The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1908-06-13
Her Shopping Bag.
toriginai.l

Toward the close Of the last century
there was quite n rage for amateur
photography among the young people
Of New orleans. There were two
members of the Camera club, Writ
and Louise LeTan. who took
so many photographs together that LIE
came to appear to them to be COM
posed OF myriads of beautiful scenes
But suddenly Ellsworth, who was a
sugar broker. was offered fine open
ing in Havana and went there to mako
the place his home. From that time
forward all the pictures taken by Miss
Ievan seemed to her to be tinged with
melancholy. Ellsworth. too. though ne
ceased to make photographs. found
that he missed something in being de-
priyed Of the girls society.
At that time Captain General Wey-
Ter was vainly endeavoring to throttle
the revolution. He would have found
IL easier TO stamp out a prairie fire.
Nevertheless he succeeded in putting
many active revolutionary spirits out
of the way by incarcerating them. as
he called It. incomunicado. which
meant literally without communication.
In other words, no one was to know
who they werc that they were charged
with any offense or anything else about
them. h
Ellsworth was heartily In sympathy
with the Cubans, but wisely refrained
from taking any part In the revolution.
He had gone to Cuba to engage In the
sugar business. not to help the people
to gain their liberties. But rival
sugar broker. seeing certain lines OF
business that he had always controlled
passing into the young Americans
hands. secretly lodged information that
he was plotting with the revolution
lists. Ellsworth was spirited away.
When a month passed and no letter
had been received from kim In New
Orleans, great was the trepidation with
regard to him among his relatives. He
had only a mother and sisters, who.
instead of going to Cuba to find out
what had happened to him. contented
themselves with worrying. II was then
that Louise Levan discovered how
to go to Havana and make inquiries
But instead of announcing her real
purpose she gave out that she was go
Ing to take photographs of scenes per
tanning to the revolution.
When Miss Levan reached Havana
she commenced investigations which
soon led to the knowledge that Ellis
worth was confined in prison in the
interior. His recent business associata
told her that he would have takeE
measures to bring the case before the
American consul, but the incomunicad0
prevented their getting any proof OF
his identity.
Louise Levan found herself confront
ed by a problem. How could she Sc
cure this proof? Even IL she could get
into the Jail, see the prisoner and make
affidavit to the fact Of Ellsworth's
identity the trlckery Of the Spaniard
would likely thwart her in the end.
Knowing her purpose. they could sim.
ply remove the prisoner. After the
forming and rejecting Of many plans
she hit upon one that she proceeded to
carry out.
Going to the town where Ellsworth
was imprisoned. she took up her abode
In an inn with a view TO watching
Tor an opportunity to get glimpse Of
him. He might be allowed exercise I'm
the jail yard he might appear at a
window; she might be admitted to the
prison. In the hrst two of these she
was disappointed. and all her applica-
lions to gain access to the interior
we're refused until a prison inspector
came to the inn who the next day was
to inspect the prison. Louise secured
nm Introduction. fattered him and beg
ged that she might send written ac-
count. censored by him. of the treat
ment of the prisoners. The official.
seeing an opportunity to influence
American sentiment. turning 1t from
the current reports of barbarous treat
ment. consented.
The next day Louise went with the
official to inspect the prison. In time
they passed Ellsworth's cell. He was
sitting on stool. pale. detected. ema.
clated, reading fragment of a news
paper. He did not look up. As the
party passed on. Louise Jagged. This
gave her the opportunity she desired
She carried what seemed to be
lady's bag for the purpose Of holding
handkerchief. portemonnaie and such
articles. Instead 1t was kodak she
had had constructed In New Orleans.
In a,twinkllng it had snapped, and sh
had EllswOrth's picture
The prisLAar sat unconscious that H..
old camera companion was looking at
him and that she had the proof re-
quired to set bin at liberty. The party
passed On. and that evening Louise
showed thc official a report OF the In
spection. " ..lch he approved at once.
A few days later deputy United
States consul with several persons to
whom Ellsworth was personally known
miss Leyan was not among them
appeared at the prison where he was
confined. The deputy was armed with
an order and a photograph. The order
read that he was to see the prisoners.
and II the counterpart Of the photo
graph was among them he was to be OF
once sent TO Havana. When Ellis
worths cell was reached and com
-.