News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1914-09-23
HELD IN
TRUST
By DWIGHT NORWOOD


it to my stateroom.
| had no occasion to look into this
case till we had been out half the voy-
age, or four days. When | did | met
with surprise. 1t was filled with
articles used by a woman. Realizing
that | had changed baggage with some
one, | looked over the contents to dis
cover Il name or something by. which
l might return it to its owner and get
mine. Here again | met with sur
prise | found no mark, but came
upon numerous little boxes containing
jewels which were evidently very val
liable. Here was 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 L to be used as the
smugger. All the thinking | did on
IL.
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 l made some agreeable acquaint-
apces. There were d Mrs. HarbesOn
and her daughter aboard, who sat
great deal on deck. A gentleman who
was with them at times l met in the
smoking room. We fell to talking one
day about the run of the ship and
thus became acquainted. Passing the
ladies | 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 | labored to make myself
and succeeded in doing
away somewhat with her embarrass-
ment or whatever it might be.
was too circumspect to say word
to any one about my find. | left the
jewels where they were in the case,
which l showed under my berth. Not
knowing what trouble might get into
in the matter, | 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-
Guided that l must take some action
with reference to the goods, which |
lid not doubt had either been stolen
Or were to be struggled, or both, and,
going to my stateroom and locking
he door, | pulled out the extension
,ase and lifted the top. What was my
to see that it contained |
ny own belongings and did not con- |
ain any other property.
There was mystery indeed. How |
he jewels came into my possession |
did not know: how they left me l did |
lot know But it was evident that |
wo exchanges had been made, and, |
he second one having been purposely |
ccomplished, it was evident that some
anne was going on. But it seemed to
ne now that | should never receive an
EXPLANATION of the incident Neverthe-
ess l felt relieved that the property
ad passed out of my possession. In
eed, l had about made up my mind
efore leaving the ship to turn it over
D the purser.
The Harbesons, Mr.. Etheridge, the
IAN who introduced me to them, and
all made rapid progress in becoming
ltimate and before reaching port
greed that we should meet on the
vening of our arrival for dinner at a
ertain uptown restaurant. We bid
lch other goodby at the dock at noon,
nd at Z, attired in dinner costume, L
let my friends in a private dining |
'om. | was received cordially, espe-
ally by the ladies, and after getting
armed up with wine Mrs. Harbeson
i'd to me:
81 have something 20 tell you pro-
ded you will promise to tul,e no ad-
intage of it."
l looked at her sharply. 1t struck :
e at once that she knew something :
,out my find on shipboard. | made '
e required promise.
MY daughter and l" said the lady. I
ave done a good dea, Of smuggling, :
It for profit, but to save money on
hat we bring from abroad. We stop r
d at the same hotel as you in Lon .
n. Believing that we were suspect
by detective on the other side and !
wing some $4,000 worth of jewels .
get through the New York customs Z,
use free of duty, we were at our
is end.
My daughter. passing along a cor
lor. heard you order your baggage
ken to the steamer. Yeu left your =,
pm unlocked. She went in and saw i,
ur wicker case. We had its dupli- a
te. She put the Jewels in ours. car q
d it TO your room and took yours cl
-av "