, 1919-04-17
His Official
Widow
go
BY T. LEDYARD SMITH
tCopyhghD

George Skinner had tried his hand
at various undertakings. His lack of
stick-at-it-ive-ness bore, ms result, that
nervous, unsatisfied eye.
George had tried q little of every
thing. He had grown courageous once
or twice and had attempted work, but
soon reformed and went back TO his
former ways. He ever tried matri-
mony.
He was willing to try anything eX-
cept year in and year out industry. To
do him justice, it might be said that
he stuck closer to the general run of
affairs surrounding horse-racing than
anything else. but his investments at
the track were not always made with
his own cash.
After some wear and tear of gray
matter, he came to the conclusion hat
a man of thirty who has a 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, a 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
| an Danftr. ,xrArtt-r -, raln,,o nr.I
dreaming of the enjoyment of that
scheme contaminated. 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 a new life as easily as
he intended to Observation-Disclosures
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 n man with a kodak.
George was occupied with three ideas:
to raise premiums; his widow (O to
collect the insurance; flight.
Through the generous odds offered
by a bookmaker ten dollars on a lucky
horse supplied him with a roll with
which he took Il a policy for ten
thousand. And to celebrate the start
Of his get-rich-quick scheme he blew
his wife to a swell a la carte dinner.
And right here, if he had used
glasses with strong lenses instead of
e%rAr An-fANf. h., AAr,1J ha,-n f~-,4
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 n 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 to his
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.
It was time to act, but his insurance
was no as high as he intended.
The necessity for bringing a 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
h 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-
fciary, draw the full amount, but in
whom they looked for honesty when
the divvy came.
For conceiving the scheme and car
rying it out George was to have two
s~hares-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 n
share. So 1t was settled.
The third partner In this game had
been NOR fortunate in some ways
than George, and more shrewd and
saving. He had put his spare dollars
anu spent MS iuie moulentS III u
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 20 east
on a night boat, and again on another.
He selected one that took a course
through the middle of the sound.
After two trips east On this boat
he calculated to the minute the run
ming time from q certain lighthouse
at the entrance of the sound to n spot
east in the widest part, some ten miles
from land on either hand, and bear
ing by his pocket compass due south