It woul
have simplifed matters from N.
point of view if you had. / shoul
aot have been compelled to waste m
money upon those two roughs, no
would you have spent an exceedingly
uncomfortable quarter of an hour i
that doorway in Holywell street"
This was news indeed. So he ha
been aware of my presence there?
put the question to him.
"Oh! Yes! I knew you were there,
he said with laugh. "And 1 can tel
you l did not like the situation on
bit. AS a matter of fact, I foun
that it required all my nerve to pre-
tend that I did not know it. Ever
moment I expected you to come GU