The Washburn leader., 1914-06-05
A BIT OF
WAX
8, WILLARD BLAKEMAN

b. WILLARD BLAkEMAN
y 80 81 ~; =,
had zone out TO India to serve as
an accountant In a, banking houses but. :
becoming homesick. decided to return
to America. A few days before l sail
ed the head Of the firm called me INTO
his private Office and told me that
client os the house desired that carry
for him to Boston valuable sapphire.
He would pay me handsomely for Ito
delivery In that city.
I needed the money and accepted tho
commission. I called for it the day
sailed, wearing a coat with pocket
in the lining. in which the sapphire
was sewed by an Indian woman VINO
was called in for the purpose. though
she did not see the contents OF the
nocket or know that there was pock-
ct there.
nv route was BY Alden. the Sues ca
nal. the .MeditetTapean and over the
Atlantic ito New York, quite long
Journey and all in the same vessel !
made the acquaintance Of an Amert-
can lady. Mrs. Gillette. whose maid
was young Indian woman. The lady
told me that shortly before she sailed
the woman-Susan she was called. be-
cause. her Indian name was hard to
pronounce that she was In
tending to sail for America. came and
begged her to take her with her as her
maid. with no compensation except
paying for her passage. The lady.
who was subject to seasickness and
wished some one to wait on her. con-
sented. Mrs. Gillette was III in rough
weather, but we'll on smooth sea.
Susan took very good care Of her.
Since had told no one that car.
ried valuable gem and no one ex-
cept myself and the man through
whom it came to me knew where it
was 1 felt very little fear Of losing 1t.
simply wore the coat in which 1t was
sewed by day and used it for a pillow
by night, so that it was always either
on my back or under my head. But
one thing occurred during the voyage
to cause me to suspect the possibility
Of any one being on my track. One
day when about to enter my state
room noticed something white not
as big as pea on the floor directly un-
der the lock. have no idea what In
duced me to pick it up, but did 80
and. crushing it between my thumb
and forefnger. found it to be wax.
Could any one have been taking an
impression of the lock on my state
room door? dismissed the sugges-
ti0n at once as farfetched.
We had left Gibraltar and were
nearing the Azores when one morning
awoke with head swimming sen.
sation. smelled a peculiar odor In the
room. put up my hand to grasp my
coat, for felt that my head was with
out support. and was horriied to find
the coat was not there. I arose and
looked about the room for It as best
could. but 1t was not In the room.
tried the door and found 1t locked.
The key had concealed under my
mattress. 1t was where had placed 1t.
The remembrance of the bit of wax
had found came back to me as the
only clew tn this robbery. II an i'm.
preston had been made for key the
key must have been made aboard the
ship. 1t could not have been filed
without the ding being heard Doubt
less 1t had been made In the ships
workshop. went below and asked
the man in charge Of the metal work.
ing shop If he had been called to make
key. He said that he had not. but,
after some thought. said that one OF
the stewards had bsen; In the shop
flling something. He remembered the
steward. and we: found. him.
reported the matter to the captain.
who called the steward before him
and obtained confession that he had
been tipped by iady's maid to do
some flling on key. When called
upon to identify the iady's maid be
pointed out Mrs. Gillette's Indian girl.
Susan.
Before Susan got wind Of the mat
ter stewardess took her In charge and
another went through her eifects
My coat was found among them, but
the sapphire was missing. We were
obliged to tie a rope around Susan.
threatening to put her overheard, be-
fore she broke down and told 10 where
she had concealed It.
No blame whatever was attached to
Mrs. Gillette. She had not the sliehtast
conception that her maid was not only
q thief. but had entered her service
knowing that she was about to leave
sf6f America on the same steamer II
Iand believing that carried the sap.
phire.