The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-10-29

new look into her face, look which it start
led me to see.
"Hsving answered your question, mis-, .
says the Sergeant, al beg leave 10 make an in
quiry in my turn. There Is . smear on Ii,
door here. Did you happen to know when !
was done or who did III"
Instead Of making any reply. Miss Rachel
went on with her questions as IL he had no
spoken. or IL she had not heard him.
"Are you another polce-oficer
"I am Sergeant Cuff, miss, Of the Detective Po.
lice"
"Do you think q young lsdy's advice worth
hayingr'
"I shall be glad to hear It, miss"
"Do your duty by yourself-and don't allow
Mr.. Franklin Blake to help you r.
She said these words 70 spitefuliy, 20 savage
ly.wth such an extraordinary outbreak Of ill-will
toward Mr.. Franklin. in her voice and her look,
tha;-though had known her from baby.
though. l loved and honored her next to my lady
herseif-r was ashamed Of Miss Rachel for the
FIRST time In my life.
Sergeant Cuffs immovable eyes never stirred
from of her face. "Thank you, MISS" he said.
"Do you happen to know any thing about the
smeari Might you have done 1t BY accident
yourselfr'
al know nothing about the smear"
With that answer she turned away. and shut
herself up again in her bedroom. This time,
heard her-as Penelope had heard her before
burst out crying as soon as she was alone
again.
I coaldnt bring myself to look at the Ser
nearest 10 me. lie seemed 20 be even more
a l.k L.I han,
"I told yon l was uneasy about her" he
said. "And now you see Why"
"Miss verinder appears to be little out Of
temper about the loss Of her Diamond" !" remark
ell the Sergeant. 'It's valuable jewel. Nat
ural enough natural enough -
Here was the excuse that had made for her
(when she forgot herself before Superintendent
Sccgrave, ON the previous day. being made for
her over again. by man who couldn't have
had my interest in making it-for he was a per-
feet stranger A kind Of cold shudder ran
through me, which couldn't account for at
the time. know now that must have got my
first suspicion, at that moment, Of anew light
(and horrid light )haviug suddenly fallen on
the case, In the mind Of Sergeant Cuf-purely
and entirely in consequence Of what he had
seen in Miss Rachel, and heard from Miss Rsch-
el, at that first interview between them. "a
young lady's tongue is a privileged member,
Sir" says the Sergeant to Mr.. Franklin. "Let
US forget what has passed, and 20 straight on
with this business. Thanks TO you, we know
when the paint was dry. The next thing to
out that smear. You have got head on your
shoulders-and you understand what l mean"
Mr.. Franklin composed himself. and came
L. A. II. 1T. ID. III A. h.
matter in hand.
'I think do understand" he said. "The
more we narrow the question oftime the more
we also narrow the field Of inquiry"
That's it, Sir" said the Sergeant. "Did
you notice your work here on the Wednesday
afternoon, AFTER you had done iti''
Mr.. Franklin shook his head and answered,
81 can't say that did,"
"Did yoat" inquired Sergeant Cuff, turning
10 me.
"I can't say did either, Sir.''
..Who was the last person in the room, the
last thing on Wednesday nightl'
"Miss Rachel, I suppose, Sir"
Mr.. Franklin struck in there, cor possibly
your daughter, Betteredge." He turned TO Ser
geant Cuff, and explained that my daughter was
Miss Verinder's maid.
"Mr. Bettercige, ask your daughter to step
up. Stop !" says the Sergeant, taking me away
to the window, out Of ear-shot "Your Super
intendent here" he went on, in whisper, 'has
made pretty full report TO me Of the manner
in which he has managed this case. Among
other things he has, by his own confession, set
the servants backs up. It's very important to
smooth them down again. Tell your daughter,
and tell the rest Of them, these two things with
my compliments First, that have no evidence
before me, yet, that the Diamond has been stol-
en- only know that the Diamond has been lost.
Second. that my business here with the servants
Is simply TO ask them to lay their heads together
and help me to find it,
My experience Of the women-seryants, when
Superintendent Seegrave laid his embargo on
their rooms. came in handy here.
"May make so bold, Sergeant, as to tell the
women third thing!' asked. care they
free with your complimcnts) to fidget up and
down stairs, and whisk in and out Of their bed
rooms, II the tit takes them ~
Perfectly free" says the Sergeant
"Taat will smooth them down, SIR" TO
markell, "from the cook 10 the scullion."
"Go and do 1, at once, Mr.. Bettecdge."
I did it in less than Eve minutes. There was
only one difficulty when Icame To the bit about the
bedrooms. II took pretty stiff exertiou Of my
authority. As chief, TO prevent the whole Of the
female household fiom following me and Pencil
ope up stairs in the character Of volunteer wit
ness in a burning fever Of anxiety to help Ser
geant Cuff
The Sergeant seemed to approve Of Penelope.
lie became triAe less drcary; and he looked
much as he had looked when he noticed the
white musk-rose in the flower r-garden. Here is
my daughters evidence, as drawn of from her
by the Sergeant. She gave it, think, very
prettily-but, there she is my child all over /;
nothing Of her mother in her (; Lord bless you,
nothing Of her mother in her |!
Penelope examined: Took lively interest in
the painting on the door, having helped to mix
the colOrs. Noticed the bit Of work under the
lock, because il was the last bit done. Had seen
il, some hours afterwarj, without smear. Had
left IL, as late as twelve at night, without q
smear. Had, at that hour, wished her young
lady goodnight in the bedroom had heard the
clock strike in the .'bourdoir !" had her hand
at the time on the handle Of the painted door
knew the paint was wet (having helped to mix
the colors. ss aforosaid); took particular pains
not to touch it could swear that she held up
the skirts Of her dress, and that there was no
smear on the paint then could not swear that
her dress mighn't have touched il accidentally
in going out remembered the dress she had on,
because II was new, present from Miss Rachel
her father remembered, and could speak to IL,
too could, and would, and did fetch 1t dress
recognized by her father as tho dress she wore
that night skirts examined, q long Job from
the size Of them not the ghost Of paint-stain
discovered any where. End Of Penelopc's evi-
denee-ani very pretty and convincing. too.
Signed. Gabriel Betterclge.
The Scrgcant's neIt proeeciiugs was TO ques-
ton me about any large dogs in the house who
might have got into the room. and done the mis-
chief with vhisk Of their tails. Hearing that
this was impossible, he next sent for magnify
ing-glAss, and tried how the smear looked, seen
that way. No skin-mark (asof . human handy
printed OF on the paint All the signs visible-
signs which told that the paint had been smear
ed by some loose article Of somebody's dress
touching il in going by. That somebody (put-
ting together Penelope's evidence and Mr.. Frank
Inns eyidence) must have been in the room. and
done the mischief. between midnight and three
o'clock on the Thursday morning.
Having brought his investigation to this point,