Owingsville outlook. [volume] (Owingsville, Ky.) 1879-192?, 1921-08-04
The Mystery of
theSilverDagger

"Waldron sent me cable in Eng
land about n month ago" he explained
briefly. He didn't make the thing
very clear. only that he had big deal
on. and wanted me I'm on It. ! had
made enough To get back on, and took
a seCOnd-ClaSs passage on the Vulcan.
II was not n hig boat, and, to escape
close inspection, went aboard at
Queenstown. At that time | had no
more notion what was mp Than n blind
rat. ! was just desperate enough to
take chance"
He paused and rPllt his stub, With
an oath Mt finding It again useless.
Then things begun to happen. !
was roommate with n bird named
HOrner. who claimed TO live in De
troit. He must have cottoned to me-
for we got bit Chummy. and in that
way picked odds and ends out Of him
which set me thinking. He was quite
foxy bird-One of these tall, raw
bOned, secretive cuSSeS. who talk
lot, but never say nothing, and he
came near getting my goat. went
through his baggage, of course. h1t
that was just ordinary stufT-he only
had one grip. which he left unlocked;
hut ! lid get onto pocket belt the
fellow wore around ne wnSt. Ec
never let that get away from him
night or day. I studied every d-n
way | could think up to get a peep at
II, hut nothing gave me chance.
came near going bugs over the thing"
He laughed, exhibiting a row Of
rather ugly teeth behind his thir lips
Then the devil must have helped
me. One might've days out. for we
were n slow hOat-we ran into a Il
Of a storm. We both of us tumhled
out, and began hustling on our buds
He was trying to get n shoe on, and
went plunging head-On into the side OF
the ship / reckon it nearly Drained
him. but. TO make things sure, l hand
ed him one to the jaw before ne got
his senses, and he went out for the
count. Then, believe me. | didn't lose
no time in friSEing the guy-and, say,
I shook my head, unwilling to inter
rupt, fascinated with his description.
THE fellow was a revolutionary
agent | didn't get onto all of II then
i didn't have time, but | found q let
ter Of credit for a million dollars, and
a memoranda Of how it was to he de-
livered. The d-n thing wasn't any
good TO met was TO he paid to this
fellow by a banker in New York
named Krantz-but II sure made my
mouth water just to see it-a million
dollars, good old L. s. currency. Can
you beat it?'
Looked easy-you had it, and you
didn't have IT,"
you said it. DAILY. didn't uare
keep the thing. and 1t wouldn't have
done me any good If l had; there was
no way of my cashlng the paper. Whist
the HI could do? II I denounced
him. the game was all off; IL l held
on 10 the stuff he'd report his loss
soon as he landed in New York, and
that letter of credit wouldn't be worth
the paper II WIS NIlllen OH NdA .
was in some boat; but, believe me.
| had no notion of giving up that mil
lion-it looked darned good"
81 should say yes" and leaned for
ward to show my interest. "And from
what know of you, Harris, that guy
had no show on earth. Did you croak
him."
He grinned, evidently pleased at the
note of admiration in my voice, and
tossed down another drink.
THAT never amt been in my line.
OF course | was tempted tO-a cool
million would temnt any guy. But l
just showed everything back exactly
where 1t come from, and fetched the
steward. Between us we hOisted Hor-
ner back into the bunk and dOused
him with water till he came to. First
thing he did was to feel for that belt,
and he never got wise that II had
ever been touched. Anyhow, he never
let on to no suspicion"