The daily Alaskan., 1914-09-17
HELD IN
 TRUST By DWIGHT NoRWooD

finding one exactly Ike mine carried 1t to my stateroom.
 I had no occasion to look into this case till we had been out half the yoy- age, or four days. When l did met with a surprise. It was filled with articles used by woman. Realizing that had changed baggage with some one, looked over the contents to dis cover a name or something by which might return 1t to its owner and get mine. Here again met with sur prise. l found no mark, but came upon numerous little boxes containing jewels which were evidently very val uable. Here was a subject for a job of thinking.
 Had the lady placed the jewels there merely to convey them, or did this placing them in a frail and unlocked receptacle indicate that she intended to smuggle them Into America? Had they come into my possession through an error, or was to be used as the smuggler? All the thinking l did on the matter did not solve 1t. The only thing could do was to go to the pur- ser and if any one notified him of the loss of a wicker extension case to let me know. The ship having been out four days and no one having reported such a loss, the inference seemed to be either that the lady, suppOsing that she had her own case, had not exam ined its contents Orwell, the only other suppOsition was that she would use me for a purpose. must await developments.
 The trip was a pleasant one to me, for 1 made some agreeable acquaint- apces. There were d Mrs. Harbesen and her daughter aboard, who sat a great deal on deck. A gentleman who was with them at times met in the smoking room. We fell to talking one day about the run of the ship and thus became acquainted. Passing the ladies I have mentioned while he was with them, he made a remark to me which led to an introduction to his friends. The mother was quite cor dial, but the daughter seemed a trife i'll at ease. However, since she was pretty girl 1 labored to make myself entertaining and succeeded in doing away somewhat with her embarrass- ment or whatever It might be.
 l was too circumspect to say a word to any one about my find. left the jewels where they were in the case, which 1 showed under my berth. Not knowing what trouble I might get into in the matter, 1 preferred, If accused, to be able to take any position that might be for the best" But my inten- ton was to tell the truth.
 The day before reaching port l con- cluded that l must take some action with reference to the goods, which l did not doubt had either been stolen or were to be smuggled, or both, and, going to my stateroom and locking, the door, 1 pulled out the extension case and lifted the, top. What was my astonishment to see that 1t, contained my owR belongings and did not con tain any other property.
 There was a mystery indeed How the jewels came into my possession I did not know; how they left me l did not know. But 1t was evident that two exchanges had been made, and, the second one having been purposely accomplished, it was evident that some game was going on. But k seemed to me now that I should never receive an explanation of the incident. Neverthe- less 1 felt relieved that the property had passed out of my possession. h. deed l had about made up my mind before leaving the ship to turn 1t over to the purser.
 The Harbesous, MT. Ethemdge, the man who introduced me to them, and 1 all made rapid progress In becoming intimate and before reaching port agreed that we should meet on the evening of our arrival for dinner at certain uptown restaurant We bid each other goodby at the dock at noon, and at I, attired in dinner costume, l met my friends in a private dining room. I was received cordially, espe- cially by the ladies. and after getting warmed up with wine Mrs. Harbeson said to me:
 q have something to tell you pro yided you will promise to take no ad- vantage of it."
 1 looked at her sharply. It struck me at once that she knew something about my find on shipbOard. l made the required promise.
 "AIy daughter and l." said tine lady. have done a good deal of smuggling, not for profit, but to save money on what we bring from abroad. We stop ped at the same hotel as you in Lon don. Believing that we were suspect ed by detective on the other side and having some S29,OOO worth of jewels to get through the New York customs house free of duty, we were at our wits end.
 "My daughter, passing along a cor ridor, heard you order your baggage taken to the steamer. You left your