The Meeker herald. [volume] (Meeker, Colo.) 1885-current, 1909-11-06
Her Shopping Bag.
tOri4inaI.l

Ellsworth and Louise Levan. who took
10 many photographs together that life
came to appear to them to b COM
posed Of myriads Of beautiful scenes.
But suddenly Ellsworth, who was .
Ing in Havana and went there to make
the place his home. From that time
forward all the pictures taken BY Miss
Levan seemed to her to be tinged with
melancholy. Ellsworth. too. though he
ceased to make photographs. found
that he missed something In being de-
prived of the girls society.
At that time Captain General Wey-
Ter was vainly endeavoring to throttle
the revolution. He would have found
1t easier to stamp out a prairie hre.
many active revolutionary spirits out
of the way by incarcerating them. as
he called 1t. incomunicado. which
meant literally without communication.
In other words, no one was to know
who they were, that they were charged
with any offense or anything else about
them.
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 a 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 him 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 hnd out
what had happened to him. contented
themselves with worrying. 1t was then
that Louise Levan discovered how
much he was to her. and she decided
to go to Havana and make inquiries.
But instead of announcing her real
purpose she gave out that she was 20
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 q prison in the
Interior. His recent business associate
told her that he would have taken
measures to bring the case before the
American consul. but the incomunicado
prevented their getting any proof Of
his identity.
Loufse Levan found herself confront
ed by 4 problem. How could she e.
cure this proof? Even II she could get
into the jail. zee the prisoner and make
afIidavit to the fact of Ellsworth's
identity the trickery 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 view to watching
for an opportunity to get glimpse Of
him. He might be allowed exercise in
the Jail yard: he might appear at q
window: she might be admitted to tho
prison. In the nrst two Of these she
was disappointed. and all her appiica.
lions to gain access to the interior
were refused until a prison inspector
came to the INN who the next day was
to inspect the prison. Louise secured
nm introduction. hattered him and beg
ged that she might send 4 written &C.
count. censored by him. Of the treat
ment of the prisoners. The omcial.
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 Elisworth's cell. He was
sitting on a stool. pale. detected, ema-
ciated. reading a fragment OF news
paper. He did not look up. AZ the
party passed on Louise Jagged. This
gave her the opportunity she desired.
She carried what seemed to BE- q
lady's bag for the purpose Of holding
handkerchief. portemonnaie and such
articles. Instead It was a kodak she
had had constructed in New Orleans.
In twinkling 1t had snapped. and she
had Ellsworth's picture.
The prisoner sat unconscious that his
old camera companion was looking at
him and that she had the proof no.
quired to set him at liberty. The party
passed on, and that evening Louise
showed the onicial q report Of the In
spection. which he approved at once.
A few days later deputy United
States consul with several persons to
whom Ellsworth was personally known
Miss Levan was not among them
appeared at the prihon where be was
confined. The deputy was armed with
m order and 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 b at
once sent to Havana. When Ellis