Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1905-06-10

dull raucous blare of the steam siren,
drowning all lesser noises.
You little rat!" Kissed a voice in his
ear You would, would your" Then
came quick, indistinct glimmer of steel,
and faint gurgling rush of fluid. Two
minutes passed-three, and then once
more the stateroom door was cautiously
pushed ajar, opened, and closed again
with a sharp click.
Half an hour later the steward pushed
his head inside the smokeroom door.
Better get ready. gentlemen" he said,
we're coming up fast now; we shall be
warping in in ten minutes or So"
The players left their game and rose
leisurely, sauntering out into the fog one
by one. Orland still continued reading.
After Il few more minutes, however, he,
too, rose, shut his book with a snap, and
followed the others.
EIoarse orders were being shouted from
the bridge and taken up by subordinates
fore and aft. Warps We're run out,
hauled taut ON the steam winches, cast
off, and run out again to a new point,
till finally the Pernambuco was safely
moored alongside the dock. Gangways
were slid out, the crane chains clanked
and whirred, and in little groups of twos
and three the passengers drifted away
into the yellow fog of the great city
But down below, in what had hitherto
been known as the empty stateroom, No.
30, one passenger remained An hour or
more later a white-faced steward came
bursting in upon the overtired purser,
who was taking well earned rest on his
bunk.
For mercy's sake, sir" the man
gasped, come down below-come at
once! It's Mr.. tombstone, sir,"
The deuce take Mr.. Johnstone"
down below, anyway? He ought to be
miles away by this time"
He's been murdered, sir"
The purser upheaved his great bulk
slowly. "Wha'at?" he cried.
Murdered, sir repeated the man.
The second steward found his body hid
den away in No. 50. You'd best come
and see for yourself, sir"
A message was sent at once to the cap
tain and the ships doctor, and in almost
less time than it takes to tell small pro-
cession was headed for the site of the
crime.
The body still lay where it had been
found, half tucked away behind the
drawn curtains of the upper berth, the
sheets and blankets of which were now
soaked here and there with ominous
dark patches. The doctor bent forward
and made a hasty examination.
Heavens and earth!" said he, stepping
back. why, the poor little beggar's
head is nearly sawn off. See, there
and he pointed to where bone surface
glinted Whitley through the gaping
wound. Dead! Wen, I should say
he's been dead for an hour or more
nearer two | expect. Who found him ~
The understeward came forward. II
did, please, sir. You see, sir, it was this
way; we'd moved all the light luggage
out of the cabins-Mr Johnstone's
among the rest-for | found it left all
strapped and ready, so | imagined him
to be on deck and after all the passen-
gers had gone | began collecting the dirty
towels, and so forth Well, sir, you
know there's been two or three cabins
empty this trip, this ERE No. 35 being
one. Just as | was passing | suddenly
remembered that I'd left some spare
sheets in the hunks, so i came in and
found that"
The captain beckoned to his junior
officers and took them off to his cabin to
hold consultation.
1--WE must communicate with the po-
lice at once, of course" said he; though
I'd much rather not; this sort of thing
always gets a ship bad name. But the
point is this; the poor chap was appar-
emily murdered an hour or more before
we came alongside. Isn't that so, doc
tori"
The doctor nodded.
We'll, then, naturally the crime lies
among some of us and the passengers.
But how to find any of these people now,
beats me. OF course, we've got the off
cial list with their names, but / don't
suppose you know the address of one
out of twenty of them"
This time it was the purser's turn to
shake his head. Presently, however, he
Jumped up with an oath. Il know where
seven or eight of them are to be found
at this very moment" said he, "and
that's no farther than Affords hotel in
the Strand. They have agreed to put ND
there the first night and have bit Of a
dinner and jamboree."
Get me a cab outside the gates" said
the captain quickly, farming to the stew
I'll NuiHt tlCllSs MI (ioSSy we u DHSL
hurry"
The purser followed his superior across
the dockyard, leaving the doctor in
charge of the body. As they reached
their cab they met an inspector and a
couple OF men hurrying in answer to
| their summons.
The cab whirled the pair through the
now almost deserted city streets, and on
through Fleet street into the Strand.
where, turning down one Of the quieter
side streets toward the embankment. it
finally drew up Mt Affords Private hotel.
The captain asked for several of his
late passengers by 2ame The waiter
shrugged his shoulders hopelessly. Sew
eral gentlemen mad come in late to din
ner. They were in the smoking room
now. but their names he did not know.
The captain flung open the door and