The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1922-07-18
The Cigar Case Mystery
SYNOPSIS
By Edward Lucas White.

SYNOPSIS
 BeaIe Weighs aunts give a re-
 ception to celebrate his twenty first birthday. After the guests had gone BeaIe goes out into 8 little nearby park to take the air. Hardly is he seated when a man comes along and sits down beside him and makes him q proposition whereby Beale is to go to Europe presumably as a correspondent Tor a paper and is to bring back some important papers that mean Hb- erty to m oppressed people.
 BeaIe accepts and starts for New York On the ferry his att tention is drawn to a very stun
 ming young woman, wAom he loses sight of when he reaches
 New York. He goes to the Fifth
 Avenue Hotel where he finds r long fat envelope awaiting him.
 Besides money it contains lists of
 necessary purchases, and a letter
 of instructions
 The same evening Weigh re- ceives two morocco cigar-cascs,
 his tickets and more money. The
 time for sailing is at hand and he
 goes to the boat. As he is look
 ing after his baggage on the pier,
 he is pulled back by the young
 woman he had seen on the ferry
 just as bowie knife sails by him.
 The young woman assures him it
 was a case of mistaken identity
 and he need have no further fear.
 Weigh is delighted that the girl is
 a passenger on his boat. He
 learns her name and furtively
 watches her.
 But Weighs interest did not
 IT
 quaintanceS on the steamer, but
 one day in the smoking room he
 Ied quite a tilt with an English
 man and the purser over his card-
 case. His name engraved on the case finally settled the argument
 On the night after leaving Gfbrais tar Weigh finds a man ransaclSing his trunk and knorass him down.
 CHAPTER VI Continued
 The Exchange
 I turned on the light, and first ot all found my black cigar-case, oper and unharmed. I shut it and put il under my pillow.
 Then I looked over the insensiblt men. When I hit him I seemed tC hear his neck bones snap. I was re- Heved-I could not express how mucf relieved-to find his neck bones not broken. For six breaths I had seer 1nNSeI on the SdllOWS.
 I heaved his legs up on the sofa IT So doing I uncovered the butt of z big revolver sticking out of his hip, pocket, I removed it, and put it under my pillow beside the recovered cigar case. Then I searched him to see whether he had a second weapon When I was sure he was harmless te that extent.I looked him over
 He was young, apparently some sort of Slav. and had a bull-neck and 2 short, broad head, with yellow hail stiff like a scrubbing brush. I haG seen men like him in New York wait ing second-rate or third-rate restau. rants. or sewing in cheap tailor-sh ops Being certain he was alive, I though only of getting rid of him. I was al ways what my aunts called "pernick' etty'' and an asortment of bottle! stood under the looking glass.
 I had no reason for any gent1enes: to the intruder. So I took the bot tie of full-strength hartshorn spirit. of ammonia and dashed some of i over his straight blond mustache.
 I followed that, when he stirred with half g, pitcher of water. Then sat down on the berth and covered him with his own fully loaded revol yer. When he opened his eyes I cock ed the revolver, and saw him regain consciousness at the click. I pointed to the door. which I set ajar witt my left hand. He struggled to hi feet and staggered out. I slammed the door, locked it, and turned ou the light leaving him to take care O. himself.
 For at least half an hour I sat or my berth in the dark until I was sure that he was entirely away from tha part of the ship. Then I turned or the light and surveyed my premises The water had not soaked the sofs as much as I had thought. Likewise his scalp must have been of sole leather. for there were no blood stain: anywhere. I went through all m! possessions and found everything where it should be.
 My trunk was locked, and the lock: seemed as new as when I bought it Inside, things were in confusion. bu again, as everywhere else, nothing wa, missing except the black cigar-case which I replaced where it had beer before.
 I sat reflecting.
 ''No danger" the stranger had sait on the park at Nase.
 Well, perhaps he would not cal this danger
 But I had had a bowie-knife cleav' the air a few inches from my gullet had been publicly accused of theft and now had found an armed ruffial going through my baggage.
 I spun the full cylinder of that biz short-barreled revolver. It looked dangerous to me.
 I went up on deck again, watched my chance, and threw that revolve far overheard.
 From the time I went on deck agail next morning I could hardly restaril myself from forcing an introduction to Mme. Sanoff, and demanding Q her whether Cffingham and the Pole or whatever he was, were some O "them.''
 As we drew near Naples, my in clination threatened to overnnaster nc It required al my powers to contro myself
 The day before were were to reacl Naples, she electrified me by stopping me in the door of the saloon in broaf daylight.
 To my mute amazement. she replied
 Publicity is safest sometimes. happen to know that all those eyes WI might fear are in other DlrtS Of tn,