The Ekalaka eagle. [volume] (Ekalaka, Mont.) 1909-1920, 1915-03-26

he saw the stout commercial travel adj
Va1lclng on the double quick.
Come to my room, please" he said
quietly, Brill asked no questions. He
believed he knew what the request
meant.
Once inside the statcroom Marsh no.
toned toward the connecting door, and
Brill put his ear to the wall. This
time lie distinctly heard sounds as Of
smothcred cries.
"Iear anything:' whispered the
host.
Brill nodded slowly, and Marsh took
him by the arm and led him into the
corridor. They stopped before the first
statcrcom door. Slight but peculiar
sounds We're heard, then at 50, and the
noises We're more audible. Marsh
smiled erimly and signaled his friend
to follow. Curiously enough, he went
straight to Brill's stateroom and when
both were inside locked the door be-
hind them.
Marsh sat down and chewed vigor-
ousl y at an unlighted cigar. Brill had
no desire to break the silence, for he
had his OWL problem to straighten.
Theories chased one another through
his head with great rapidity, but none
so satisfactory as that Benedict had
sold or given the ruby trinket to
Andrew Jcnnison so that the latter
might make d Christmas gift to his
daughter.
At last Marsh arose. opened a port
hole and projected his great. round
head through the aperture with some
difficulty. Then he opened the door to
the corridor and looked out cautiously.
Closing it again very softly. he thrust
Il fat thumb in the direction Of the
inner stateroom.
Your friend-in there"' he asked.
".Aslecp-with his clothes on" re-
piled Brill, looking in. Hes done it
before
See here, Overflow said the COM
mcrcial man, drawing nearer, I'm
neither young nor given to the creeps,
but there are things aboard this ship
that aren't right"
"ln the room nea our you al =
YES, that and-other things. l left
the concert tonight, hoping that those
responsible among Bencdicts people
might be off their guard"
"Benedict's people: l thought that
they
That they occupied only as far as
3333::' Interrupted Marsh. $50 did lat
first. But when saw n OF 'em come
out of SO with the blood streaming
from an ugly cut i'll his forehead and a
scared look on his face l began to
think all over again.
But that was from SO. you say
persisted the younger man. He fan
cied his stout friend SO wholly given
over to the study of the unusual as tt
invest anything. even commonplace
sounds, with suspicion. To be sure
; there We're the smothered cries. bu'
; they might have their origin in som
l peculiar acoustic property of the ship.
; EYES," replied Marsh after openin:
the door again and peering out, "but
had seen him 90 into SO ten minute!
before with a plate of food. unlockln:
the door and locking it behind him
Oh, YES" he continued more rapidly a:
he noted the smile on Brills face
/ you'll say he was caring for a sicl
friend. But every man in the Bene
dict crowd except that one was gu
of his stateroom. I'm no Sherlock
Holmes, but l know a man when 1 SCI
him.
"But So and 81 are the only room
from which sounds could reach yours
: You've said that"
did 1? We'll. they come from some
) where. Besides. I haven't denied
have I, that they come from one o
those rooms:'
Brill had never prided himself on tn
I possession of an especially logica