The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1907-11-14
The Suaye Mr.. Perkins.



a ferret faced man and determined to
have it. The people around him got
on to the fact that he was Il yankee"
and made comments that further deter
mined him. To the auctioneer'S sur
prise, the bids went up to 80 Mr.,
Treadwell would have carried them to
double that sum, but the other bidder
rushed away - look for some one in
the crowd, and. being afraid of miss
ing a good thing. the auctioncer knock
ed the trife down to the last bidder,
and it was handed to him and paid for
amid giggles and open laughter. He
had not gone two blocks from the
house when a young woman overlook
him. She explained that she had been
lady's maid in the house for a number
of years and coveted the box as Il sou
venir or her dear dead mistress. The
ferret faced man had been bidding for
her. Would MIR. Treadwell respect the
sentiment that actuatcd her and let
her have the box for what he paid?
Mr.. Treadwell declined to sell.
The hotel had scarcely been reached
when Charles Perkins desired an in
terview. Mr.. Perkins was suave-eX
ceedingy suave. He had been in Amer
lea. He had seen Boston Common.
Although he was one of the most pa
trotic of his ma iesty's subjects. he had
gazed upon Bunker Hill monument and
found his heart swelling with pride at
the thought of how bravely it had
been held against the redcoats.
When Mr. Perkins had got through
praising Uncle Sans country and
children he turned to the subject in
hand 1t was his wife that had died.
and his furniture that had been sold
at auction. He was an architect and
had met his downfall by trying to in
troduce American ideas into England,
such as dark bedrooms, parlors i'll
which two people had to sit with their
knees touching and hot air furnaces
that only produced hot air from the
mouth of the manufactured That san
dalwood box had been presented to
his wife by Queen Victoria in person
for making the best pumpkin pies in
lions connected with it. and he had
called in hopes that Mr.. Treadwel
could see his way clear to taking the
sum OF Els for the sad relic
Mr.. Treadwell 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 gig
rrIn nd bo
gun to smell a rat. No siXpenny san
dalwOod box was worth Els 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. 1t seemed
nothing more than a plain handker-
chief box. There were no traces of
the tears shed by the dead and gone
If the late Mrs. Perkins had ever bro
ken it by throwing it at the head of her
husband. it had been repaired again.
Mr. Treadwell peeked and peered and
found nothing. 1t was only when he
came to measure that he suspected q
secret drawer and at length found one.
The contents consisted of a birth and
marriage certificate of the same per
son. and the death of that person had
taken place fifteen years. previously.
AS near as could be figured out, the
papers were valuable to complete a
record and establish claim The fer
ret faced man knew it. the young wo-
man knew it. and the suave Mr., Per
kins knew it. They were in cahoots to
get possession. and not for one moment
did Mr.. Treadwell believe that any of
them had legal right to the docu-
ments.
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-- TIE
first he knew two hands gripped his
throat and pulled him over backward
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 bokev' whispered
the other man. THE documents are
right here under our noses, and we
ought to be obliged to him.
Mr.. Treadwell was not throttIed 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 he had fin
ished his work he showed the body
aside. took a 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 up 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 compli-
mented the American. Then they
winked at him. twiddled their fingers
from the ends of their noses, and
walked softly out
1t was three long hours before a