The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-09-06

world, SO il seemed He spoke Familiarity Of
St Petersburg. yiadvostok, Shanghai, as
the villa gers-some Of them-might gave
spoken Of Boston. There were one or two
old timers among the audience They had
been TO all these parts. The stranger knew
what he was telling about. After telling of
his many voyages he asked If there was
good bathing beach nearby, He was told
that he would find the most suitable spot
near Capt Barnes cottage just outside the
village.
An say. Mister seen anythn In til pa
pers about missin' young woman" asked
one.
Missing young woman? What's thatT
The man told the story of Florences leap
into the sea and her subsequent arrival at
the cape
THAT'S funny" said the stranger, Il
don't recollect reading about any young
woman being lost at sea. But those big
liners are always keeping such things under
cover. Hoodoos the ship, they say, and turns
prospective passengers to other lines. 1t
hurts business What's the young girl look
hke?'
Florence was described infinitely. The
stranger teetercd in his chair and smoked,
Finally ne spoke.
She was probably insane That's the
way generally with insane people They
can't see water or look off tall building
without wanting to jump, My business is in
surauce. and we've got the thing figured
pretty close to the ground. They used to get
the best Of us on the suicide game A man
would take out large policy today and to-
morrow he'd blow his mead off, and we'd have
10 pay his WIFE Bur nowadays p0fTcy ~
not worth the paper it's written on If a man
commits suicide under two years"
You amt tryin' t insure anybody in
town, are YOU
80. no. No work for me when I'm on my
vacation. Well, I'm going to bed: and to-
morrow morning III go out to Capt. Barnes
beach and have good swim. I'm no sailor,
but like water"
- He honestly enjoyed swimming. Early the
next morning he in the water, frolicking
about as playfuy AZ boy He had all the
time in the world. Over his shoulder he saw
two women wandering down toward the
beach Deeper he went, farther out. He
was bold swimmer. hut that did not pre-
vent a sudden and violent attack of cramps.
And ii was rare piece Of irony that the
poor girl should save the life Of that scoun-
drel who was without pity or mercy. As she
saw his face startled frown marred ner
brow. But she could not figure out the puz-
ale Had she ever seen the man before? She
did not know, she could not tell Why could
not she remember? Why must her poor head
ache so when she tried to pierce the wall Of
darkness which surrounded her mentally?
The man thanked her fecbly, but the graf
itude was on his lips and not in his heart,
When he mad sufficiently recovered he re-
turned to the village and sought the railway
station, where the Western Union had its
Office.
AZ wnnt 10 send code message to my
firm Do you think you can follow it,"
Il can try" said the operator.
The code was really .slav: and when the
long message was signed it was signed by
the name Vroon.
The day after the news came that Flor
encc had jumped overheard OF the Banks,
Vroon with n dozen other men had starred
out u comb all the fishing villages along the
New England coast. Somewhere along the
way he felt confident that he would learn
whether the girl was dead or alive. If she
was dead. then the game was draw; but II
she was alive there was still fighting chance
ior the Black Hundred. He had had some