Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-03

| surprised | should have made the old
aud plausible excuse that | had mis-
| taken my room-and reached my own
| room. AS opened my door | felt 1
! was not alone in the corridor 1 stole
| Il glance TO the end. on my right. and
| saw disappearing into one Of the rooms.
| Judging by her dress. chamber i'd.
| Had she seen me?
| After washing my hands went
| downstairs again. ana handed the
| Frenchman back his keys.
II am very sorry to have troubled
| you" ! said. but none of your keys
| viii tit. l must go and find lock-
| smith"
! The captain would not hear OF such
a thing. NO. Miss Playfair." he said.
Il viii find you locksmith. | have
| TO go few PAGES down the Fried
richstrasse to see my bankers agent
| Please leave II 10 me. Your trunk
! shall be opened within half an hour"
! \ few cxpostulations on my part.
! please do not trouble" ctc.-but the
captain rose. took his hat from the
rack at the door. and departed TO see
| his bankers agent IN the Friedrich
! s,rasse. and locksmith. watched
| MIN leave the front door.
Now was my time. felt: al least he
! would be good quarter Of An hour
away in that period. provided | were
! not interrupted. / might get hold Of
| the papers l wanted--if they were
| there
| assembled tho wide staircase. and
| reached the second floor. No one was
! about. The resident guests OF the
| Hotci Adion we're as yet deciding the
! .hte Of other people and OF nations over
| coffee. lGueurs and tobacco
cautiously ! again entered the room
! Of the Frenchman Inside. with the
! door half open. listened a little while.
"e,'re ! Hesan operations No sound
| j closed the door and went TO the
! trunk TO undo the straps took per-
maps twenty seconds: they seemed like
! minutes. My hands shook as IL had
palsy. / endcavored TO pull myself
| together" as tho English put it. bu,
] completely failed. felt in mortal
| fear.
| could hear my heart bea, above
the traffic Of the Linden ! wished I
had taken wine at lunch: but in the
restauran; downstairs | had insisted
on drinking nothing stronger than APP
| pOllinaTis.
knelt dom and quietly lifted the
| ma quickly glanced at the contents Of
! The tray mostly ties. collars and under
! linen. \ handkerchief marked with
Y aptain 5 own initials at once
! appropriated. Then lifted the tray
out. Suits OF clothing and the ordinary
paraphernalia OF mans travelling re-
"A
| artificial top or bottom. what about III e
canvas lined sides? ran my hand
/ round each in turn. and l discovered
! on the lief, side OF the trunk. few
/ nchcs down. slight excresence In
| the top OF the lining was fne SIT,
! ABOUT seven inches long. thrus,
/ down tho forehnSers OF my left hand
| ana drew out several small docurn-ni,
! documents whose hiding place told
| me 'hey were not To be seen save by
! Inc owner. Quickly thrusting them
! INTO the neck Of my blouse | equally
/ quickly replaced the tray. but before
couIn close the trunk tho door was
( opened, and en- elderly woman. a cham
4 ocrmaid burst into the room!
nave heard tell that A burglar needs
/ a stout heart, but never till now did
realize what II was TO be caught
"burgling"
What are you doing in this room -
! There were the words of the cham
/ o"rmaid who l now supposed was tho
same person whose form had seen
disappear a; the end OF the corridor
after my FIRST visit to the captains
/ room.
There IS something in the tone Of
voice of certain persons which viii
| Immediately arouse ennity In others II
! 'fis chamhcrmaid (who was a French
MoH'ahp had asked me the same uues-
/ ZION In something like level and un-
/ emotional tones. l might have kent nv
, scI-possession and wriEEIcd on Of my
| position by artifce or othcrwisa ~,
her words sent hot Blood to nv hrain
ana recollected that | was not So IN he
/ Spoheh 10. under an" circumstances.
ny person of her description. no
longer felt afraid. but wrathfully in
disnant a mistake. no doubt. but
how dare you speak TO me like
| that" l demanded
7" nat arc you doing IN this room -.
! repeated the chambcrma!d in loud
Z voice touo
/ NO policeman addressing a thief ever
more calling manner.
| !cit IKE striking her
| We have had enough women ,biev..
! IN TINS hotel the last montb-Iike yo,,
| dressed up TO look like ladies and ~
nave 10 suffer for them. Women have
lost their situations here, innocent
women. through your kind"
No'"ithstandinS my anger, must
confess that | experienced a temporarv
sense of shame at this woman.s 80
marks, but the sight of her face. livid
with vindictiveness. put me on NV
mcttle. "'
Please leave this room at once
HOW dare you address me in thar
fashion. How dare you address me in
that fashion! am a guest in me :, in
dismissed.'' insanity
The chambermaid laughed-a laugh
nat sent me to her like leonard IN
us prey. / know frightened her
but she got out of the door and
neard her turn the key the other side
was a prisoner. Caught!
rs all girls do in difficulties-the first
| '"!ms thought about was nv mother
irapped in Berlin motel, to be
branded s perhaps as "A common thief
ret what / had stolen 1 could replace
III the trunk could restrap IL and
swear that had merely mistaken my
,ooin-why should a chambermaid he
oe!leved before me? Should ! mr. tho
nn,hpers back: My hand went to nv
oIouse heard the key again turn
III me loch-had she called in Tho
ponce? 1t was too late to replace the
documents 'i'"ee the
The door opened An elderly ear,,o
nan STOOD before me. His first words
carried the accent of authority hu1
nc was no policeman. He closed the
understand" he said, chat vou
nave 1aY;. been interfering" Che was oEi,e
poiite) with that trunk. Have fu ua',
any authority for so doins-were you
sent up here by NJ. Brisson9 HoUa
you taken anything from the trunL 90 e
a1