The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1903-01-25

Russia after an absence OF Twelve /
years. Mr.. Chumleigh's parents were
both dead his mother having died 7
FIVE years before and his father two
years later. In his early life Mr..
ChumIefgh, ST., had resided in st. /
Petersburg, where he conducted a
large and profitable mercantile bust
ness. There Donald was born, and
there he lived until he was ten years
old. when his parents. who were even
then elderly people. returned to Amer
lea and settled quietly down in the
city Of Philadelphia
DonaId's education had been begun
in the Russian capital-where, by the
way, he learned to speak the Ian
guaEe fuently-aHd on his return TO
the United States he was first put in
care Of a tutor, then sent to a pre-
paratory school, and finally 10 one Of
the leading American colleges, from
which he graduated with nigh honors
at the age Of twenty-one.
During these years he kept up his
knowledge of the Russian language
by constant study, and, whenever.
/ possible, by conversing with those
who spoke It. Little did he dream Of
the disastrous. and yet fortunate, part
/ 1t was destined TO play IN his after
/ life
/ He was now twenty-five years OF
/ age. tall, well built, with light hair
/ and mustache, rudy cheeks and
/ pleasing. attractive face. He was a
I fitting type Of the better class Of
young Americans, generous, open
! hearted and possessing &. broad knowl-
/ edge Of the world, acquired partly
from his reading and partly from his
/ travels during the past year in his
OF country
/ His fathers death and his subse-
quent coming Of age had placed him
/ in possession Of fairly comfortable
income, and now, after q. few weeks
spent IN London and Paris. ne was
going to St. Petersburg to see the
home Of MS childhood, which he still
remembered clearly. and to visit sew
eraI old friends CT his father.
It was his intention to return TO
America In the FAN and devote him
self to the study Of law, for which
he had decided taste. His income
was sufficient to make him indie
pendent, but he felt that q life Of
I IdIeness would be uncougeniaI to him.
One little incident in his past life
must not be omitted here, though
Donald himself has long since for
gotten it, and, indeed, never did re
gard II Of much importance. even at
the time Of its occurrence. It was in
J the Summer OF 1887, when Donald was
just about completing his sophomore
year at college, that he was sum
/ moned home by what proved TO be the
mortal illness Of his father, who was
then seventy-five years Of age. He
had been stricken by paralysis, and
when Donald arrived late in the even
ing his power Of speech was almost
I gone
But he recognized his son instantly
and beckoned him to his side.
THE package!" ne muttered, brok-
enIy. Take care-of It. Look in the
secretary-the top drawer. Your
name is-on it,
Those were the last ineligible
words that Dit. ChumIeigh spoke. He
! died twenty-four hours later, and
when, during the subsequent week,
Donald and his guardian had occasion
to open the secretary, which stood in
an apartment adjoining Mr.. Chum-
/ Ieigh's room, no packet was to be
found. nor did a thorough search re
veal its presence in the house.
Suspicion fell the butler. mid
dIe-aged man. with a smooth-shaven
face and dark eyes and hair, who had
been in Mr. Chumleigh-s employ for
six months previous to his death. His
nationality was not known, but he
gave his name as John Martin, and.
! though his appearance was far from
Prepossessing, he was always a faith
full servant, and. moreover, he came
to Mr.. Chumleigh with excellent rec
concentrations.
John Martin CHANGED 10 be IN the
siCk-rOOm on the night that Mr
/ Chumlefgh spoke of the package. and
two days later he disappeared, leav-
ing not a trace behind him. Donald
was convinced that he had in some
manner opened the secretary and alb
stracted the packet. He caused a
search TO be made, which At first
proved unavEi'ing, but nearly . month
later it was I-arned that a man an
swering to the description of John
Martin had taken passage from New
York to Liverpool shortly after Mr.
ChumIeIgh's death.
Donald allowed the matter to drop
and gave II no further attention. He
believed that the package contained
something of monetary vaIue-such as
bonds or stOcks-or possibly some
thing in the nature of family heir
looms. jewels as likely as not What
ever the contents. they certainly We're
worth stealing at all events. for ar
the time of John Martins disappear
ance nearly a months wages were due
him.