The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1919-05-23
His Official
Widow
~

BY T. LEDYARD SMITH

ueTNOuS, eye.
George had tried little of every
thing. He had grown courageous one
or twice and had attempted work. bu
soon reformed and went back to hi
former ways. He even tried matr
mony.
He was willing to try anything ex
cept year in and year out industry. T,
do him justice, 1t might be said tina
he stuck closer to the general run o
affairs surrounding horse-racing thar
anything else, but his investments a
the track were not always made will
his own cash.
After some wear and tear of gra!
matter, he came to the conclusion tina
a man of thirty who has wife SHOULD
be insured; not for any small figure
but for something substantial; as high
as he could stand for premiums.
Then he spoke to his wife.
Why, yes, of course, wife should
be protected. Not that she wished
him to be so soon thereafter rObed in
white and starting In the feather-wing
business. Oh, no, not at all.
Instead, how much better if he could
only die-just officially die-and then
come back and enjoy that which they
need not work for. Lovely!
And now his mind was too busy
with plans and ways; his brain was
working on full time and up to its full
capacity; working out scheme and
dreaming of the enjoyment of that
scheme consummated. Then flight.
They could go towel, far away,
anywhere. Georges application to the
study of geography had been indiffer-
ent. They could go somewhere and
be drowned in new life as easily as
he intended to -oflicially-drowned
In Long Island sound.
He little thought of eXtradition
treaties, which are so broad that a
United States citizen can be brought
back for no greater Offense than steal
ing a glance at his neighbours wife,
or shooting man with a kodak.
George was occupied with three ideas |:
to raise premiums; his widow (?) to
collect the insurance; flight.
Through the generous odds offered
by q boOkmaker ten dollars on lucky
horse supplied him with a roll with
which he took out a policy for ten
thousand. And to celebrate the start
of his get-rich-quick scheme he blew
his wife to swell a la carte dinner.
And right here, If he had used
glasses with strong lenses instead of
strong contents. he could have viewed
his finish in the foreground.
In less than six months he had in
creased his insurance another ten
thousand, the premium being acquired
partly as before, but on horse pay
ing lower odds, and the balance on an
outside matter, the detail of which
he was not disposed to discuss, not
even with his wife. Call it specula-
ton, for he did speculate as 70 lis
safety in the matter.
The summer was closing and the
water would soon be too cold for COM
Portable drowning, such as he intend
ed dOing-tO all intents and purposes.
1t was time to act, but his insurance
was not as high as he intended.
The necessity for bringing third
party into the game was unfortunate.
but it was necessary and had to be
done; not, however, until this third
party had supplied cash to increase
the insurance TO forty thousand from
which, If they were successful, said
third party was to have ten thousand.
They arrived at this conclusion
after no little discussion, and after
the third partner had been introduced
to the second partner, who could of
course, as the widow and real bene-
hciary, draw the full amount. bur in
whom they looked for honesty when
the divvy came.
For conceiving the scheme and car
rylng 1t out George was TO have two
shares-twenty thousand. For wear
ing mourning and looking sorry his
wife was to have one share-ten thou
sand. For putting up the premium on
twenty thousand and helping in other
ways the third partner was to get one
share. So 1t was settled.
The third partner in this game had
been more fortunate in some WAYS
than George, and more shrewd and
saving. He had put his spare dollars
and spent his idle moments in a
launch.
So in his selection George had
picked out The right man. This launch
was necessary stage property in the
play.
Georges first move was to 90 east
on a night boat, and again on another
He selected one that took course
through the middle of the sound.
After, two trips east on. this boat
he calculated to the minute the run
ming lime from certain lighthouse
az the entrance of the sound to spot
east Ia the widest part, some ten miles
from land on either band, and bear
ing by his pocket compass due south
from another lighthouse on the north
sho,e. ,.",sttf,a 80. :
This was the exact spot where he
was to-oilicially-drown; ten miles
frDm the nearest land. This was the
place where his two partners were to
ha. with tho lsiunrh WAITING "a COO hi,,.