Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1882-01-05

%aAA@AH " fAR "a &t@ g. A**&M# &&AA - AAN4A&N4x4
the next door, being summoned 10
take charge 0f the ladies.
The missing purse was not 70 be
found, however, and The conviction
was soon reached that il must have
been taken By some one who had left
the car before the loss was discovered.
Dick 3 proteee, a. he began 70 cop-
sider her. was one Of the last to s.
searched, and tainted outright the
moment the ordeal was over. She
looked 40 pretty and hefpless, lying
there. with her eyes closed and her
pale litfIP hpnds hanging u her side,
that the FpMng man could scarcely
force himself 10 leave her.
But urgent busins required his
immediate pfesenee elsewhere. Be-
fore going away however. he slipped
some money into the hands Of the
boarding house mistress, and request
ed her to take charge of the young
lady for the night.
Urgent duties kept him later than
usual the next morning, and it was
twelve o'clock before be found leisure
to retrace his steps to the spot.
Agnes had left the boarding-house.
and no one knew whether she had
gone.
Dick felt grievonsly disappointed.
He was deeply interested in the beau
tiful stranger-had even dreamed Of
her the night before. He thought he
should never see her again; but he
did.
It happened some six months later.
A house In Fourth Avenue had been
broken into and robbed of money.
jewels, silver-plate and other yalua-
bles.
Dick, though comparatively mex
perienced, had already shown an ap-
titude for such investigations, and was
selected by his chief to work MP the
case.
1t was a handsome brick house,
with a space of FIVE or six feet separ-
ating it from the neighboring dwell
lings, on the right and left.
Dick found everything in confusion.
Servants were running distractedly
up stairs and down, and Mr.. Len
mark, the master of the house, seemed
the craziest Of them ak
No shutters had been forced or
locks broken; the lower story was
found as secure in the morning, as
though no robbery had taken place.
Dick found himself thoroughly per-
picked, and had gone over the house
as far as the actic before he under
stood how the thieves had effected an
Here the mystery was revealed.
One of the end windows was open, and
there were footprints in the dust that
thickly covered the floor. These
prints were of three sizes. SINE of
them being very small indeed, and
evidently made by woman's shoe.
They led to and from the stairs and
the window. Some support had evil
IDENTIFY been stretched across the in
tervening space from the adjoining
house-top, and thus the rogucs had
obtained easy access to Mr.. Len
marks premises.
Dick made still another discovery.
While standing beside the open
window, and studying the situation,
he noticed a pearl earring OF pecu-
liar workmanship lying at his feet. 1t
had simply made mark, so to speak.
in the layer Of dirt, and could not
have lain any length af time where he
found it.
Going below, he had all the SER
wants called into the hall.
Il want to know" he said, chow
many Of you have been in the attic at
any time during the present week"
Not one. The attic was simply
used as a lumber-room, the house
keeper said, and they seldom had any
occlsion to invade it. None Of them
had entered it for at least month.
Dick studied each face by itself,
but the domestics looked like an un-
honest set. Not one among
them had the appearance of being a
house-breakers confederate. After
eying them keenly few moments,
Dick turned to Mr.. Lenmark, and
said:
Have ! seen all the household p
Was no other person stopping here
yesterday. or last night ?"
The old gentleman shook bis head
at first, then quickly corrected him
self.
Why. yes; / had well-nigh forgot
ten. Miss Holcum was here.
"Whe is Miss Holcum ?"
The day-teacher. She comes three
afternoons in the week. to instruct nv
little daughters in French and mu-
sic"
AT what time did she leave the
house last night p
why, the fact is she didn't 90
away at all, Mr.. Lenmark answered.
1T came on to rain at SIX, when she
usually leaves. and my wife, being a
very kind-hearted woman, insisted
that she should remain over night.
Dick drew quick breath.
''She left this morning. after the
was known7"
ayes"
"Will you be good enough to tell
me where Miss Holeum lives
'GoOd graciousl / hope you don t
suspect her? Why she's an innocent
little thing, and wouldn't hurt a
mouse It turned her quite sick to
hear what had been going on in the
night. and we were compelled to send
her home In carriage. But I'll give
the addraea of s,,,,ua g -. ! -