Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1886-10-15
THE PROFESSOR.


has been stolen. Don't bring a detective;
we'll try It ourselves first. Telegraph if you
can come Yours in haste, II. CARGILI.
My friend Harold was waiting for me when
! reached the little station about : o'clock in
the evening, and on the drive home | learned
few more particulars. The robbery had
taken place as far as could be judged, either
during the night before last or on the proceed
ing day. The house and the effects of the
servants had been searched without avail,
and Harold had only waited my arrival be-
fore taking further steps. We talked the
matter over ut great length, both on our way
home and after dinner. That one of the SER
wants was guilty seemed to me quito evident,
but could convince neither of the others on
this point
Mrs. Cargill left us soon to our wine, and l
continued my endeavors without avail to
prove to Harold that strict measures should
at once be taken with all the servants. He
contended that a thorough search had already
been made.
"My dear fellow" said at length, you
should have allowed me to use my discretion
in he matter and | would have brought you
down French detective or two
"And what would your detectives have
doncl Made up a nice story, duplicating one
dener as an outdoor agent, but not found the
diamond, Now. where is the use of nvestga-
lions unless we recover the diamondN
A happy thought struck me rs he spoke
"If your object Harold. is entirely the recov-
cry of the diamond and not the punishment
of the thief, | have Il suggestion to make, and
it may be- after all that if we discover the
stone first may learn more afterward. Let
us have down this great mesmerist and
thought-rcader, who is making such a small
commotion just now. Wen tax him Gf he'll
GOMEZ to conduct us to the stone. 1t is prob
ably still in the house; the robbery was, eds
covered so very quickly that even with an
outside agency i'll the person of the gardener,
whom | grant you l don't like, it is unlikely
this stone can have got so far as the village
yet"
On this suggestion made half in Jest, half
in earnest we eventually decided to act. The
robbery had been discovered the morning be-
fore, and the servants had since then been
pretty closely watched, so that, after fur
Their talk, which, it is needless to say, went
over and over the same ground at least score
of times each of us attempting to prove to
himself and to the other that detective work
was what Providence had severally meant us
for, we came to the determination that we
sor I1andlcY, to come to our assistance.
The greatest secrecy, of course, was neces-
Sary. Not even Mrs. Cargill should know at
first who our visitor really was, for our only
hope of success lay in the chance that if one
of the servants was the thief the stone might
be still hidden in the house, or perhaps buried
in the ground outside, till it could with
greater safety be removed when the matter
had had time to he partly forgotten.
| went to town early next morning, and
called at once upon the learned professor. He
was "out, =" but was to g in again very soon.
| strollcd about the neighborhood some time
so as not to miss him, having a shrewd sus-
picon that he had not yet made his appear
ance at breakfast Sure enough | found him
at a little before noon eating in n languid
manner the remains of a fowl that had done
duty before and drinking small beer. Know
ing little of professional men, however, |
recognized the eXigencies of the case, and,
after the usual civilities, explained the reason
of my call. He was a tall man, rather thin,
with weak eyes but sufficiently gentlemanly
to pass muster, both in dress and manner.
Rather to my surprise he readily agreed to
accompany ne and postpone for few days
the private engagements which he had on
hand at the time; but in the course of our
the reason of his compliance came out. He
wished to include the robbery in his adver-
tisemcnts, and all that | could say to the con
trary would not convince him that my friend
would scarcely care for his name to be mixed
up in the matter. After considerable dis
cussiOn we thought it best to inform Mrs.
Cargiil later in the evening who and what
our visitor really was
The professor explained to us that as Mrs.
Cargill knew the diamond and had worn it
so long, she was the one who, with her hand
in his, could best communicate to him where
to lead her "If," said he, 1.-The day is clear
and bright | shall lead you tomorrow to the
spot, Mrs. Cargiil, provided You have sufli-
cient strength of mind to keep your ideas
fixed entirely upon the stone You must keep
it wildly before your minds eye, and shall
lead you to 1t, if it is in the house or
grounds"
Nothing had occurred in the household since
my departure in the morning, and the robber
whoever Ec was must now, we judged, be
beginning to feel somewhat easier in mind :;
so in Of his deeming it necessary to alter
the probable hiding place of the stone, we
determined upon immediate action, deciding
to commence next morning at daybreak, be-
fore the world would be properly awake. The
professor did not much apprec iate the idea of
such an early start, but we succeeded in over
coming his scruples, and it was arranged be-
fore we parted for bed that we should all
meet in the dining room at 3 O'Clock next
morning.
Mrs Cargill was down before me, and
Harold shortly after. OF course, we were all
before the time, and to wait in dumb silence
even with the prospect of a most interesting
experiment. for twenty minutes in the cold
dawn was anything but lively. At length
the Professor appeared, looking we We're
glad to see equal to his business. We had
left he front door ajar in case of need, as it
was our impression 80 thorough a search
having already been made inside that the
obJc { of our quest must be without the
hou- 1t was rather eerio work for Us all,
exc u the professor, who was equal to the
occa IN and seemed to scent the battle, SO to
speas III the shape Of some far-off diamond
which ne had never seen
AT 3:l9, then, Mrs. Cargill took the pro-
feSsors hand, he having been previously
hind folded Not ho Cni1 .t,o+ c,.b N