, 1890-08-28

JOu I've
? "well, It's long story" said Mr..
Sawder, deliberately, "and brings
In matters which are, so TO speak,
professional secrets ut present. But
there-the whole account will be In
the papers tomorrow, so there's no
harm In my telling you"
Both the Colonel and Mrs. Wal
slngham waited anxiously for him
to go on, and after few seconds
pause ho was graclously pleased to
do so, polntedly addressing himself
now to Mrs. Walsingham.
"Of course, madam, you have
heard OF the great Fenton Court rob-
beryP"
Mrs. Walsingham made q motion
of assent.
"Er---well--th fact IL, to-day /
had the good fortune to recover
nearly all that stolen jewelry. 1
have just telegraphed TO Mr.. Fenton
TO come up and Identify the things
tomorrow"
monds?"
Everything, madam, as far as
we can tell.
"Tell us all about It," commanded
Mrs. Walsingham In her pretty,
imperious manner while her hus-
bands face seconded her request.
"Oh, we'll, there's not much to
tell, ma'am. From information re-
ceived we made this morning u raid
on the house of party called
Sleepy Jim-sleepy because he just
isn't sleepy, don't you see, madam?
Well, Jim was very easy and care
less, and we searched aud searched,
and not thing could we find, and
at last we gave 1t up. L was the last
TO go, and as | went / heard-for
my ears are quick-I heard j i'm give
the least little bit Of sigh.
"'Come back, men, shouted; |;
the things are here and we won't
be such numbskulls as to 20 away
without them. Let's have one
more look around Then 1t occurred
to me that Sleepy Jim had not been
sitting on the table for nothing all
the time we were turning his place
upside down. So just pushed him
and IL OH one side, Kicked over the
square of carpet on which the table
had been standing, and, 10 and be-
hold. there were plain signs that the
boards had been raised pretty re-
Gently.
1--WE had those boards up again
In jitiy, and there, In deep hole
underneath, was all the Fenton
court jewelry"
The detective paused impressively
and looked at his tw O eager listeners,
AS though challenging their admira-
ton.
"Well, and my wife's butterhy?"
asked the colonel inquiringly.
III am coming to that, sir.iAmong
the things there were several pins
and brooches not included in the
list supplied to us ut Scotland Yard.
/ had seen your advertisement, and
1 thought one of the miscellaneous
articles looked very much like your
insect. So l just asked Sleepy Jim
about 1t, and he told me IL had been
brought to him by n man who had
picked 1t up in Sloane street and
had been afraid to pawn 1t. Jim
gave him 80 shillings for 1t, for he
saw the diamonds were uncommon
good paste, and"
"But they are nothing of the
sort" put In Mrs. Walsingham, In
dignantly; "that was only my hus-
bands idea, to call them PASTE"
"Ah! That was smart, sir, very
smart. You ought to be one of u.s. -
The colonel looked gratified.
"Won't you take glass of wine,
Mr.. Sawder?" he said, pushing the
decanter over to him.
"Thank you, sir, L don't mind IL
do" replied Mr.. Sawder, helping
himself, and he required little press.
ing to be induced to repeat the ac-
tion several times In the course of
the next hour.
AS n consequence, he soon grew
exceedingly communicative and en-
tertained the colonel with the most
thrilling Scotland Yard narratives,
all illustrative of the cleverness of
rogues and the superior astuteness
of detectives.
"lt's not that the criminal classes
are SO especially clever" he re-
marked, judicially, as he wound up
one of his tales; f'but the public Is
SO uncommonly soft"
The colonel acquiesced. There
We're II great many fools In the
world, he opined; but, for his part,
he had no pity for them. He him
self had never been taken in In his
life.
~ can quite believe that" said
Mr.. Sawder, politely; "and If l may
make 50 free / repeat again, you
ought to be one of u.s."
The colonel did not at all resent
particularly pleased with him aud
I,t 1tS ,rtA In Al g
his heart he told him he was going
down to his club for half an hour
and would be charmed to give him
"a lift.
Mr.. Sawder was quite sensible of
the colonel's condescension and ac-
cepted the offer with effusion. Hav-
ing arranged with Mrs. Walsing-
ham that she was to come down to
Scotland Yard the following morn
ing, he went off with the colonel
into an adjoining room, waiting
there while this gentleman got ready
to go out. This room was u sort of
sanctum of Colonel Walsingham,
and while he drew on his gloves he
passed in review his collection of
firearms and other objects Of warlike
prediction.
The detective seemed a bit of q
connoisseur, and his enthusiasm
was sufficiently dashed with dis
eliminating knowledge to be par
ticularly pleasing to the colonel,
who actually deigned to bring out
from n cavernous cupboard his latest
extravaganza: to wit, handsome,
fur-lined coat he had recently i'm
ported from Russia.