The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-07-17

My suggestion, s1r, ne sald, With mixture of mildness and severity. |
 was made out of consideration for | you.''
 "I do not need any consideration that I know of." I replied. 'I con- ceive that you gentlemen are labor ing under a misconception. You may speak out or go away, as you pre- fer "I warn you. sir,' the purser pro- tested solemnly, that it will be bet ter for you to accompany us where we shall not be overheard
 The more people overhear us the l better I shall be pleased" I told him. I spoke in a loud voice, for I was now angry. My words and tone at tracted the attention of the whole room.
 ITO express it shortly." the purser explained pompously and harsfply. | This gentleman accuses you of hav- | ing in your possession his cigar-case, which he had with him up till yes- | terday. and which then disappeared | from his stateroom." Do you mean I stole it?'' I de- | manded.
 MT. Uhngham has no proof that you stole it. the purser sneered, slow
 ly and insultingly. ("He contents him. self with the facts" When you speak of facts,' I re- | joined, "do you mean to claim that
 this cigar-case is your property. MT. Uffingham ?''
 As I spoke I took it from my poe ket and held it toward him. l T do." Mir. Uffingham replied ici- ly.
 l The purser put out his hand to snsech the cigar-case from me, but | I withheld it. ''None of that said sternly | You will regret what you are doing | anyhow, but don't make it any worke Your accusation is unfounded and
 you are making yourselves ridicu- l lous.
 ''I will not let you have this cigar | case, but I will cheerfully pass it | over for examination to any two gen l tleman you choose to designate | among those present. | The tpurser shrugged his fat shoul- ders, and ran his eye over the assem- | bled bystanders. L 'I beg your pardon, MT. Faulkner" | he said. and MT. Hennighausen, but
 would you oblige us by acting as a ! committee ?''
 The two men designated approach | ed me.
 1 The two men designated approach | ed me.
 "One moment I demurred, and to the fnSl1Snman. "What is your full name ?'' ask | ed.
 My name is Gerald Umngham," he l replied frigidly. I handed the cigar-case and my | card to the man the purser had call ed MT. Faulkner. "Please read that" I requested,
 ''and also what is inside the case" He opened the case. His expres- Nh n fo %oJI l,a
 it and the card to his burly compan- l ion.
 Hennighausen took them, held the | case up and read aloud: | Beale M. Weigh Naso, Iroquois County, New York. l MT. Faulkner took it back He
 was tall. dignified man, with a very | black beard. "I think" he said gravely, 'tthat i there has been an unfortunate mis- | take"
 Every unfortunate for MT. Uffing- | ham and the purser,' I cut in | He fixed me with his calm, brown eyes.
 You are a young man, MT. Weigh, | and it is natural that you are angry" 1 he said. flor you have been grieyous- | ly offended. But I can see no good | to come from permitting this matter | to go beyond this room. I restore you your property. Suggest that
 MT Umngham and the purser apolo- | gize for their blunder, and that you 1 let the incident close here. You have all of us for your sponsors" | knew had them all for the
 moment On my side. I could lose
 nothing b. acouiescence. The Tnglishman and the purser l aipologized very distinctly, thought 1 with very bad grace. | The Englshman I saw no more
 during the voyage. But the occur
 renee gave me much food for refiec- | tions which led me nowhere
 Had that mild, gentle Englishman | been other than he seemed? Was he trying to make trouble for me?
 Did he recognize my cigar-case and take me for some one else like
 she unseen and dastardly thrower of | che bowie-knife?
 Or, had he really been robbed of
 cigar-casa identical in appearance | with mine? If so, why? Was 1t
 stolen in mistake for mine? l lost myself in many fruftless con- lectures.
 On the ensuing days I began to mo-
 tiee that I met Olga Sanoff more fre-
 quently, that of my recuddent f1dget-
 lngs from my deck-chair to my state | IoolH ana Dack teWer were blanks. Not long after this there filtered
 into my consciousness the percep- | ton that she, instead of using the
 main stairway near. her stateroom
 was frequently passing close to mine,
 up or down one of the aft-stairways
 to the upper promenade deck, or in
 or out of the aft-door to our deck | There were two other doors handler
 to her stateroom. and that door took
 her past the end of the corridor on
 which mine opened. The wild con- lecture that she enjoyed and sought
 these tantalizing meetings went ca
 reerhnlk through my dreams.
 The day before we reached Gib-
 raltar our perfect weather failed us,
 and sullen clouds darkened every
 thing until the electric lights were
 generally turned on.
 Just before this unwonted daytime 1 illumination, while the corrid ors were
 dusky. l succeeded in encountering