The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-26

| to his wife by Queen Victoria in per-
| son for making the best pumpkin pies
| in all England. She had used 1t for
twenty years to catch her Gears IN
whenever she wept. On many occa-
sions she had thrown it at his head.
There were a thousand other sacred
associations connected with, it, and he
had called in hopes that Mr.. Tread
we'll could see his way clear to taking
the sum of fifteen pounds for the sad
relic.
Mr.. TreadwelI felt for the suave Mr..
Perkins but he couldn't part with the
box. He was still mad at the people
who had called him a yankee" and
giggled over his bargain and he had
begun to smell a rat. No six-penny
sandalwood box was worth fifteen
pounds unless there was some secret
connected with it-something by
which he might profit and get even.
He therefore, turned Mr.. Perkins
down and took the box to his room
and examined it. It seemed nothing
more than a plain handkerchief box.
There were no traces of the tears shed
by the dead and gone. If the late
Mrs. Perkins had ever busted it by
throwing it at the head of her hus-
band 1t had been repaired again. Mr.
Treadwell peeked and peered and
found nothing. 1t was only when he
came to measure that he suspected
secret drawer and at length found one.
a marriage certificate of the same
person. and the death Of that person
had taken place fifteen years pre-
viously. AS near as could be figured
out the papers were valuable to COM
plete record and establish a claim.
The ferret-faced man knew it, the
Young woman knew it and the suave
Mr. Perkins knew it. They were in
cahoots to get possession. and not for
one moment did Mr.. Treadwell be-
1ieve that any of them had legal
right to the documents.
He had read them over and over,
and he sat bordering on the matter,
when his bedroom door opened softly.
He sat with his back to. it. and the
hour was almost evening. He heard
nothing and had no premonition. The
first he knew two hands gripped his
throat and pulled him over backwards
on the floor. Then he looked up to
find Mr.. Perkins sitting on his chest.
and another man in the room.
Don't kill, the blokei" whispered
the other man. 1.-THE documents are
right here under our noses, and we
ought to be obliged to him."
Mr.. Treadwell was not throttled to
death Mr.. Perkins had evidently
come prepared for such an event, but
gave over grudgingly and slipped a
gag into the mouth of his victim. Then
he produced cords and trussed him up
SO speedily and securely as to almost
excite admiration. When ne nad
finished his work he showed the body
aside. took glance at the papers and
shook hands with his coadjutor. The
latter may have been in the same
architectural line of business. Mr..
Treadwell had ordered I'D bottle of
wine but had forgotten to open it.
The two men now saved him the
trouble. It was good wine. and they
smacked their lips over it and COM
plimented the American. Then they
winked at him. twiddled their fingers
from the ends of their noses. and
walked softly out.
IT was three long hours before
waiter looked in to see II the yam
kee' had jumped his bill and depart
ed Then Mr.. Treadwell was united
and Engaged. a charge of six-pence
extra placed against his name for be-
ing tied W and robbed. and when he
went to the police and related the
whole circumstance and asked that
Mr.. Perkins and the others be run
down he was answered by the officer:
"Oh, go home and sleep it Off You
are one of those buggy Americans who
ought never to be allowed at Target"
copyrighted. 1907, by Mcclure
Syndicate.1