Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1868-12-08
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IFIom the ST. LOUIS RsI
A Mystery Solved.

But;onhoiing one of our reporters on his
customary rounds yesterday morning, we'll
known detective, whose name il will not ba
necessary to mention, narrated chapter from
his persoual history which borders closely on
the.romantic. HIS story, as told in his own
language, was in substance as follows:
DO you remember the mystery was
engaged in solving when We last met 7@ be
asked, and without waiting for an answer,
well, will tell you the sequel. Mrs. A,
you recollect, lost the ring and Nellie e.
was suspected of stealing it. Tho morning
after the ball, while sleeping in her owl
chamber, the ring was removed from her
finger without arousing its owner. No ono
but Nellie had access to the apartment, aud
she must have taken it. So thought Mrs. A,
50 thought her husband, aud SO did I, when
| was sent for aud given the points in the
case, before being employed to work il up
The ring was set with diamonds, a cluster of
exceeding brilliancy and richness. It's value
could not have beeu less than $780, Nellie
was employed as Mrs. AS waiting maid, at
wages which in four years would scarcely have
aggregated the value of the diamonds.
Every stone in the set was worth year of
Nellie's life aud labor, albeit neither nor all
of them could have dropped single drop of
water on parchiDg tongue, or stroked a
levcred brow when it was racked with pain
Atthe instance OF Mrs. A., Nellie was arrested,
upon the accusation of stealing the ring
She proiessed her Innocence in tears, but all
the circumstances looked so'strongly towards
her guilt, her tears were unavailing. follow
ed her to the Jail, aud at my suggestion sho
was assigned cell by herself The next day
visited her, aud by every means-I dared to
employ sought to gain from her confession.
- 4 4 IL L.
harshly charged her with the theft. Again
she burst into tears, and hiding her face in
her hands, wept US though her heart would
break Here the matter ended, for could
90 no further l had forgotten to tell you
before that Nellie was handsome and she
never seemed half so beautiful in my eyes as
when the tears were falling from her own, in
shower of diamonds, every one of them more
precious than those was after. / left the
cell ompIetely bufled although never told
as much to Mrs. A., or intimated as much to
Nellie, 1 was satisfied of her innocence, and
forthwith turned my efforts in another direc-
ton I continued my visits to Nellie in he's
cell day after dny, but never afterwards alluded
to the ring.
A week had passed, and had all but given
up the job in despair. Finally, early ono
morning, while lettering down certain street
III the ulEecllOu Ol tIe TlNeTs L luStiuCtiNeIy
paused under three balls and began closely
scrutiuiziug display Of pledges in the window
of ''my uucle's" shop. In an instant my eye
singled out of whole case Of rings which 1
thought might be, and, US fortune would have
it. proved TO be identicalIy that stolen from
Mrs AS fnger. had but little difficulty
in tracing tho thief. 1t was Mrs. As own
son. To satisfy debt contracted during
dcbauch, he bad taken it from his mother'J
finger while sleeping aud pawued it.
"But how about Nellie ?" you ask. She,
too, was guilty of theft; but tOrgaye her,
She is now my wife.