The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-03-19

one has these special features, characteriz
| ing il as the work of the same hands as tn,
other four:
First the combination OF seven tC
| eleven masked men, all adroit burglars
| second. an isolated house is attacked, sur,
TO contain ample provision for a successful
robbery :. third, the thieves know tn,
| premises fourth, the leader of the gang i;
| a small man. of active habits, with a clear
shrill voice"
He stopped and looked at me.
| Il did not know there was recognized
| leader" ] remarked.
! He drew large book from the desk
| /" Here" said he, - is the full testimony il
all five cases. Run your eyes over it, anC
/ you viii see that the general facts all coin
eide. This small man gives directions anC
leads every body"
ssProbably some London cracksman."
Belts nodded, winked, then leaned for
ward, and whispered in my ear,
II suspect IT'S a woman"
"lmposSible no woman has the nerve.'
"a she-devil, then-sOmething in {
wOman's form at all events. Now for the
facts on which base my belief. The rest
of the gang are as free and easy with each
other as you please, yet no one ever lays Z
finger on this little one, but all draw bach
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 night of their robbery
told line jokingly that he believed there was
a woman among the thieves, for one of them
took offense at his bare legs, and ordered
them covered up with the piano-spread.' y
''Still very airy hypothesis his about
the woman"
"You have TO jump at conclusions some
times, and find facts to suit. As soon as
| had mastered these details, was i'm
pressed by the conviction that one of the
thieves had been on the premises before
At. Mr.. Stewards, for instance, the safe is
built into the wall, and false panel in the
wainscOt is the only opening to it; yet tie
first place the burglars approached lCaS that
panel, aChich the little felLoD slid aside at
once. SO | set TO work looking for a sus-
piciOus character in C house, and found
all satisfactory till came to a French gov
erness who stayed with them six weeks
last spring. Now, sir, in each house en-
tered by these masked devils there has
been during the past twelve months some
similar transient inmate. At.Wardwell's s
it was French cook, in a white cap and
apron: at the Lewises', the young ladies'
page, a clever Buttons; at the Pratts', a
protege of the children, a handsome va
grant Italian boy, with violin. And now.
Mr. Powers,' continued Belts, bringing
his hand heavily down upon my knee, II
am ready to swear that you have this dan
derOuS inmate under your own roof in the
character of your lCite's maid
l started as If had been shot.
Impossible :" gasped; "jmpOssjbLe ~
but why, sir, impOssible?'
"The idea is mOnstrOus. Marie is a
sweet little girl, playful as a kitten.''
"But, Mr.. Powers, you are a man OF
the world, and know that woman is not
proved honest because she bewitcheS
you"
Z" But, Belts, admit that though 1 am an
ldfOOl, my wife is thorough woman, and,
as rule, suspects all her own sex, vet
she is positively fond or Marie''
Marie is a clever little puss. Wherever
she has lived as man or woman, the whole
family have adOred her. | have always
thought" he went on, with a sort of
chuckle, ''that no fact about women is
more damning than that the good ones
are, as a rule, the dull ones. Put spirit,
sparkle, intellect, into any one of them,
and she is certain to play the devil. Has
Marie shown any interest in these burg
larieS?''
There could be no doubt of her having
questioned me concerning them with in
tense eagerness, and if | spoke to my wife
about my apprehensions while she was
present, Marie never lost word.
docs she know about your silver
Has she any charge of your wife's dia-
mOndsg"
Istarted. That very morning / had
shown her my safes behind false book
case in my study, and asked her opinion
whether any one could mistrust those in
nOcent-lOoking encyclopedias, or suspect
the existence of a closet six feet square be-
tween my room and the library. was
ashamed OF my own greenness, but made
a clean breast of it to Belts, who was good
enough to refrain from expression of his
opinion of my discretion.
MY word for it." he cried, "she has
been waiting to find out that secret, and
now she will leave your house within for
ty-eight hours. Her pretext will be rea-
sonable one, and she will promise to re-
turn, but when she does return she will
bring her gang at her heels to rob yeur
house for you"
The idea of connecting our pretty Marie
with such outrages flied me with horror.
| rejected il strenuOusly. E
believe or1hOt as you like" he return
ed, with shrug, - so long as you only
follow my advice just out of curiosity.
take home little dog with YOU. and see if
Marie does not set to work to bewitch it
at once. Then the moment she speaks
of leaving your house telegraph TO me-"
Our interview lasted another hour.
When l left him went to dOg-fancier's,
and boughta little yelping black-and-tan
spaniel, and carried him home with me.
1t was approaching dinner-time when |
arrived. and my wife was in her room sit
ting before the mirror with Matchmaking
her hair. 1 entered as was my habit, and
sat down by the fire, and let the girl draw
off my boots and bring my slippers in her
usual way 1t seemed an unmanly treason
TO suspect her as she moved about me with
her bright smile and easy grace. She
rarely spoke, unless actually addressed,
but her inaIitiOns of any ones wishes
amounted absolutely to genius. =
4" Whom did you seein town?" inquired
my wife.
"Don't speak of it." said I, looking
fearfully about, as if the walls had ears,
" but L was with Belts, the detective. You
must not repeat what say, Marie.'' -
Never. monsieur-ir cried Marie.
1.-The fact is,'' proceeded, sinking my
voice into a sepulehral whisper, THAT gang
Of masked burglars have been traced 20
New Orleans, and may bearrested by this
time"
"Then l hope, dear" said my wife,
laughing, 'that you will again sleep sound
ly in your bed. After you got up last
night for the fourth time to promenade
about. pistols in hand, decided it might
be better to eat off pewter and wear
French. gilt. jewelry than to, lead such a
toolaughed. and stretched my legs COM
fortably. Yes, meas to sleep like a
Christian hereafter; besides, have brought
home dog.r EESG -.
= A dog,n exclaimed Marie, startled.
Yes" L turned and looked at her at
tentively. Don't you like dogs q
She protested vehemently that she loved
dogs better than anything in the world !;
and when Jingle, the spaniel. was pro-
duced 1t was SO pretty a sight to see her
piayln with him that / was freshly in-
censed with Belts for putting his cursed
suspicious into my head. She took the
little beast 10 bed with her. believe. and
next morning he would obey her lifted
finger.
m 1 Il.