The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-03-08
The Major S Lesson


Syndicate.l
Major Thornton, Z. S. A.. retired, was
at Margate, England Going one day
to his room, he found in the hall of the
hotel diamond sunburst. His first
thought was to go down to the Office
and turn in the lost jewel; his second
was to wait and give the loser a glad
surprise.
They were discussing the matter in
the lunch room when he went down
While be was out on the promenade
there had been an arrest In the hotel.
The wife of a prominent manufacturer
stopping at the house had made an
cutlery that the jewel had been taken
from her room during momentary
absence. Suspicion was directed TO Il
waiter named Saunders, who had come
up to the next room with an order and
when suddenly accused of the theft he
became confused and embarrassed and
had been put under arrest and taken
away. None of those who saw him
and heard his lame explanations could
make the least excuse for him. A
search had failed to find the jewel on
his person, but 1t was, of course, ar
gued that he had passed it to confed-
crate
The major heard all this and much
more, and he had started in to defend
the waiter and talk about the unrelia-
bility of circumstantial evidence and
cite instances when the lady as
sured her hearers for the tenth time
that she had the jewel in her hand and
was looking at the hinge Of the pin
not a moment before she left the room.
She was most positive that she left it
behind her on the dresser. She would
swear to that In all the courts of the
land. The aggressiveneSs and the posi-
tiveness Of the lady rather startled the
major. If she could not be made to
believe that she had dropped the thing
in the hall where he had found it, what
sort of a position would it put him in?
The major kept the sunburst in his
pocket. Saunders had been put through
the third degree at the police station
and given his liberty. He had come
down from London fairly recommend
ed. and up to that moment no fault
had been found with him. He return
ed to the hotel and talked about suit
for damages and family frightened the
woman into giving him n hundred dol
lars in cash and making a humble
apology.
When the waiter had been freed the
majors quandary was worse than ever.
If he restored the jewel, he would be
asked why he delayed. 1t was very
doubtful also if his story Of finding it
in the hall would be believed. The
loser was too positive for that. The
man Saunders went away at once. If
the Jewel could in some way be return
ed to the lady, would anybody believe
that the waiter had become conscience
stricken2 On the contrary, wouldn't
everybody declare that the real thief
had become frightened and was still
guest at the hotel?
How we argue to ourselves and how
other people argue about us are two
different things. AS a matter Of fact,
the major was the last one to be sus
pected, and yet he had the feeling that
all looked upon him with suspicion.
Whether at table, in the smoking room
or on the sands, the subject was con-
stantly turning up, and he sometimes
wondered why he was not arrested as
the criminal. He stood this sort OF
thing for two weeks and then decided
to go elsewhere. He would go up to
LoNdOn and from thence mail the
jewel to the lady and go on to Paris
at once. From the time he left the
hotel until the train started he was in
Il cold sweat The sight of a police
man gave him feet as cold as ice.
When he reached London he suddenly
remembered that valuable parcel like
that must be receipted for and the
name Of the sender given. He might
give false name, but If the parcel
was traced back wouldn't his person
ality he remembered? The major sat
Oh bench in st. James park trying to
figure it out when voice said:
major Thornton, sir, If you will per-
nit the liberty, SIR
1t was Saunders, the waiter. He was
well dressed and looking pretty chip |
per. The major made room for him on
the bench, and the waiter sat down to
continue:
Major that was a bad deal they |
gave me at Margate."
Yes" was the reply
1T may be the means of running all
honest mans reputation, Such things |
get out, you know, and once man In |
this profession is spotted as crooked no |
hotel wants him thereafter. If hadn't |
lost my head | should have made the |
lady pay five times the price she did"
Il was not one of those who thought |
you took the sunburst."
Thank you, sir-thank you from the
bottom of my heart. You have given
me hope"
What think" continued the major,
"is that the lady dropped the jewel in
the hall and some one found and kept
it,"
Just my idea all the time, sir 1t
must have been dropped in the hall and
picked up by somebody else"
There was further talk, and after
quarter Of an hour Saunders arose,
uttered his heartfelt thanks once more