The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1885-01-30
But they never pot near me. cried 1.

tllnt he should not take its silver collar In.
stead Of that he took your diamond brooch
can't think how Il is possible, 1 said in
great vr1stion.
'Ah yOu don't know bow artfuI them
gipsies are, miss said Sandy.
Well. my brooch was gone, and there
seemed no way OF even trying to recover ft.
/ can't understand it, said to the land
lady, talking It over with her L feel Almest
certain laid my finger on my brooch, and
felt II safe az we drove into Buckingham -
We had jerk as we turned that corner, and
L remember stopping over my dog. as be
seemed frightened. | wonder whether IL
came undOne then p
If there is any chance Of that said the
lSndlsdy, 1t might be lying in the street.
We will send for the crieI.'
So the crier was put into requIsition and
as Buckingham, though larger than Wins
/ low, is but small place, q considerable
sensation was excited and L became rather
! q heorine
The elderly stranger stayed with me- at
The inn for some time.
She explored the pony-chsise, shook out
the wraps and mats, and when further
search was hopeless, wished me EoOd-day,
/ with repeated thanks and expressions OF
sorrow at my loss, and walked away.
! Well, nothing came Of the efforts OF the
town crier. l sent to the police, but they
seemed to think It hopeless case.
When once those gipsies get hold OF any
thing said they. there's no chance OF trac-
| ing it.
! So paid my visit to my lawyer, returned
1 to my inn for the night, and the next day
drove back to Winslow, noticing, as we
passed, tina. the gipsies' camp had entirely
disappeared.
No wonder they are gone,' said Sandy:
they got lucky hit, miss. They may make
Of with good many dozen cocks and hens
before they get the value Of that ere dIA-
mODd brooch
Mary could not refrain from q little trf-
umphant / told you So reproach: but when
she cav ho~ vexed I was at my loss She soon
desiSted and when week had passed. 1
began to get over It sod forget It,
But the matter WAS recalled to nv mind
very Unexpectedly.
About a month after the occurrence 1 had
a call from Mrs. Bolton. who came into
WinslOw shopping, and as usual took lunch
with me, and naturally mentioned her old
servant whe had driven with me into Buck
inRham.
at first she looked surprised but present
ly seeming to recollect, said
oh, you mean old Molly Sears, eur old
nurse. Did yOu Overtake her near Bu-kIug-
ham p
Not At ALL l replied. she was only Just
out Of WinslOw She gave ne your message
and took her up and drove her 10 BuckIng-
ham,
But 1 never sent any message, said Mrs.
ROlton, bewildered and Molly is at Buck
inRhhm.
1 then related all the circumstances 10
Mrs. Bolton, but she shook her bead
1t was some impostOr.' said She There
Is no old servant OF mine about except old
Molly, and she Is eighty and walks with
crutch"
Then it flssthed across my mind that the
Ripsies did not steal my brooch.
was opening my mouth to speak, when
my servant said that q person on business
wanted to speak to me particularly, and
left my friend, and stepped into she next
room.
There found Buckingham tradesman.
a jeweler, with whom 1 had several deal
ings. one whom knew to be a most worthy
and respectable man.
Miss SimmOnds.' said he, after tina first
greetings. will you favor me with a niuuts
description OF the brooch you lost v,bsp
driving into buckingham IN the last month -
1T was Oval-shAped,' said l. and set round
with rubies and diamonds In the ceutre
there was a locket. with IIgnt hair in It
On the back was engraved e s., from J. II.
-1Si9''
Mr.. Pope made no answer, but took lit
tie box out Of his pocket, opened It, and
there was my brooch
[ screamed out for Joy, snd Mrs. Bolton
came running in.
Who travelled with you In your chsiss.
Mise Simmonds?' said Mr.. Pope, smiling.
a person L took up on the road said 1.
now greatly excited-'a woman; tall. and
rather old, who said she knew this lady.
Mrs. Bolton, which she didn't Oh, she's
the thief, 1 see. Plainly dressed, with
gru1 voice, and grey hair
Just So said Mr.. Pspe. This person,
madam turning to my friend, Is = most
daring and arttul thief, but there is an end
now to bis tricks. Yes, bis tricks, mR'am.
The thief was n man in woman's clothes"
'Oh, dear on, dear : cried Mrs Bolton.
struck With q new thought; / see II all.
There was man about our premises lust st
that time prying into everything. he pre-
tended to come with q message from NV
brother at Bletchley, but found out after
wards that he did not. And 1 remember
talking about Miss Simmonds before hiu
while he sat eating q meal in the kitchen 1
remember telling Anne that Miss Slmmo1ds
would drive into Buckingham the next day.
But said nothing about a brooch
He had means OF finding out that We
know nothing Of said Mr Pope. But L
must tell you how the lost treasure was re-
covered
Perhaps you know that hsYe q
relative In ny own way of business at
Leighton Buzzard. Well, have Just been
spending few days with bin, seeing TO
little matter between as.
L was standing behind his counter yestsr-
day, when a shabby young woman, with a
very woe -oegone face, came whining, and
asking what | would give her for it-shs
must part with il she said.
| Somehow l didn't like the tone OF her
voice, and, taking up the brooch, l suddenly
/ thought OF your loss and the description
/ given out by the town crier.
! We'll, TO make long story short, we gave
/ this young woman in charge on suspicion,
| and by means OF threats managed through
/ her 70 get at the real thsif-this man who
walks about 10 wOmsn's clothes, and who
| will very soon be out OF the way Of tEievinR
| for considerable time
/ Well. this is how / lost my brooch and
bow l found 10 again.
WinslOw and Buckingham have greatly
/ Increased 10 size since those days, and the