Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1914-09-15
TheEvening Story
HELD IN
TRUST
BY DWIGHT NORWOOD

extension case-had no mark on IL. but
finding one exactly like mine l carried
II TO my stateroom.
l 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. II was filled with
articles used by woman. Realizing
that had changed baggage with some
one, l looked over the contents TO dis
cover a name or something by which
mtne. Here again ! met with a 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 Americag Had
they come into my possession through
an error or was | to be used MS the
smuggler? All the thinking / did on
the matter did not solve it, The only
thing I could do was to go TO the pur-
ser and If any one notified him OF tho
loss Of wicker extension case to let
me know. The ship having been out
four days and no one having reported
such loss, the inference seemed 10
be either that the lady, surprising that
she had her own case. had not exam,
ined It's contents orwell. the only
other supposition was that she would
use me for purpose. must await
Developments.
The trip was n pleasant one to me.
for | made some agreeable acQuaint-
arces. There were Il Mrs. Harbeson
and her daughter aboard. who sat Il
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' have mentioned while he was
with them, he made Il remark to ma
which led TO an introduction TO his
I friends. The mother was quite cor
dial, but the daughter seemed tribe
i'll at ease. However since she was a
pretty girl | lahored 20 make myself
entertaining and succeeded in doing
away somewhat with her embsrrass-
ment or whatever it might be.
! was too cireunspect to say word
to any one about my and. ] left the
jewels where they were in the case.
which showed under my berth. Not
knowing what trouble might get into
in the matter. | preferred. II 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 con-
cluded that l must take some action
with reference TO the goods. which I
did not doubt had either been stolen
or were to be smuggled. or both, and.
going to my stateroom and locking
the door. | pulled out the extension
case and lifted the top, What was my
my own belongings and did not con
tain any other property.
There was mystery indeed. How
the jewels came into my possession
did not know; how they left me did
not know. But it was evident that
two exchanges had been made, and
the second one having been purposeiy
accomplished, 1t was evident that some
game was going on. But it seemed TO
me now that | should never receive an
explanation of the incident. Neverthe-
less l felt relieved that the property
had passed out OF my possession. In
deed. l had about made up my mind
before leaving the ship TO turn It over
to the purser.
The Harbesons. Mr.. Etheridge, the
man who introduced me 10 them. aud
l ell made rapid progress In becoming
intimate and before reaching port
agreed that we should meet on the
evening of our arrival for dinner at a
certain uptown restaurant. We hid
each other goodby at the dock at noon,
and at I, attired in dinner costume. 1
met my friends in a private dining
room. | was received cordially, espe-
cially by the ladies. aud after getting
warmed up with wine AIRS. Harbeson
said TO me:
Il have something 10 tell you pro
vided you will promise TO take no nd-
vantage OF it
| looked at her sharply. IL struck
me at once that she knew something
about my find on shipbosrd. l made
the required promise.
My daughter and L. said the lady.
have done Il good deal Of smuggling.
not for profit. but 10 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 $4,000 worth Of Jewels
to get through the New York customs
house free of duty. we were az our
wits end.
My daughter. passing along a cor
ridor. heard you order your baggage
taken to the steamer You left vDur