The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1913-12-20

prove by half the people In Port OF
Spain that they were ours. We were
safe in stealing them from him-per-
fectly safe. For he would not dare
complain to the New York police,
since II he claimed them publicly, we
could have him arrested for SNUG.
Cling.
Juan thought that all out. We took
what little money ne had left and
started for New York, telling our
friends that we were going to settle in
New Orleans. Juan wrote TO our
uncles In Caracas. and secured the New
York agency for a small asphalt com
pany OF theirs. That was done TO con.
ceal our real reason for being here.
On the voyage, my eyes grew worse,
! cried so much. / was very i'll with
them when | landed.
Juan and took rooms apart. We
had learned enough about Captain
Hanska 70 know where we might look
for him. Juan traced him TO Mrs.
! Moore's boarding house. IL seemed
certain that Captain Hanska had not
sold the jewels yet else he would not
/ be living so cheaply The first thing
was to find where they were. Finally
Juan and formed plan and acted
upon IL.
Juan had discovered that the back
room on the top floor OF Mrs. Moore's
boarding house was vacant Captain
Hanska lived below; there was no
4 Unnn hfV. IN a.
on that floor. | took the vacant room.
calling myself Miss Estrilla, as you
know. Juan had been watching Cap
/ tain Hanska like detective He
moved me in one day when the cap
tain had gone TO Staten island. My
presence in the house was safer than
IL may seem TO you. did not leave
my room even for meals, since my
eyes were really In very bad condition.
Then, ! wore dark glasses, an eye
shade and a heavy scarf about my
I head do not believe my own mother
would have known me. Captain Han
ska had never seen Juan or his picture
lit just happened that there were no
photographs OF aim in our house al
Port OF Spain.
Juan lived in an apartment hotel.
I We we're in communication all the
| time by telephone. He was careful to
avoid the captain when he visited me
| IL was all dangerous, for at any time
we might be discovered. But We had
! our plan was to enter Captain Han
\ ska's room with pass-key and search
/ for the jewels or the bill OF sale,
| Whenever | made this search, Juan
was TO be following Captain Hanska
| III the captain showed signs OF re
turning, Juan was TO call me up on the
telephone-the ringing OF the bell in
my room, which informed me from
| downstairs that ! was wanted on the
extension telephone by my door, was
! TO be my warning signal could hear
that bell from Captain Hanska's room.
There could be no mistake, because
\ Juan was the only person In New York
who would be telephoning to me.
But when tried Captain Hanskas
door with my pass-key, found that he
! had installed new patent spring lock
I The next time Juan called. he looked
/ over the house. He found that you
could enter Captain Hanskas room
7 from the fire escape-and that you
/ could get on TO the fire escape from
! the window OF the lumber room across
\ the hall from mine That room was
never locked. IL was only question
OF prying open the catch ON Captain
ianska's window One night about a
week before Captain Hanska died. I
began the search | went down the
: fire escape, carrying pocket electric
/ torch which Juan had bought for me
| ] got the window catch open with a
\ penknife-it was old and loose. | went
over the whole room that night and
again on another highland found
nothing. | did discover little strong
box in the top drawer OF the dresser
II lay wide open. II had a curious
lock In that. | was sure, he would
put the Jewels II he ever wanted 70
move them. There was no sign OF the
bill OF sale. II occurred TO me, then
! that Captain Hanska might be carry
/ ing IL on his person ! knew him TO
be a very sound sleeper-he had boast
! ed TO me or that. and he proved II BY
sleeping through Ore at his hotel
when he was In Port OF Spain. So
did n dangerous thing. Without speak.
ing to Juan, went down the fire es
cape az two o'clock In the morning OF
a night when Captain Hanska was al
home, and looked through his pockets
even examined all the papers In his
wallet by the light OF the electric
torch. But Il was not there Juan
when ! told him. was angry with me
for taking such a risk He made me
promise never to enter the room
again unless Captain Hanska was
away.
And then we found that we must
act quickly. or lose our property for
ever. Juan Was watching Captain
ianska. following his movements
very closely. That day--the day aud
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