Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-10-16
EHEE$pAMERS JENEaS
IN HFoFYmouS FoOEl
Wbieb is Told Tbrilli3e StoD
Of Baffled Crime.

He had let go her hands now and had
risen.
81 don't know anything for certain"
she said, ''but-but we 0 shall. Azure
liza knows and she is going to tell Ralph"
miss Grant," l exclaimed. "She
knew nothing at tea time. She was
asking me about it."
at Is since then" continued Evelyn
81 went up to her before dinner to
ask her for a fan that / had lent her. She
was packing some Of her things, and the
floor was strewn with packing paper and
parcels. She gave me my fan, and was
going on putting her things together,
talking all the time, when she asked me
to hand her u glove box on the dressing
table. AS l did so my eye fell or a piece
Of paper lying together with others, and
/ instantly recognized it as the same that
had been wrapped hound the diamond
crescent when Col. Middleton first showed
US the jewels. I should never have no
ticed it-for though it was rice paper it
looked just Hike the other pieces strewn
about-if I had not seen two little angu-
lar tears which / suddenly remembered
making in it myself when Gen. Mars
ton asked me not to pull it to pieces,
which l suppose l had been absently do
ing. / made some sort of exclamation
of surprise, and Aurelia turned round
sharply and asked me what was the mat
ter. AS I did not answer she left her
packing and came to the table. She saw
In a moment what I was looking at. !
had turned as red as fire, and she was
quite white. 4 did not mean you to see
that she said at last, quietly taking up
the paper. I meant no me to know
until l had shown it to Ralph. Do you
know where l found itr and she looked
hard at me. I could only shake my
head. I was too much ashamed Of a
suspicion l had had to be able to get out
a word. 4 am very sorry continued
Aurelia, but l am afraid it will be my
duty to tell Ralph, whatever the conse-
euances may be. I have been thinking
it over, and l think he ought to know,
/ am going to show it him tonight
after dinner and she put it in heI
pocket and then began to cry. did
not know what to say or do, / was SC
frightened at the thought of what was
coming, ana as the dressing bell rang &,
that moment I was just leaving the
room when she called me back.
81 can't come down to dinner she
said. I hate Ralph to see me with red
eyes. Tell him I shall come down after
ward, at 9 o'clock, and that l want tc
see him particularly: only don't tell hin
~Aa,{ - - pINr% Or y,nnfSor ~ ~ any
one else. l did not mean any one te
know till he did
''She began to cry afresh and l made
hez lie down and put a shawl over her
and then left her. as I had still to dress
and / knew that Aunt Mary was mo-
coming down. I was late as 1t was
"Is that ALI" said Charles. who hat
been listening intently.
"All," replied Evelyn. I'VE shall
soon know the worst now"
Every soon," said Charles. "Ralpl
may come in here at any moment
Evelyn and Middleton, viii you hav'
the goodness to come with mes' And b.
led the way into the hall.
We could hear Ralph in the mex
room humming over an old Irish melod,
with an improvised accompaniment.
"Now show me her room," salt
Charles, 'and be quick about it."
Evelyn looked at him astonished, ant
then led the way up stairs, along the pict
ure gallery to another wing Of tn
house. She stopped at Last before a doc
at the end Of the passage, dimly lghtet
by q lamp at the further end. Their
was a light under the door, and a brigh,
chink in the keyhole, but though we list
ened intently we could hear nothin,
stirring within.
"Knock again." said Charles to Evelyn
"Louder!" as her hand failed her.
There was no answer. As we Listened
the light within disappeared.
Bring that lamp from the end of tn
passage" said Charles to Evelyn, ant
she brought it.
"Ho1d it there" he saidi land you
Middleton, stand aside"
He took a few steps backward and the,
flung himself against the door with hi
whole force. 1t cracked and groaned
but resisted.
1.-THE lock is old. It is bound to co.
he said, painting a little.
REALLY, Charles" I remonstrated-''
lady's private apartment! Miss Derrick
I wonder you allow this"
Charles retreated again, and ther
made a fresh and even fercer Onslaught
on the door. There was a sound o
splintering wood and of bursting screws
and in another moment the door flew
open inward, and Charles was precipi
tated headforemost into the room, hi
evening pumps fourishing wildly in tn
air. In an instant he was on his fee
again, gasping hard, and had seized tn
lamp ont of Evelyn's hand. Before 1 hat
time to demonstrate ON the liberty tina
he was taking we were all three in tn
room.
It was empty!
In one corner stood a box half packed
with various articles Of clothing lying
by 1t. On the dressing table was
whole medley Of little feminine knick
knacks, with a candlestick in the midst
the dead wick still smoking In the socke
and accounting for the disappearance o
the light a few minutes before The fir
had gone out, but OF u chair by 1t wa
laid a little black lace evening gown
evidently put out to be worn, while owe
the fender q dainty pair Of silk stocking
had been hung, and two diminutiv
black satin shoes were waiting on tn
hearthrug. The whole aspect Of tn
room spoke Of a sudden and precipitat
fight.
"Bolted" said Charles, when he ha.
recovered his breath. "And 80 the mys
tory il out at last! l might have know
there was a woman at the bottom Of Il
unprecedented, though" he continued
looking round. "She meant to hav
gone tomorrow, but your recognition G
That paper frightened her. though sh
turned it off well to gain time. No FOG
that. She only had an hour, and sh
made the most Of it, and got off, n
doubt, while we were ut dinner by tn
500 London train, which Is the last *
night, and after the telegraph Office yea
closed, too! She knew nothing could b
done till tomorrow. She has more wit
than / gave her credit for"
II distrusted her before, though / ha
no reason for it, but I never thought sh
was gone" said Evelyn, trembling vi,
lently. and still looking round the room
II knew it," said Charles. from til
moment | saw the light through tt
keyhole. A keyhole with a key in
x-,,,J3 not ha.-a cbpup half tho o,,orr