Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1912-04-23


the thief had found in my room.
There was probably cause for his
amusement in the expression Of my
face Notwithstanding the return Of
my checks and the amount they called
for had never doubted that this
man was a thief. Had not come sud-
denly upon him in my room, found
my checks missing. and had he not
shown every evidence of having taken
them? His making memoranda of my
name and the amount Of my loss had
regarded a clever trick to throw me
momentarily Off my guard so that he
might make his escape. The return OF
the checks I had accounted for on
various theories: the 5000 francs I
had received had remained an unsolv-
able mystery.
So I stood staring at him with as
much wonder as If my great-grand-
fathers ghost had suddenly doomed up
before me. He, on the contrary, had
an advantage. He had seen me, rec
ognized me and had asked to be pre-
scented to me, knowing Of our previous
meeting. and had prepared himself for
this second one
"You are surprised" he said, with q
very pleasant smile which revealed
white teeth under his dark mustache.
81 should think have reason to be
surprised. You speak English. Why
did you not address me in that tongue
when
When was pilfering In your room
at the G. hotel? How did 1 know
that you spoke that language? tried
| you In italian, then French. Mean
while had become terror stricken at
! the position I was in-caught in a
lady's chamber and her money miss
ing. How could 1 ever explain to the
world? In the incident 1 saw men
staring me In the face"
/ "But how
How did / come to be therer A
friend of mine who was Ill in tho
G.. hotel begged me to come and see
him. I went and sent up my card
He directed that be shown 10 his
room. A stupid waiter piloted me and,
leaving me before your door. left me.
knocked and received no reply. Sup
posing my friend might not be able to
speak loud enough for me to hear, I
turned the knob and went In. Sur
prised to see no one there, was gap
ing about me when you entered"
"why did 1 not think of something
like that before? Well, where did you
go when you left me? Who sent me
the 5000 francs7 Who stole my
checksT'
zone reply at a time, II you please.
Frightened out of my equanimity,
left the hotel by rear passage, then
went to my bank, drew 5000 francs
and sent them to you at once"
why did you do that?'
Because you needed the money, and
I hoped that 1t would induce you to
refrain from setting the police on my
track. AS to your checks, 1 know
nothing about them"
How do you account for their loss ~
"Some one, doubtless a servant of
the hotel, entered your room and, find
ing your trunk open, took them
And could not realize on them with
, out the identification that was given
me with the checks, which l carry al
ways on my person"
Il wished on that memorable morn
ing that you had carried all your be
longings on your person"
! 1t seemed to me now that had been
!; very stupid about the whole affair. 1
should not have taken a gentleman for
: thief and told the prince so, but he
| smiled and said that there were plenty
Of thieves who We're more aristocratic
: looking than himself asked for his
: address that 1 might return the 5000
francs he had sent me, for which
J / now thanked him, inasmuch as at
{ the time l received them / certainly
! needed them. Then he asked me to
, dance, and we whirled away. I feeling
| very strange at dancing with a thief
{ The more | thought about the
t princes action upon being jnnocently
e caught in my room with my trunk open
. and my property missing the more I
d admired not only his presence OF mind,
. but his ability to decide quickly the
t best way out Of the matter. In an in
slant he decided on n course that was
J. his only hope Of escaping temporarily
= from the critical position he was in and
4 hit upon the best method of escaping
e permanently. His taking my name
g and address and the amount had lost
/ accomplished the first. and his sending
g 1t to me anonymously accomplished
= the second.
a The adventure in the end was a
great advantage to me. The prince.
who was given to archaeology. showed
, ME many things that I would never
n have seen without his guidance. and
It his little lectures upon them were de-
n lightful. In addition Ia this. he was OF
l. great benefit to rue in a social way.
q He seemed to feel that he must make
amends for the unfortunate contre-
temps in which he was concerned.
d | have returned TO America. and a
letter from my Italian friend an
lie nounces that he will be over himself in
n the next stea mer.
, April 23 in American