Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-01-26
DAILY STORY
THE MAJORS LESSON.

MdJOr 1HOrnIOI, u. - A. retired, was
at Margate, England. Going one day
to his room, he found in the hall of the
hotel a 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 n glad
surprise.
They were discussing the matter in
the lunch room when he went down.
While he was out ON the promenade
there had been an arrest in the hotel
The wife of n prominent manufacturer
stopping at the house had made an
outcry that the jewel had been taken
from her room during mOmentary
absence. Suspicion was directed to a
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. 4
search had failed to find the jewel on
| his person. but it was, of course, ar
gued that he had passed it to confed
crate.
The major heard all this ana much
more, and he had started in to nd
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 q 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 a suit
for damages and family frightened the
woman into giving him a 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 !
stricken? 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 i
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 20 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 l.
hotel until the train started he was in L
n cold sweat. The sight of a police
man gave him feet as cold as ice. /
When he reached London he suddenly |,
that valuable parcel like
that must be receipted for and the l.
name of the sender given. He might
give a false name, but if the parcel /,
was traced back wouldn't his person {
atty be remembered? The major sat
1n n bench in st. James park trying to
figure it out when a voice said: |,
Major Thornton. sir. if you will per-
nit the liberty, sir
1t was Saunders, the waiter. He was
we'll dressed and looking pretty chip
Der. The major made room for him on {
he bench, and the waiter sat down to
continue:
gave me at Margate." 3
yes was the reply.
at may be the means of running an
honest mans reputation. Such things X
,et out. you know, and once man in !
his profession is spotted as crooked no =
lotel wants him thereafter. If l hadn't &
ost my head I should have made the
ady pay five times the price she did"
81 was not one of those who thought
'ou took the sunburst."
THANK you, sir-thank you from the
'ottom of my heart. You have given s
ne hope"
''What think" continued the major,
is that the lady dropped the jewel in
he hall and some one found and kept {
t."
Gust my idea all the time, sir. 1t !
must have been dropped in the hall and
licked up by somebody else"
There was further talk, and after