The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-05-10
MORGAN ROBERTSON. '-'

and naturally little anxious. All I had in the world, even to my son and grandchild. was in the Titan"
 "It is very sad, MT. Selfridge. You nave my deepest sympathy. I believe you are der largest holder of Titan stock, about f100, ,000, is it not? About that"
 '1 am der heaviest insurer. So MT. Selfridge this battle will be largely between you and myself"
 Rattle! Is there to. be any difi- culty?'' asked MT. Selfridge anxiously.
 s'Berhaps; I do not know. Der un- derwriters and outside companies have placed matters in my hands and will not bay until I take der initiative. We must hear from one John Rowland, who, with a little child, was rescued frtin der berg and taken to Christian sand. He has been too sick to leave der ship which found him and is com ing up der Thames in her this morn ing. have a carriage at der dock and expect him at my office py noon. Dere is where we will transact this little pixness, not here"
 "A child-savedr' queried the old gentleman. "Dear mel It may be lit tie Myra. She was not at Gibraltar with the others. I would not care-I would not care much about the money if she was safe. But my son, my only son, is gone, and. MT. Meyer am a ruined man If this insurance is not paid."
 "And I am a ruined man If it is,' said MT. Meyer, rising. twill you come around to der of1ce, MT. Selfridge? I expect der attorney and Captain Bryce are dere now" Mir. Selfridge arose and accompanied him to the street. A rather meagerly furnished private office in Threadneedle street, partition Meyers name in the window, received the two men, one of whom, in the tn- terests of good business, was soon to be impoverished. They had not wait ed a minute before Captain Bryce and Mir. Austen were announced and usher ed in. Sleek, well fed and gentleman ly in manner, perfect types of the Brit ish naval officer, they bowed politely 1 to Mr. Selfridge when MT. Meyer in l troduced them as the captain and first officer of the Titan and seated them l selves. A few moments later brought shrewd looking person whom Mir. Meyer addressed as the attorney for the steamship company, but did not 1 introduce, for such are the amenities l of fbo Eyy,c cr1foI, xyrofav,, <,f oo
 'Now, then, gentlemen" said MT. Meyer, "I believe we can proceed to pizness up to a certain point-berhaps further. MT. Thompson, you have the affidavit of Captain Bryce"
 q -have," said the attorney, produc. ing a document which MT. Meyer glanced at and handed back.
 "And in this statement, captain" he said, "you have sworn that der voyage was uneventful up to der moment of der wreck-that is,' he added with an oily smile as he noticed the paling of the captains face, ''that nothing oc- 1 cured to make der Titan less sea- worthy or manageable
 ''That is what I swore to- said the captain with little sigh. You are part owner, are you not, Captain Bryce?"
 "I own five shares of the company's $ stock"
 "I have examined der charter and der company lists," said MT. Meyer. ''Each boat of der company is. so far
 as assessments and dividends are con cerned, a separate company. I fint
 you are listed as owning two sixty-sec
 onds of der Titan stock This make
 you, under der law, part owner of de
 Titan and responsible as such."
 "What do you mean, sir, by tha
 word responsible? said Captain Bryc' l quickly.
 l For answer MT. Meyer elevated hi
 black eyebrows, assumed an attitud'
 of listening, looked at his watch ana
 went to. the door, which as he opened
 admitted the sound of carriage wheels 1 Tn here," he called to his clerks, thel
 faced the captain.
 What do I mean, Captain Bryce?'
 he thundered. 'I mean that you hay, concealed in your sworn statement al reference to der fact that you collidet with and sunk the ship Royal Age ol