The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1869-10-22
BIDDEF0RD, ME-, FRIDAY
Well. being . man Of just and equal temper,
admit that ... . -

Well. being o man Of just and equal temper, I
= admit that. .a.. l. ##
The next and last step In tho investigation
brought matters, a. they say, 10 crisis. The
, with my lady. After informing her that the
Diamond must have been taken by somebody In
, the house he requested permission for himself
and his men TO search the servants rooms and
!, boxes on the spot. Ny good mistress, like the
generous high-bred woman she was, refused to
let rs be treated like thieves 81 win never con-
sent to make such return as that" she said,
"for oil owe to the faithful servants who are
employed In my house"
Il Mr.. Superintendent made his bow, with . look
in my direction, which said plainly, "Why EN-.
ploy me IL you are to tic my hands in this way 2"
As head Of the servants. felt directly that wo
were bound, njustice to all parties, not to profit
by our mistrcss's generosity. eve gratefully
thank your ladyship," said "but VIC ask per-
mission to do what Is right in this mater BY
giving up our keys. When Gabriel Betteredge
: sets the examples" says stopping Superintcn-
dent Seegrave at the door, "the rest Of the scry-
ants Will follow, I promise you. There are my
keys, to begin with 20 My lady took me by the
hand, and thanked me with tears In her eyes.
Lord what would not have given, at that mo-
mcnt, for the privilege Of knocking Superinten-
dent Secgrage down
As had promised for them, the other servants
followed my lead, sorely against the grain, OF
course, but all taking the view that took. The
women were sight to sec, while the police-ofi-
GERS were rummaging among their things. The
cook looked as II she could grill Mr.. Superinten-
dent alive on furnace, and the other women
looked as II they could eat him when he was
done.
The search over, and no Diamond or sign Of
q Diamond being found, Of course, and where,
Superintendent Scegrave retired to my little room
to consider with himself what he was to doncIt.
He and his men had now been hours In the house,
and had not advanced US one inch toward dis
covery Of how the Moonstonc had been taken, or
Of whom we were to suspect as the thief.
While the police-oficer was still pondering in
solitude, was sent for to see Mr.. Franklin in
the library. To my unutterable astonishment,
Just as my hand was on the door Il was suddenly
opened from the inside. and out walked Rosanna
Spearman
After the library had been swept and cleaned
in the morning, neither first nor second house
maid had any business In that room at any later
period Of the day. stopped Rossnna Spear
man, and charged her with o breach Of domestic
discipline on the spot. .i ~. -
"What might you want in the library at this
time Of dsyr' Inquired. - -
"Mr. Franklin Blake dropped one Of his rings
up stairs" says Rosanna sand have been
into the library TO give II to him." The girls
face was all in flush as she made me that an
swcr and she walked away with q toss OF her
head and a look OF seli-importanee whlch M was
quite ut n loss to account Tor. Inc proceeaihgs
in tho house had doubtless upset all the women,
servants more or less but none OF tneih had
gone clean out OF their natural characters, rs
Rosanna, to all appearance, had now gone our
of hers.
found Mr.. Franklin writing ut the library
table. lie asked for conveyance to the railway
station the moment entered the room. The
first sound Of his voice informed me that we
now had the resolute side Of him uppermost once
more. The man made Of cotton had disappear
ell and the man made Of iron sat before me
again.
"Going to London, sirf' l asked. .
"Going to telegraph to London, says Mr.
Franklin. 81 have convinced my aunt that We
must have ceyerer head than superintendent
Seegraye's to help us and have got her per-
mission to dispatch q. telegram 70 my mtner.
He knows the Chief Commissioner OF Police,
right man to solve the mystery OF the Diamond.
Talking Of mysteries, qy-the-by," says Mr..
: Franklin, dropping hisvocc, 81 have another
word to say to you before you 60 10 the saoies
Don't breathe worn OF Hto any pcay as ye.
but either Rosanna Spearman's head snot qui'e
right, or am AFRAID she knows more ABOUT 'ne
Moonstone than she onght 10 KNOW
"Shc came in here with ring dropped in
; my tedroom," Mr.. Franklin went on. "When
had thanked her Of course expected her to
90. Instead Of that she stood opposite to me
at the table, looking at me in the oldest manner
half frightened, and half hmiliar-l couldn't
make 1t out. This Is q strange thing about the
Diamond, Sir she said, in curiously sudden
headlong way. sa'd' Yes 1t was, and wonder
oil what was coming next. upon my nonor'
be'teredge'i tnink she must pe WRONG ih .hc
head She said, They viii never hnd the Dia-
mond, Sir. will they! No! nor the person who
took it'll answer for that She actually
I nodded and smiled at me! Before could ask
. her what she meant We heard your step outs,de'
: suppose she was afraid Of your catching her
here. AT any rate, she changed color and LETT
. the room. What on earth does It mean
could not bring myself to tell him the girls
, story even then. 1t would have been almost as
good as telling him that she was the thief. Dc
, sides, even II had made clean breast OF IT,
and even supposing she was the thies the reason
, why she should let out her secret to Mr.. Frank
lin, oil aii the people IN the worid' wouiu nave
n been still as far to seek as ever. :,
81 can't bear the idea OF getting the poor giri
, into scrape, merely because she has fighty
way with her, and talks very strangely, MI.
Franklin went on. "And yet, IL she had said to
0 the Superintendent what she said to me, fool rs
he is, I'm afraid" He stopped there, and left
. the rest unspoken.
"The best way, Sir" said "will be for me
: to say two words privately to my mistress about
it at the first opportunity. My lady has very
friendly interest in Rosanna; and the girl may
only have been forward and foolish, after all
When there's mess OF any kind in house,
T Sir, the women-scrvants like to look at the
e gloomy sido-,t gives the poor wretchcs kind
Of importance in their own eyes. II there's any
r body iii, trust the woman Tor prophesying that
the person will die If It's Jewel lost, trust