The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-11-23

| ishment that Stormont had expressed.
But we committed the indiscretion once
too often. The next morning Lucy's ex.
quisite diamonds were gone.
An unusual event had happened a,
last, but 1t was too serious for joking,
Lucy was too miserable to get up, and
at length left her to her maid and went
down to breakfast alone, pondering what
steps l should take. had hardly
poured out my coffee when Stormont
came in. He held an open letter in his
hand, and seemed quite alert and cheer
full.
"Good morning." he began, eagerly.
"I've heard from my sister. She is in
London; has come up on purpose to meet
me and wants me to join her to-day"
Indeed" said /, absently. "Your
sister-Mrs. Macdonald-in town-ohr'
Stormont looked at me, surprised.
"Any thing the matter?" he said.
LADY Dennis not well?"
"Well, yes, something is the matter"
said 1. Something deucedly disagree
able has happened. My wife's diamonds
have been stolen"
"Good Lord!" exclaimed Stormont.
He was so taken aback that he literally
fell into chair and sat there staring at
me.
"Those diamonds?" he said at last.
'Those splendid diamonds? / have no
words. Did you lock them up?"
mo-" / replied; "I've been con-
founded fool. But the diamonds were
close to us, and we don't sleep heavily"
"Whom do you suspect?" asked Stor-
mont. '@Na eest -
mo one," / said Gall my servants
have been with me for long. Some one
must have been secreted in the house."
"And what are you going to do?" he
asked.
''Can do any thing in town? must
go up by the 3:15."
We discussed the subject all morning,
and Stormont's indignant interest was
very consolatory and when Lucy ap-
peared she was greatly cheered oy his
sympathy and hopefulness. He was GER
tain that the rougues would be taken
and the diamonds recovered.
"You are very sanguine," said she.
You seem quite we'll to-day, Mr.. Stor-
mont"
81 feel much BETTER" he replied. "Joy
is a fine doctor, and the expectation Of
seeing my sister has made another nah
of me. Then this atrocious burglary ex-
cites me to pitch 1 can't describe. Lady
Dennis, you must recover your diamonds.
/ shall run down on Saturday to hear the
news. A talk will be so much more sat
isfactory than letters"
drove Stormont to the station. BY
his advice had not called in the local
police, but telegraphed to London for
detective, and should meet him by
train which would arrive soon after the
3:15 departed.
"By the way" said Stormont, as we
stood waiting on the platform, "about
Colonel L'Estrange-what was he ike?"
"About your height" 1 said. "Thin
and fair, with long beard and longish
hair; not military looking at all"
A very peculiar expression came over
Stormont's face, and he whistled softly.
"My dear fellow" he said, ''that's
your burglar! How these rascals get to
know things passes my comprehension,
but somehow they do. have a friend
"a Colonel L'Estrange-but he is stout |
and extremely dark, and wears a mus
5ache only. Depend upon it, that fellow
noaXed you. l wonder he didn't pay his |
attention to the duchess diamonds also"
So he had. A gentleman came up at |
the moment, and after shaking hands
said excitedly:
"Heard the news, Dennis?"
"Only my own, Shaw" replied, dis
nally. ''My wife's diamonds have been
stolen"
SPY jove!" cried Shaw. "And the
duchess lost twenty of her finest dia- |
nonds last night-cut off her dress
while the detectives stood by"
We told him about L'Estrange, and he |
listened with interest.
"We think it is a celebrated burglar
Of the name of Paxton, alias Grubb," he
said, lowering his voice. "That's what
the police think. They say no other
man could have done it."
II thought Paxton was safely out of
The way said Stormont. 'Surely / re-
hearing of him when l was
lad. Wasn't he concerned in the great
robbery at Grey Towers in 1892"
she was" replied Shaw, ''but he's on
the loose again now, and the police have
been watching him. A fortnight ago
Mrs. Howard lost her dressing-bag, with
e2, 900 worth of jewels in it, Paxton was
and trace to Canterbury, then
gave his pursuers the slip and disap-
oeared."
she has probably been lying perdu in
5he neighborhood," said Stormont, as
jhe train came up. ''Dennis, write to
ne at Morley's if 1 can help you in the
east. Au revoir till Saturday. Thank
you beyond words for all your kindness"
That evening as we sat at dinner, Mr.,
5tormont was announced. rushed out.
But the Stormont who stood before me,
With Edgar Arrowsmith's letters in his
hand, was not the man who had gone to
own that afternoon. In a moment ]
'ealized the truth. Stormont the first
vas Paxton the burglar!
Certainly very uncommon thing had
at last, and when Paxton was
,aught it all came outflow he had
'obbed Mrs. Howard, and hiding in my
had heard Lucy read her BROTH
,r's letter aloud-how, as Col. LES
range, under cover Of my introduction.
le had robbed the duchess-how, as he
tood on the platform talking of the
the duchess diamonds and
Iucy's were actually on his personl
There was no doubt that Paxton had
'een superlatively clever, and in my
dmiration for his talents and my sorrow
hat they were put to such i'll uses, for
ave his chuckling over his delight at
Iaving ''gammoned that fool, Sir Fran