The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-02-26
CHAPTER VIII.

''I must be getting dotty in my old age, Lou"
 CHAPTER VIII.
 On Board the Jupiter.
 A GRAY day at sea. The decks M of the Jupiter were wet with "A the almost invisible drizzle that
 filled the air, yet they were swarming with the busy pedestrians who never lose an opportunity to let every one know that they are on board New York was twenty-four hours astern, and the brief Sunday service had come to peaceful end.
 Three tall, interesting looking men stood leaning against the starboard rail of the promenade deck, unmindful of the mist, watching the scurrying throng of exercise fends. Two were young, the third was old, and of the three there was one who merited the second glance that invariably was be- slowed upon him by the circ1ing pass ersby.
 He stood between the gaunt soldier Iy old man with the fierce mustache and the trim, military young man with one that was close cropped and smart. Each wore 8 blue serge suit and af- fected 8 short visored cap of tho came material, and each 1azily puffed at a very commonplace briar pipe.
 The customary he gossip and peren- nial snooper who is always making the voyage no matter what ship one takes or the direction one goes, nosed out the purser and discovered that the young man was R. Schmidt of Vienna. He was busy thereafter mixing with the throng, volunteering information bot 14ez r&r+ -cyo1f fnd hut i0S1 appeared to be welcome. Especially were the young women on board grateful to the he gossip when he ac- costed them as a perfect stranger to tell them the name of another and even more perfect stranger.
 FfI am sorry we lost those rooms on the Sa1ammbo," said the younger of his two companions. fT had them positively engaged, money paid down. Some one else came along with more money, Dank," observed R. Schmidt. we ought to be thankful that we received anything at all. Has it occurred to you that this boat isn't crowded 7''
 ''Not more than half ful1," said the older man. "An of thes others appear ed to be packed from hold to funnel This must be an unpopular boat.'' q don't know where we'd be, how. ever, if Mir. B1ithers hadn't thought of the Jupiter almost at the last minute" said R. Schmidt.
 Mine day boat, though grow1ed the old man.
 e1 don't mind that in the least. She's a steady old tub, and that's some thing
 Hobbs tells me that it is most ex- A. T 4I- - steamers crowded at this season of the year. said Dank. efHe can't under stand it at all. The crowds go over in June and July, and by this time they should be starting for home. I thought we'd have no difficulty in getting on any one of the big boats, but, by jove, everywhere I went they said they were full up"
 Tt was uncommonly decent of B1ith- CTS not coming down to see us off, said the elderly man, who was down on the passenger list as Totten. t'I was apprehensive, 'pon my soul. He stuck like a 1eech up to the last min+ ute.''
 R. Schmidt was, rejecting ''H struck me as queer that he had not heard of the transfer of our securities in Lon don''
 'I cannot understand Bernstein 6 Sons selling out at time when the price of our bonds is considerably be- low their actual va1ue,'' said Totten, frowning. "A million pounds sterling is what their holdings really repre- scented, according to the dispatches they must have sold at a loss of nearly 9 50,000.
 eve should have a Marconigram to-
  made in Paris for the bonds held by the French syndicate said Dank, pull ing at his short mustache. "'Mr. B1ith- CTS is investigating.s
 There is something sinister in all this,'' said R. Schmidt. ''Who is buy ing up all of the outstanding bonds, and what is behind the movement? London has sold all that were held there, and Paris is approached on the same day. If Paris and Berlin should sell, nearly a4,oo0,0o0 in Graustark bonds will be in the hands of people whose identity and motives appear to be shrouded in the deepest mystery
 And g 100000 represents the en- tire amount of our bonds held by out side parties." said Totten, with sig ni6cant shake of his grizzIed head. "The remainder are in the possession of our own institutions and the people themselves. We should hear from EdeIwetss, too, in response to my ca b1egram. Perhaps Romano may be able to throw light on the situation. I confess that am troubled
 A steward was politely accosting the 4rio
 T beg pardon, is. this Mr. Totten?" '''Yes''
 Message for you, sir, at the purser's.''
 Bring it to my stateroom, Totten,'' said R. Schmidt briefly, and the old man hurried away on the heels of the messenger
 (To Be Continued.)
 FUNERAL DESIGNS AND
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