Gilpin observer., 1909-05-27
cameron stepped into the cabin To

Cameron stepped into the cabin TO
get fresh cigar and Mrs. Cameron
went into the kitchen about the same
time, leaving me alone out on the deck
by the table with the candy. Under
meath the plates, to protect the table
top, were several sheets of newspaper.
My glance fell upon these papers and
my eyes became riveted upon the cor
ner nearest to me. On ths margin of
the topfnost paper were the prints of
four fingers and thumb, made with
the butter with which the plates had
been creased before the candy was
poured into them. They were long,
tapering, shapely fingers, unquestion-
ably those of an artist.
THE training of years asserted it.
self | tore away the corner of the pa.
per with the finger prints upon it and
slipped it into my pocket I could
no more help doing this than water
can help flowing down hill, for the
prints seemed duplicate of those I
so well remembered upon the wrapper
of the unused plate we had captured
in the cigar stamp case. ! was dis
stronger than will sometimes, and this
was such case.
Il left the boat as soon as I could
conveniently get away. The desire
was strong upon me to destroy the pa
per which nestled guiltily and accus-
ingly in my side pocket, but / could
not.
On my return to Washington /
secured the wrapper with the finger
prints and compared them with the
grease marks on the bit of newspaper.
A glance at the two side by side was
sufficient. The same hand had made
both. / was staggered, sick at heart,
and disgusted with the world and
life and people, more especially with
myself.
MY first impulse was to make a
clean breast of it all to the chief but,
on second thought, / decided not to
do so until l had made an investiga-
tion on my own account. l secured
leave of absence and went to the city
where the cigar stamp fraud had been
perpetrated. Here l learned much
that disconnected me. Mrs Cameron,
whose maiden name l had not heard,
had lived there and had had her
studio there. The bankers trust
company had been her guardian, the
executor of her fathers will. She
had lived in stately old mansion,
near the home of the bank president,
with maiden aunt. The aunt had
died while the niece was abroad, and l
baf of art,
of the niece had been consonant with
the exposure and arrest of the coun-
terfeiters.
There was no doubt that Mrs.
Cameron had executed the plates from
which the bogus cigar stamps had
been printed. Whether she had known
the criminality of her act l have never
learned. l have always hoped that she
did not. and finally have come to be-
lieve it. What representation the
banker made to her when he had her
execute the plates will never be
known. He died in prison of heart
failure just about the time l made
these discoveries.
This is the only time l have ever
broken faith with the service. could
not deliver Mrs. Cameron to the mer-
ciless law courts, guilty or innocent.
My sentimentality would not let me.
1t may have been wrong, but l have
never regretted my action in this
case. If it were to do over again
should follow the same course. What
do you think of it? What would you
have done under the circumstances? ?"
Copyright, 1909 by W. G.. Chapman)
Copyright in Great Brittany