Omaha daily bee., 1883-04-28
MISS GRAcE'S ILLUSION,

London Truth.
Miss Grace Archoll, the youngest
daughter Of q wealthy city merchant
residing at South Kinsipgton, received
on her sixteenth birthday q present of
Q handsome diamond necklace from
her godfather. 1t was an %extrsvsgsnt
gift for q young girl, but the donor wa,
rich and eccentric. Miss Grace wal
naturally highly delighted with her
first really good piece Of jewelry, and
wore II with conscious pride at q little
birthday party the same evening. Her
parents we're away on the continent,
possibly or they might have objected
to this proceeding. In their absence,
however, Miss Grace scoffed at the
wisdom Of her elder sisters, who rep.
resented, not without . spice Of envy,
perhaps, that such ostentstion was In
bad taste. She received many con.
gra~tulstlons on her good fortune from
her young friends, who regarded the
diamonds with q sort of woe-strioken
admiration. On retiring to rest, Miss
Grace persisted In carrying the neck
lace up to her room, perversely declin-
Ing to deposit 1t In the stropg-room,
where the plate was kept, being, up.
parently, rather unduly elated at the
sensation II had caused.
In the middle of the night the
household was aroused by q loud
shrek, and Miss Grace was found on
the landing outside her door in a very
scared and hysterical state. 1t wa,
some time before her sisters and the
servants could ascertain from her what
was the matter; but at length they
elected that she had been awakened
by someone moving about her room,
and had distinctly heard and seen q
man go up to the dressing table and
subsequently, disappear through the
door. According to her account she
had rushed out Of bed, too frightened
to utter a sound, and had seen the
man making his way down the stairs.
She had not dared to follow him, but
had, with some difficulty, raiued an
alarm.
This recital naturally caused the
greatest excitement. The butler and
footman, who slept In the basement,
had not yet appeared upon the scene,
and the terrifi ID women, for there was
no male member of the family In the
house, began to scream and make 9
commotiop. Somebody threw up a
window which opened upon the street
and shouted for the police. One Of
| the elder girls, more courageous than
the rest, went down stairs to put the
mon servants on the alert. There wal
. general move toward Miss Grace's
room, where It was a~soertained that
not only diamond necklace, but Q ring
and q few smaller articles of jevelry
had vanished.
In the midst Of the lamentations
and paroxysms which ensued the
door bell was heard to ring, and pres.
emily several persons mounted the
stairs headed by the butler. Among
others was a young surgeon named
Lake, who resided q few doors off. A
constable was also of the party, which
was mainly composed of gentlemen
who were returning home from q ball
In the neighborhood. The cause Of
the alarm having been explained, a
careful search was made for the burg.
lar, but no trace of him was found. A
window on n of the landings wal
discovered to be open, and 1t was pos.
sible he had escaped by 1t, though the
descent must have been perilous.
This possibility, however, became o
certainty when 1t was ascertained
that all the other windows and door.
In the house was securely fastened,
and that the thief wns clearly nc
longer upon the premises.
While the search was proceeding,
DR.. Lake was requested to step up
stairs to Miss Grace's room, where one
of the servants had tainted from ter.
! ror and could not be brought to. The
doctor was Q young practitioner who
was said to be extremely clever at hil
profession, but he was allowed few
opportunities of giving evidence oil
ability. In other words, he had nc
patients, though he had been In prao.
tice Q year or two, and Was under,
going that painful period of probation
which falls to the lot of most medica
men. He had rather a striking face
with keen eyes and q resolute chin
and vas decidedly good looking.
He soon disposed of his patient
whom he restored to consciousness BY
the simple and summary method o.
dousing her head with cold water. II,
then turned to Miss Grace, who wa,
now quiet and composed, and looked
very pretty with her fair hair down
her back, he flushed cheeks and hel
smart esstnr & gown, which showed
off her Rirlish figure to advantage
He knew the family rather intimately
In q neighborly way, and had, In fact
spent the evening there an hour o.
two previously, so he accosted he
without ceremony, and proceeded Il
feel her pulse, keeping his eyes 6xet
upon her.
"You seem to have recovered from
your fright, Miss Grace" he said, In
mstter-of.f fact tone.
eyes, thank you" she replied, witt
evident nervousness.
"Where did you put the ne,klao
before you went to bedl" he Inquired
abruptly.
Il put tt mean I left 1t - on tn,
dressing table with the other things,
replied Mas Grace, flushing more be
comiugly than ever.
DIR. Lake left her side and strod,
over to the fireplace, where he stoo,
chatting on the hearth rug, lsanin,
against the mantel shelf. A few min