Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-08-01
THE PROFESSOR.


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/ found ibis letter waiting for me at
~ elub one morning toward the end
o2Ylay, Col OF course l should. I
Nd nothing particular to keep me in
tpvn: % b the A-o'olock train I found
myself travelling south in I much moro
Lively frame Of mind than I had sxpe-
rieucsd In the morning. sndeavoring 10
while away the time with conjectures o.
tovhat could really have taken place.
he diamond knew we'll. 1twastruly .
PRECIOUS stone, not only for its intrin.
90 worth, but also from the fact that
Il had been given by IN Indian rajah
. Mrs.. CArgill's father, and, further,
II was the last gift Of parent whose
memory was loved by oil who had
known him. Mrs. Cargill wore IT
plainly set In gold IS . brooch, and
wore Il more frequently than perhaps
most women would have thought il
wise to cir 90 valuable treasure.
Nv friend lived With his mother and
little sister In quaint old house with
considerable grounds, 10 . very quiet
end unprstsndipg manner. The nearest
village Of any importance was at dis
tance Of some four and half miles.
Oftsn had envied him the quiet peace
Of HE home. His tastes were artistic,
like mine; and, with such work rs he
might choose to do, and the occasional
observation-disclosures Of his family acres, as
mieht be necessary TO divert his atten-
ton, life must have been very pleasant
indeed.
Nv friend Harold was waiting for
mo when I reached the little station
about 7 In the evening, and on the
drive homo l learned few more par
ticulsrs. The robbery had taken place.
q fer o. could DO judged, either during
the night before last or on the pre-
csdipg day. The house and the effects
of the servants had been searched with
out avail, and Harold had only waited
nv arrival before taking further steps.
We talked the matter over ct great
length, both on our way home and after
dinner. That one of the servants was
guilty seemed To me quite evident, but
/ could convince neither OF the others
on this point.
Mrs. Cargill left us soon to our wine,
and continued my endeavors, without
avail, to prove to Harold that strict msa-
sures should at once be taken with all
the servants. He commended that
thorough search had already been made.
my dear fellow" l said at length,
" you should have allowed me to use
my discretion in the matter, and would
have brought you down French de-
tsctivs or two."
"And what would your detectives
have done? Made up nice story inn
plicating one or all Of the servants, and
probably the gardener as an outdoor
agent, but not found the diamond.
Now, where is the use Of investigations
unless We recover the damond?"
A happy thought struck me IS he
spoke. "If your object, Harold, is
entirely the recovery of the diamond
and not the punishment of the thief,
have suggestion to make /; aud it may
DO, after all, that il we discover the
stone first We may learn more after
ward. Let us have down this great
and thought-resder who is
making such . small commotion just
now. Well tax him IF he'll come) to
conduct us to the stone. II is proba-
bly, still in the house the robbery was
discovered so very quickly that even
with an outside agency in the person Of
the gardener, whom grant you don't
like, 1t Is unlikely the stone can have
got 30 far IS the village yet"
On this suggestion (made half in jest,
half in earnestly We eventually decided
TO oct. The robbery had been discov-
cred the morning before, and the ser
wants had since then been pretty closely
watched, 80 that, after further talk,
which, it is needless to say, went over
and over the same GRAND at least score
of times, each Of us attempting to prove
to himself and to the other that detec-
tive work was what Providence had
severslly meant for US, We came to the
determination that we would ask the
great thousht-reader, Professor Land
Icy, to come to our assistance.
The greatest secrecy Of course was
necessary. Not even Mrs. Cargill
should know at first who our visitor
really was for our only hope Of sue
cess lay in the chance that If one of
the servants was the thief the stone
might still be hidden in the house, or
perhaps buried in the ground outside,
till It could with greater safety be re-
moved, when the matter had time to be
partly forgotten.
went to town early next morning,
and called at once upon the learned
professor. He was "out," but was to
b in again very soon. strolled about
the nsighborhood some time so as not
TO miss him, having q shrewd suspicion
hat be had not yet made his appear
auce at breakfast. Sure enough, |
found him at little before noon
eating, in . lapguid manner, the
remains of q fowl which had done
duty before and drinking small beer.
Knowing little Of professional
men, however, l recognized the exigeu.
ciss Of the case, and after the usual
civilities explained the reasons of my
call. lie Mas tall man, rather thin,
with weak eyes, but sufficiently gen.
tlsmanly to pass muster both 10
dress and manner. Rather to my
surprise, be readily agreed to ac-
company me, and postponed for
. few days the private engage
msnts which no had on hand at the
time; but in the course of our journey
down TOR We returned tha. night the
reason Of bis compliance came out.
Hs wished to include the robbery in
HE advertisements, and ell that l could
cay 10 The contrary would not convince
hin that my friend would scarcely care
To- he name 10 be mixed up Ina the
ua&1os. Aflsr considerable discussion
~ theueht Il best to inform Mrs.
OisEl1I, later IN the evening, who and
What our viAitsr really Was.
Tia Professor explained to us that,
asMrs. Casgill knew the diamond and
had worn IL 40 long. she WAS the one