St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1874-03-27


all fixtures i'll the household but Marie.
my wifc> maid. who had come within
the last tnur weeks.
"Ah " exclaimed Belts. .'whrrr did
Nou get Marie Was she well recon-
mrndtd p
'Oh. YES: she is French. and has
just come to this country with Il family
10y the name of De Sturgcs. She was
nurse To Il child " h" died on the pas
sage. and WAS thus thrown ont "t en-
ploymcnt she advertised. and my wife
SAN her. liked her. and engaged her"
~ on continue tn like her ,"
'CapitalIy: she's Il perfect genius.
with effective magic in her fingers"
Did Nou see her former employers -
"le> both DE SturgcS and his wife
-chatty. agreeable people, OF some
means. apparently. and are going It"
settle in New Orleans.
''Dr>crihc her. if y"u please" said
Belts. with Il keen interest. which SUI
prisrd me. oh" he added! as stared
at him. give me leave t" hc curiouS''
with all my heart. Mmic is small.
blackcyed. black haired. c"mplctly
built. with remarkably neat hands and
feet. She has II Saucy. laughing face.
and her hair is short. crisp. and curly.
''llow about her voice -
~ cry clear and ringing. She doe
not speak English tlucutly. bur under
stands every word that j. said to her.
Nov about her little Ways.
"A Thorough FrcnchwomalI. With 4
kmark OF pleasing every body. | don't
know when I've >'tm such an aItlr>-
g"od, happy little Girl.'
Belts laughed uura>ill. then bent his
head on his hand. his elbow resting on
his knee.
"Mr. Powers" said he at last. looking
up with peculiar flash i'll his eyes. Il
am going to take l"u into my conf
dence. hut You must he discreet. nr Won
will ruin me. I've sworn to see this
thin" through. or resign my po>itinn
I'm sick of this internal foolcIN of call
ing my self IL detective and letting Satan
reign night and day all over the city.
The newspapers drive me mad They
know nothing about the obstacles We
contend with. and goad us into picma-
tuie steps, which cost u> our reputation.
and end in failure. I've been wurkin.
i'll the dark these nine weeks. but. hl
Heaven. believe you've shown me Il
gllmmcr of hight.
His manner Indicated intense excite
mcnt his words came >paSmodically. .
his face worked. and he had To draw
his hand two or three times across hi
mouth before he could 90 ON. Then
producing Il note book. hr opened il III
wtll-worI leaves.
There have been" hc began. look
ing at me with a >nIt of smile. five
great robhciic> within the last >'N
months. and each one has the special
features. charactcrizing it H. the wnIh
of the same hands AZ the other tuuI:
First. the combination of seven l."
eleven masked men. all adr"it burglars :
second. an isolated house l. attacked
sure To contain ample provision tnr Il
successful robbery third. the thieves
know the premises; fourth. the leader
of the gang is Il small man. of active
habits. with Il clear. shrill voice.
He stopped and looked 1T me.
Il did not know there WAS IL rcc"g-
nizcd leader" remarked.
He drew Il large book from his desk.
Here" said he. is the full testimony
III all five cases. Run Nnur eye over II.
and Nou will see that the general facts
all coincide. This small man gives di-
Irctinns and leads every body.
''ProhahlN some London crach>man.
Belts nodded. Wiukcd. then leaned
forward. and whispered in my ear.
Il suspect it, u woman.
'lmp"~sihlc' II" woman has the
nerve.
~ >hc-drvil. then something Ia It
womam'S form ii all events. Now f"l
the facts on which | base this hrli,f
The rest ut the rang are ~ free .ind
easy with each other a~ lnu please. Yet
10 one even laN> It finger nn this littl"
one. but all draw back T." let him pass
He gives orders. cNcrt> himself when
ingenuity is required. but Whrm strength
i needed hc looks on while The uthri~
fall To WORK. Besides. Young Stewart.
who was brought down stairs IN his
night shirt the nigh; "t their r"'H.rl
told me jokingll that he hclicvcd there
WaS Il woman among III" thieves. t"r
one of them took nticu>c AT his bare.
legs. and ordered them covered up with
the plan" spread.
still. Il very airy hypothesis This
about the woman.
"luu have to Jump at conclusions
sometimes. and find fact, I" >rIit. "
soon ;lS had mastered these details. /
WAS impressed 10y the conviction that
one of the thieves had been on the
pIcmisrs before. At MI. Stewart :. tuI
instance. the safe is built INTO the sail.
and Il false panel in the Waiu>rot j. the
only opening /" it :; get Ne .fIist place the
b,1tJiurs dpprouchcd WJS mat p0Hei. ThicE
tie EttIc tcHow slid aside at once. 80 /
set to work looking Tor Il suspicious
character in the house. and found all
satisfactory till came toa French gov
eIness who staid with them six weeks
last spring. Now. sir. i'll each house
entered by these masked devils there
has been during the past twelve months
some similar transient inmate. NJ
Warhwcll's it WAS IL French cook, i'll IL
white cap and apron at the LrWl>rs .
the Young ladies page. IL clever Bat
tons: at the PIatts, plotcgc of the
children, ii handsome vagrant Italian
boy, with violin. And now. Mr..
Powers. continued Belts. bringing his
hand heavily down upon my knee. Il
am ready to swear that you have this
dangerous inmate under Your own roof
in the character of yOrr Uites md'd.
| started as if | had been shot.
"Impossible ~ | gasped: ''impossi-
be -
But why, sill, impossible ??
The idea is mOnstrouS. Marie Is I,
sweet little girl, playful as ii kitten.
/ But. Mr.. Powers, you are IL man OF
the world. and know that Il woman Is
not proved honest because she be
witches YOU"
But. Belts. admit that though am
AN old fool. my wife Is IA thorough
wonan. and. as ii rule. suspects all her
own sex, vet she is positively fond OF