The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-06-17
FASHIONS DETECTIVE.
THE CUSTODIAN OF THE WE'D
DING PRESENTS AND RECEP-
TION RAIMENT.


During the past couple of year,
lin fact ever since Inspector Byr'
mes accession to office-several nice
society people have suffered queer
sort Of shock. Some believed it q
hallucination, it seemed SO unreal
Others guessed at something akin to
the truth. This was their exper-
ience - .f
At the marriage Of Mrs. Van This
daufhter to the distinguished Mr..
de That they distinctly remembered
seeing a very quiet and prepossess-
ing gentleman in full evening cos
tune, who paid little attention to
what was going ON in any set, but
circulated freely about, smiling and
courteous. When their minds re-
CURED to the event they did recall
that he had not been presented TO
them. If they thought of If further
they might have remembered that
he seemed 10 be an enthusiastic ad-
mirer Of jewelry and bric-a-brac and
spent most of his time lounging
about the presents. But there was
always definite recollection of his
presence at that and kindred events.
II was only natural for them to
notice him when they met again,
even if good breeding prohibited a
formal salutation. But none Of
them ever found fault with good
breeding on that account. For it
was always in court, or prison or
q street scene that he appeared, and
nearly all the time he was an actor
in one or the other. 1851 II
More than one eminent member
OF the Bar has fixed his glasses a
couple of times to make sure that
he was not mistaken in the person
ality of the man who came in with
some notorious prisoner. And var
ious ladies of fashion marrelled
greatly at the ill-taste Of the nice
young man they remembered when
they saw him lounging about theatre
doors and public places. Even
dudes of distinction, who rather af-
fected familiarity with the doings
of the city, were profoundly aston
ished TO stumble upon him at the
racecourse or athletic exhibition and
could never make him out.
That was precisely what he want
ed. For the mysterious unknown
was neither a society man nor a
member of the Jeunesse doree-he
was simply detective.
Some of those who remembered
him where the lamps shone, where
soft music foated and beatty and
wealth circulated, would be startled
BY the information. But probably
they would be still more moved by
the knowledge that he was one of
the most needful and important of
the guests.
The mind of a sentimental miss
could scent a romance in such an at
tendant at reception or " kettle
drum. /" The blunt intelligence of
mankind might wonder who was
wanted, " or who was to be watched
under such circumstances. But there
was not scintillation of sentiment
in the detectives duty. He was
there simply TO keep lookout for
thieves. Not for bold burglars or
cunning sneaks, or any outsiders,
either. He was looking for thieves
among the guests.
Gentility would hold up its hands
in horror at the thought. But ex-
perience has only too well attested
that the so-called kleptomaniac gen.
orally wears diamonds and satin slip
pers and that a clever knack for ap-
propriating other peoples effects
can lurk beneath a dress suit and
an immaculate bosom as readily as
under a blouse or velveteen frock.
Inspector Byrnes knew as much,
too. He remembered that the dis
appearance of wedding presents was
sometimes strangely frequent, and
that the contents of clothing in hat
and dressing rooms had often fitted
Unexpectedly and to unlikely quar-
tiers. OF course the servants were
blamed for it. They always are
when no explanation occurs. But
a series of discoveries that created
hushed-up scandals and private ex-
aminations in police courts let the
cat out Of the bag.
II was guests-and they were of
both sexes-who had done the APP
propriating. More too, it was not
in many cases people who were
actuated by sudden impulse. 1t
vas people who designedly tried to
bs invited to weddings and recep-
tions, who came for the express pur-
pose of thieving, and who in some
instances worked in collusion with
others outside. In very select cot
cries this would seem impossible
but these depradations had occurred
in houses where opportunity for
such intrusion seemed So unlikely
that the Inspector adopted the plan
of sending detective to any recep-
ton where temptations were offered
to the pilferer.
Nowadays the practice of having
these custodians of property on
hand is known to all prominent en-
tetrainers. This much, too, has
been found, that since its adoption
mysterious disappearances of jewell
ry and costly articles has waxed
quite infrequent. And that is the
reason more than one detective SER
geant has the swell outfit he new
cr dreamed of possessing, and the
curls and perfumery of fashion does
not surprise them as much when
they encounter them as OF yore. OF
course they have odd experiences,
some of them deeply tinctured with
romance.
A JEWEL BOX STORY.
One happened last winter to be
in attendance at wedding. 1t was
q typical wedding of the fashionable
kind. There was q large gathering
q reception by the bride and groom
under great floral marriage bells in
the drawing room and later sur.
vey OF the wedding presents up
stairs. The detective was up stairs