Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1910-08-08

out among the passengers till after the
Internal machine was i'm tow. and then
Ii was no longer possible 10 keep 1t
secret. People gathered on the stern
clamoring TO know why the boat with
its contents was being put out. and
when ii was at n safe distance those
who knew admitted that there was a
box in the boat which might contain
an explosive. Immediately the news
spread that anarchists had endeav-
ored TO blow up the ship and it had
been saved only by a wireless tele-
gram from the chief of the Southamp-
ton police.
Mr.. Mervale. who bad received the
telegram and among whose baggage
the anarchists had placed the eXplo-
sive. at once became the most impor-
tant man aboard. not excepting the
captain. Passengers crowded around
him TO learn every detail He endeay-
ored to calm them. telling them that
be believed a mistake had been made
and that the box simply contained a
clock and other family heirloonls.
AS distinguished men find their val
ne enhanced by always keeping them
selves before Jhe pubic. 50 Mr.. Mer
vale gained with Miss Floyd by his
prominence. even if it were only on
account of having had among his bag
gage that which might blow the ship
and passengers sky high. Somehow
Kicker. who bad seemed 10 her quite
man when pulling her in a boat on
| Lake Como. now appeared equally
tame in comparison with this earl's
son. who had become the center of
attraction for the whole ship. The
| former gradually gave way TO the
| latter. and Miss Floyd. instead of
walking the deck or sitting in a steam
er chair all day in company with Mr.
Kicker. merely began these sociabilitics
with him and continued them with Mr..
Mervale.
/ Meanwhile the internal machine
J bobbed up and down on the waves.
| Knots of passengers constantly loiter-
| ing on the stern look6I at it and swap
| ped opinions whether in case of an
explosion it was far enough from the
! ship to avert any damage. Then came
| the approach to port. the handing
/ around of custom house blanks on
| which to make declarations of duti-
| able baggage. the filling in of articles
/ purchased abroad ana handing them
| 10 the purser. Mr.. Mervale said that
| if the box being tOwed was what he
| supposed it was the duty on the ar.
| ticleS it contained was considerable.
| The question as TO whether IL was a
| box of heirlooms or an Internal ma
chine must be settled by the custom
| officers. He rather thought they would
| pass ii free of duty.
| The evening before reaching port
| Miss Floyd was sitting with Mr.. Mer-
( vale on the upper deck. where they
were not so liable to interruption as
! they would be lower down. He was
telling her of the family home of his
father. the earl, and his mother. the
countess. Then he told her how they
had sent him TO America. where rich
wives were to be had by British noble
| men for the asking. that he might mar
ry a wealthy American girl and build
up the family estates when he came
into the title. But he had been cap
tured before his arrival. He had 10
sooner seen Miss Floyd than he had
succumbed to her, rich or poor.
! Miss Floyd told him that, as to
means, she would have on the death OF
| her father a large inheritance. But
| complication had arisen in the matter
| of Walter Kicker. There was an en-
| gagement that had not been approved
| by her parents and might not be APP
proved by them. She would be pleased
| to have Mr.. Mervale call on her in
! New York. That was all young lady
who had recently accepted one man
could say TO another whom she wished
| TO replace the first.
But she said nothing of this to
! Kicker
| Miss Floyd was taking home num-
! Der of vaIuableS that were dutiable
Her father was ready TO pay the duty
| on them, but there is fascination in
beating" the government on customs
that attacks even young girls. MIR.
! Mervale told her thar he had way
of getting goods through the custom
! house and IL she would bring them UP
! to him he would smugGle them into
| port and send them to her immediate
| ly afterward. She brought him up
| several thousand dollars worth OF
| goods, then babe him good night. show
ing by slight pressure of the hand
that he might hope.
Soon after the parting between Mr..
Mervale ana Miss Floyd Fire island
| light was sighted. and in the morning
the. Eric was steaming up New York
bay.
But where was the boat containing
the Internal machine? And where was
! Mr.. Mervale? The former was not In
tow, and the latter was not on the
| ship.
No one ever found out how the
| "earl's sor" got the box which. be-
sides a clock. contained 100000 worth
| of diamonds ashore. He doubtless took
| Miss Floyd's valuables in the same
| boat and Struggled them in. rs be had
promised but Miss Floyd never saw
! thpn or him again