Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1888-11-17
CHAPTER III.

"MR. GRIPpER RAISED Ills T~TrnROWS.'
At the date of this story-tweive years
go-yo had, did you wish to find ii at all,
to 20 in search of No. /. Charing Cross,
through an iron gate and up a narrow pass
are. Had you furthermore desired to hold
| communion with Mr.. Gripper, adimly-light
ed winding staircase lay before you, and in
the gloom OF Il dark wanscOted apartment
on the second floor, behind a darker Office
through which you had first to pass, Grip
per seemingly lay in wait-at any hour pre-
pared for consultation.
Prevalent as crime Is in this great city, 1t
need have been still further increased. one
may charitab.y suppose to have crowded
Mr.. Grippar's staircase with his clients pass
Ing 10 and iro. Al any rate, by some chance
no client Of Mr.. Gripper's ever met another
client or saw other living souls within the
building but Gripper himself, a thin wiry
old man who acted as his clerk, ana a tan
bulky individual with whom we shall pres
emily have 10 deal.
The occasion OF Sir Richards visit waSno
exception to the rule.
The baronet sent in his card. Mr.. Gripper
was for Tie moment engaged, but would see
Sir Richard Immediately. Sir Richard wait
w a iiA vi tho, 49,
the presence.
Il have come to consult you respecting a
loss | have sustained" said Sir Richard. ~
diamond. weighing four carat' and valued
~ one hundred and fifty pounds, has, ] have
reason 20 believe, ben stolen from m iron
| safe in my study. Instead Of going directly
to the proper should say, the police au-
thOritieS, | have come to YOU"
| Mr. Crinpnr with tho fointnGt DocSih q
smile, bowed his head, patted the back OF
one hand with the other, and said:
You had possibly reasons for wishing
in the first instance-that the q sesAolid be
privately conducted! VIII you perm& me
to ring the bell? Thank You. This is Mr..
GTeengraves, the most trustworthy of the
officers Iemp.oy. IL is most fortunate that
he is here at this very moment. You VIII
permit Mr.. Grcengraycs to be seated, Sir
Richard?'
'Thank YOU" replied Mr.. Greengraves,
without waiting for the concession request
cd, II can listen better Standing"
Sir Richard, knitting his brows, regarded
the speaker for a moment fiXedly. lie wa
the burly man before allu led to, sandy
haired, broad-shouldered. with large hand'
and feet. About his face there was NOTHING
At'tltA a lltttA ~ iWA- ibSC t.Ath - " ia
mouth. lie might have been rs cunning rs
q fox, or as stupid as a pig, for what yo,
could Judge OF his character from his physi
ognomy. Sir Richard quickly concluded
that he must wait ard see before he himself
could decide, and went on with his story.
'To use as few words as possible said
Sir Richard, n placed this diamond in my
safe-it is a patent safe and closes with q
,-tn1 ,ragt.rlau ,fta-,nn, 1afgra crnipp
down TO the House of Commons. / dincd
at the House, and remained, either listening
to the debates, or in conversation with mem.
bcrS in the smoking-room, until half-past
eleven | then went to my club, aud re-
turned TO Fu!ham in a cab at one o'clock in
the morning. / locked the diamond up be-
fore starting, and took the key with me. !
found the key this morning in the pocket
where I had placed it overnight. 1t is, rs
far as l can imagine, impossible that any
one could have access to the key"
THE two first points 30 be certain of are
that yon did actually place the diamond il
the safe, and that you did actually lock tho
safe. You say you ara certain of both thes,
facts?"
"The next question then is, Dc you sus
pect any one"'
Certainly not. | should have commence
by saying so-or make some inquiries my
self"
Mr.. Gripper bowed his head, dippeda pen
TIE handled Of which nc had been meditatiye,
~ chewing, into the ink, and asked:
May / inquire of what your household
consists, how long each person las been
with you, with any other information you
/ can give me"'
There are Saunders, my butlcr-I have
Eal him over fifteen years: Mrs. Gee, my
| hou8ekceper, who has been with me about
| The same time or longer. There are two
| fo0tmen, Charles and James, and a boz:
Fcwa!ds, the cook, and two other female
servants: and forgot to mention him
Mr.. Cuthbert Craven, my secretary"
And that comprises al! your household,
Sir RiclarJ?." !
Yes"
And yon have no reason fer doubtingthC
honesty OF Those persons?:"
None"
"And you had .ood characters with allo"
81 presume SO. | leave these matters t.
the housekccpcr."
Whilst the baronet had been speaking,
Gr,ppcr made 4 list Of the inmates Of the
MUST NUN TIC iIiloIIll.tIDl lc lliQ IGCciNGu,
Greengrayes, meanwhile, standing By
~tloughtfully feeling the outline Of his own
chin, an occupation from which he nov
desisted 10 stretch forth his hand and pos
sess himself of n small thick volume lying
on the chiefs desk. Turaing the leaves Of
this leisurely, lie found Il page, and hluC-
iiS book back, pointed with his fingc. to q
paragraph. under certain words OF which Ec
drew q line with his t~bumb-uaiI
Gripper looked at it with seeming care
l%essness, and read aloud thelist he had writ
ten down:
IL have omitted no one, l presumed" said
he i~nqu:r.nsly. Her ladyship, i presume
--v
Il should have mentioned Lady Fordyce
first" said Sir Richard.
One might almost have faIcied That the
discovery OF SO odd a blunder would have
raised a Faint smile TO the lips OF the most
solemnly obtuse. IL raised instead, for 4
moment, 4 slight flash to Sir Eiclia.l's