Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-05-28


/ and the diamonds 20 out of the house, and
/ this very night may be awakened to find
I masked men standing over me with loaded
pistols, who will rob my house under my
very eyes
! Belts shook his head muscd little with
his legs crossed ard his LEFT foretinger
| pressed into his check. "By-the-bye,
| said he presently, chow many servants
have you. Mr.. Powers? Please tell me
about them individually
! went over their names, and the detee-
tive, checked them of in his memorandum
book rs gave the facts connected with
/ them. Saunders, the butler, had been with
us seventeen years; the cook five years
coachman and groom. seven. and the
/ chambermaid, three-ail fixtures in the
household but Marie, my wile's maid, who
/ had come within the last four weeks.
"Ah," exclaimed Belts, where did you
| get Marie? Was she well recommended z
! "Oh yes; she is French, and just come
/ to this country with a family by the name
| OF De Sturges. She was nurse to child
who died on the passage, and was thus
/ thrown out OF employment she advertised.
/ and my wife saw her, liked her aud cngas-
| ed her.
"lou continue TO like herr"
"Capitally; she's a perfec, genius, with
/ effective magic in her fingers"
Did you see her former employersf'
" n. 1,
/ chatty, agreeable people, of some means,
/ apparently, and are going TO settle In New
/ Orleans"
describe her, ifyou please" said Belts.
with keen interest, which surprised me,
[ Oh" he added, as stared at him. give
me leave to be curious"
with all my heart. Marie is small,
black-eyed, biack-haired, compactly buil;, f,
with remarkably neat hands and feet. She
/ has 4 saucy laughing face, and her hair j.
I short. crisp and curly"
How about her voice."
Very clear aud ringing. She does 10,
/ speak English iluenily, but understands
, every word that !s said To her
NOW about her Itl4e ways.
A thorough French woman. with a
knack OF pleasing ey crybody. / don't
know when I've seen sHch an artess.
/ good. happy little girl"
/ Beits laughed uneasily. then bent his
I head on his hand, his elbow resting on his
/ knee.
Mr.. Powers" said he al last. looking
+ up with peculiar flash IN his eyes. Il an.
/ going to take you into my confidence, Lut
I you mus; be discreet or you will ruin me.
I I've sworn to see this thing through or re-
/ sigu my position, I'm sick OF this Internal
fpolery OF calling myself a detective and
letting Satan reign night and day all oy r
the city. The newspapers drive me mad.
They know nothing of the obstacles We
contend with, aud goad Us into premature
steps, which cost us our reputation, aud
end In failure. I've been working in the
dark these nine weeks, but. by Heavens Il
believe you've shown me n glimmcr Of
light
His manner indicated intense excitement.
his words came spasmodically. his face
worked, and he had to draw his hand two
or three times across his mouth before he
could 20 on. Then producing a note-
book. he opened il well-worn leaves.
There have been" he began, looking
at me with a sor; OF smile. Ave great rob
berries within the las, six months, and each
one has special features, characterizins il
as the work OF the same hands as the o.her
/ four.
First, the combination OF seven to
eleven masked men. all adroit burglars !;
[ second. an isolated house i attacked. sure
/ 10 contain ample provision for a success
[ fIIl robbery; third, the thieves know the
/ premises; fourth, the leader of the gang
/ is a small mau, of active habits, with 4
clear. shrIll voice"
| He stopped and looked AT me-
II did not know there was recognized
leader" | remarked.
| He drew large b ook from his desk
Here said he. ''is the full testimony in
all five cases. Run your eye over it. and
! you will see that the general facts all coin
cide. The small man gives directions and
leads everybody"
Probably some London crack sman."
Belts nodded winked, then leaned for
ward and whispered in my ear, II suspect
It's a woman
"Impossible. no woman has the nerve
"A she-devil, then-sometbing in wo-
-
facts on which base this belief The rest
OF the gang are as free and easy with each
other as you please, yet no one ever lays a
finger on this little one. but all draw back
to let him pass. He gives orders, exerts
himself when ingenuity is required. but
when strength is needed he looks on while
the Others fall to work. Besides. young
Stewart. who was brought down stairs in
his night-shirt the right of their robbery,
told me jokingly that he believed there
was woman among the thieves, for one
OF them took offence at his bare legs, and
ordered them covered up with the piano
spread"
''Still very airy hypothesis this about
the woman"
You have to jump at conclusions some
times, and find facts to suit. As soon as |
had mastered these details, was impress.
ed by the conviction that one OF the thieves
had been on the premises before. At Mr..
Stewards for instance, the safe was built
into the wall, and false panel in the
wainscOt IS the only opening to il: vet the
first place the burglars approached was
that panel. which the little fellow slid
aside at once. So set to work looking
for suspicious character in the house, and
found all satisfactory till 1 came to
French Governess. who staid with them
six weeks last spring. Now, sir, in each
house entered by these masked devils there
has been during the past twelve months
some similar transient inmate. At War.
dell's it was a French cook, in white cap
and apron: at the Lewis's the youn0