Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1914-12-05
BY SAMUEL HOPKINS ADAMS

himself looking down ON "A corpse clad
II wooden grating. 10 which II was
lnslrt with Il small rope Everything
about the badly indicated wealth The
dress WAS extensively made The
shoes were OF the best type. and the
stockings Mere silk The head was
married by frightful bruise which
had crushed in the right side and ex-
tended around behind the ear. Blood
had clottcd thickly In the short close
curled hair. The left side was un-
marked The eyes were closed and
the mouth was slightly open. showing
II CLINT Of gold amid very white and
regular teeth An expression OF dead
~ terror distorted the face Professor
Kent bent closely over IT,
That's strange very strange he
murmured. "lt should be peaceful"
'l,ut look Ut the hand. cried lar
Wis.
Here. indeed. was the astounding
feature of the tragedy. the aspect that
brought Kent tn his knees. the more
closely 10 observe The body lay
twisted slightly (" the right. with the
left arm extended The left wrist was
enclosed in light rusted handcuir To
which chain was fastened. At the
end Of the chain was the companion
Gun. shattered. evidently by u power
ful blow. aud half buried IN the sand.
A. Kent leaned over the corpse II fat.
powerful. grizZlcd ulan with II metal
badge an his shirt front pushed for
ward
'''rhcIn's east iron cuffs" he an
nounced THAT kind amt been used
these forty Years
What kind III "a ship nd he carry
in 'em unwadays;" asked some one
la the crowd
An what Kind uf seannan'd be-
putting Of '-m on n lady's wrist;"
growl-d a formidable voice. which
Kent. lookin. uj. perceived to have
come from amid growth OF heavy
white whskcrS. sprouting from IA
weather furruwe,i face.
"Scnfarin= man. aren't your In
qulred Kent.
NO more Fifty year OF IL. man
an boy. has put me In harbor."
That's Sailor Smith" explained Jar
yis
mir. Smith. will you take look at
those hastings and tell me whether
In your opinion they are the work Of
sallor!" asked Kent.
The old hands fumbled expertly.
TIL. old face puckered. Judgment
caIme forth presently.
The knots is Well enough. The
Iashin's u ImsSsible job What gifts me
10 the rope"
Well. what's wrong with the rope!'
"Nothin In pcrtic'ler. Only ! don't
know what just that style Of rope
would be doin on shipbourd unless
IL was to hang the old mans wash
on
SUPPOSE We lift this grating. Kent
suggested. 10 see whether ships
name Is stamped somewhere on It.
lie heayed the woodwork up ON edge
and held II 50. while eager eyes scan
ned the under part. Murmurs of dis
followed. In these Kent
did not Join lie had inserted IA finger
In "a crevicc Of the splintered wood and
had extracted some small object which
he held In ia. palm Of his hand. ex-
aiming IL thUughtfully.
''Wo, We got there deina nded the
Professor Kent stretched out his
hand. disclosing small grayish oh.
ject
u should take 1t TO be the cocoon OF
ephestia kuehniella.' he announced.
Its species OF grain moth
oh" grunted Schlager. You're a
bug collector. eh:'..
Exactly" answered the other. trans.
ferring his troye tO his pocket.
Thereafter he seemed TO lose inter
est Ia the center OF mystery. With
drawing to some distance he paced up
aud down the shore.
Nearer aud nearer TO high water
mark his pacing took him. Presently
he WAS scanning the tangled debris
that the highest tide OF the year had
heaped M almost against the cliff's
TOOL hutH ne ttJo'utu tue tFOWu u
had suffered the loss Of one OF It's
parts. the sheriff. conJec
lure was bizzing FROM mouth to mouth /
~ 10 the officials sudden detection.
Whatever II was he got from the |
pocket" Ken, heard one of the men
say. 1T started him quick"
Looked 10 me Ike an envelope" /
hazarded some one.
NO" contradlcted Sailor Smith:
paper would have been all pulped up
by the water
Marked handkerchief. maybe" sug
gested another
Like as not" said Jarvis 'You bet
That Len Schlager figured IL out there
I.as somethin' In It for him anyways.
could sr- the money CLEAN 10 his
eye"
That's right. too" confirmed the old
'ailor He looked just like that when
he brought IN that half wit peddler.