The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-06-17

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my movements, and perhaps followed
me herel l remembered several SER
wants passing to and from the room
while was at Lord Ms.
Rejecting in this vein, it suddenly
occurred to me that had seen in the
bureau of the room / occupied a case
of cheap brilliants that my wife had
worn not long since in some tableaux
given in aid of charity. She had APP
peared as one of the maids in waiting
to an Indian princess, or some such
role. What if should put the neck
lace belonging to that set into the jewel
case, and conceal the real diamonds be-
tween the mattresses of my bed?
A good idea, thought l, and immedi-
ately acted upon it. / then placed the
jewel-case with its comparatively worth
less contents, beneath my pillow, and,
locking the door leading from my room
into the hall, retired, and almost imme-
diately, and without again seeing my
wife, fell asleep. l slept soundly, for l
had been very busy during the day and
was much fatigued.
Rather earlier than usual | was awak-
ened next morning by feeling cold
draught of air upon me, and at once
leaped from the bed on discovering that
the door which | had fastened on retir-
ing was open.
Calling loudly to my wife, l pulled
from the bed the pillow beneath which
l had placed the jewel-case. 1t was
gone!
With trembling hands l next dashed
apart the mattresses; and there, as |
had placed them on retiring, were the
real Jewels, as safe and as brilliant as
on the night before.
My wife was by this time beside me,
half hysterical, and my first duty was
to calm her agitation, which, in meas
ure, succeeded in doing; and having
made hasty toilet, and secured the
luckless jewels about my person. de-
scended to ascertain how the burglar
had entered or escaped. found every
thing as / had left it till came to the
window of which l have previously
spoken as having broken fastening.
That window was open
1t was still early, and / at once re-
paired to the servants rooms. They
were all apparently sleeping, including
the man who had entered the dining
room on the previous evening.
ottlu hOtillllS tDOul lllt lOSS. llldhillS
some excuse about being obliged to be
in the city that morning before the
usual time and desiring an early break
fast, as reason for awakening them,
and was soon on my way to the city;
where, after safely depositing the jew
els, | sought the services of we'll
known and shrewd detective, who at
one time did some work for our firm
and stated to him the entire circum-
stances, retaining his services in the
matter; for though the loss was trifing,
/ did not wish the culprit to escape if
he could be secured.
AT the same time l realized, as the
detective suggested, that it might be a
more difficult case than it would other
wise prove, from the fact that the thief,
whoever he might be, would at once by
daylight detect the worthlessness of his
plumber, and would never attempt to
dispose of it.
And the detective never did find a
clew to the matter. During that fore
noon he went to my house, inspected
the premises, and ascertained that the
window could be opened from the out
side with little trouble, in spite of the
manner in which | had supposed it to
have been made fast He also informed
me that the key of my room-the lock
being of simple pattern-could readily
have been turned from the outside by a
burglar without injury or noise. He
also rigidly examined the servants, es-
pecially the waiting-man, but could
any of them. There had been a shap
,.at Foil tha 1ntt ~ Nf 10
night, and any footprints which might
have been made in the garden were
totally obliterated. So he was obliged
to confess he had found no clue to the
matter, and could only tell me he would
keep sharp lookout for any evidence
bearing upon the case.
/, however, shortly after discharged
the waiting-man, as his very presence
seemed to disturb my wife, whose
nerves appeared to have undergone a
shock from which they did not readily
recover
My wife being in this state, / thought
that change of air and scene would re.
store her completely. 1t was neal
Christmas, very busy time with us in
the city; but made short trip to the
continent with her, and was reioiced
to see that in a week or two her natural
health and spirits had apparently re-
turned. So, having been absent as long
as my business would permit, we re-
turned home, arriving at dusk one even.
ing early in the new year.
| noticed that my wife, on entering
the house, showed signs of returning
nervousness: and when she insisted
that l should examine the fastenings OF
the doors and windows before retiring
she seemed especially concerned about
the window through which the thiei
had entered For myself, | thought
nothing of the matter-in fact had long
ago got over the excitement of the burg
.. larry, and had often laughed to myself
, at the disappointment the thief must
have undergone, as well as congratu
lated myself on my happy thought il
exchanging the jewels.
. Nevertheless, that night, whether il
was from the novelty of being at home
, again, or for whatever reason, / slep
lightly, and was suddenly awakened by
hearing a slight noise in the room, an(
at the same instant seeing a figure
clothed in white, which / at once-i
was brilliant moonlight-recognized as
t my wife, going out of the door into The
, hall.
| BY some instantaneous reasoning-o