Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1890-08-22
Mrs. Loo.
By JOHN STRANGE WINTER,
Author Of 'BootIes' BGby," Beautiful
,rim," Etc, Etc.
CHAPTER xIL-MIss ALIcE's DOUBLE.


for what in country towns is known AZ
carrying on" Her equals objected to it
because they had a sort Of vague starched
idea that it was not the right kind of
thing that 1t let down their class and
lowered their order: her rivals hated her
little WAYS because they did not care about
being left out in the cold, and where
Mr.. LOyelace was there it generally hap
pened the men were TO be found also, and
in away not very we'll calculated to please
the other bellies OF the place; her interiors
said openly enough that they did not
think the lady's carvings on respectable
Yet-though nobody was really III their
hearts very sorry for Mrs. Lnvelncs's loss
the entire population Of BlInkuamptOn
went into fever of excitement over the
robbery Itself It was too dreadful that
anything so bold, so inpudent. should
have happened in their unsuspecting
midst that while the Old ladies were out
with their card-cases or perhaps the young
ones were deep in their devotiOns ut the
Parish, thief had boldly walked into
house in a wel-frcquented thorou2hfare
and had carried off box Of jewels.
II was reasonable enough to the Blank
hampton people that gang of thieves
should put \ ladder against Lady Luci-
fers window aud make themselves too
painfully mt home in her private apart
mcnts, while as for that Mrs Markham,
well. they simply thought it was too dis
gushing that an Australian sqnatter's wife
australians are all supposed to be squat
tiers to deep rooted folk such as gather
around the stately Ctthedrals of this
country should ever have possessed such
n wealth Of beautiful jewels, woman
l.. Il.
ture to begin with, such as made Blank
hampton people wonder what Lady Luci-
fer could bc thinking of to strike up an
intimate friendship with her, aud even in
wife her to stay in her house.
But when these thieves came into the
very midst Of the town when they could
walk boldly into n lady's room in the mid
die of the afternoon and help themselves,
then it was indeed coming home to them,
aud society tailed about nothing else.
And then when society had talked it well
oyer-society in the shape of Mrs. Fairlis
and Mrs John Doughty, Mrs. Monson
aud the young lady with the nOse-sOci ETY.
went home ana locked away its tea spoons.
it's imitation pearls and its brilliant paste
ornaments. All! dear, but this is funny
world
In Ewes, however the excitement wa.
even deeper, aud the inhabitants Of the
houses which had not been ROBBED felt
rs people sometimes feel when the next
door house ha4 been struck with light
ming, and like n man does when he finds
himself IN the midst Of "A railway accident
aud the man next to him is struck dead
by his side.
"Do You know" said Julia, during the
course of that dinner, while tho StauntOn
sapphires graccd the chimney-shelf, do
you know, saw A lice Mauleverer 60 in
IL the LDvelHce's about half-past four to-
day."
Did your" somebody asked.
ayes | was standing in the window
watching the l4mpIightcr light the lamps
H ,y barely lark. And | saw Alice
- ' ,rrer cross the road just here and
g., 80 the corncr-house. Snc opened The
do MI went in--as she always does"
..E, you see her Ieaver" her mother in
qu red
"No-I did not wait to see IL she stayed
or not | noticed that the lights were
not huruing-iudrcd | had seen Mrs.
Iovelace 20 across the road towards the
Maucvcrcrs house about half an hour
before"
at would have been odd il Miss Maui
evrrcr had gone in just at the right mo-
mcut wouldn't it2" said Lady Staunton,
cxctedly
However, the following day it tran
sprcd that Miss Alice Maulcverer had
never been near the corncr-house, that
Mrs Inyclacc had gone to see her friends
Mt No 10 quite early in the afternoon and
had stayed there chatting with them until
It was time for her to 20 home and dress
for the dinner at the dcanery To which she
was hidden. when she had Immediately
missed the jewel box. And the odd part
of il was that not one of the three Miss
Mnulevrrers had left the room during the
two hours of her visit even for minute.
During the course OF the next day ?
messenger came over to Julia from Mrs
Loyelace Would she go over for five
miuutrs2 And of course Julia went and
was shown mp to Mrs Lovelacc's room
where she found one or two business like
men in plain clothes together with the
three Maulcvercr spinstcrs and Major aud
Mrs Iuvclacc.
Mr.. Lnvclacc apoIogizrd for having
troubled her. You know that have lost
all my Jewels She said.
YES and most sorry we are for you,"
said Julia, kindly.
well these gentlemen are detectives
and one Of them has heard that you sale
at ditucr last night, when you we're al
talking Of ChiS affair that Won saw one OF
my friends mere Miss Alice MauleyereI
cross the road aud 20 in ut the door be
low"
Yes. | did," said Julia, "about half
past four"
But do YOU know that was in their
drawiug-room Yesterday afternoon from
four to six o'clock and that the three Hiss
Mauleycrrrs We're there aud never left 10
for one minute during the whole of that
timer
For moment Julia was thuudcrstruCk
she sat and stared at Alice Maulrverer
until the ancient damseI began to shipper
aud then to blush. Il was never So much
mistaken in my life then" she cried
Julia mean.
And" Mrs. Iovelace went on, CLARK
tells me that about that time he was com
ing downstairs and that he met Miss
Msulevercr ON the lauding-he told her
that was out and that he believed | had
gone over to No. 10 Yes she answered
She is there now. but have come over
for a bottle of throat lozcn.es which Mrs.
Iovelace wants He went down to get Il
hkhNt hNN lux just uNtN MS lttSl Nld'Ctl,
and when he came back the lady was at
the door Don't trouble about a LIGHT
Clark. she said, 1 have got them. They
were on the table and then she went out
aud Clark shut the door behind her"
We'll, that bears out what said" ex-
claimed Julia, in great bewildermeut.
thinking wildly that surely the Maulcver-
ers could not have suddenly turned klepto-
naniaCs
No Miss Mauleverer came here-not
ems Of them was out OF my sight from
four 10 six O'clock" Mrs. Iovelace re-
piled. The person YOU saw and Clark
here saw, WAS n made up Miss Maulcver-
err" Here Julia involuutaVily gave a
glance at the three weird sisters on the
other side 81 the room, only fl cker of Il
glance and vet protest in itself against
the literal truth OF Mrs. Lovrlce's words.
That WAS the person who stole my Jew
els"
= Lovclacem Julia exclaimed
~ =. That is why sent for You tt
10 to know il you can help us-if YOU really
saw de woman, II you can describe her
or give us the least clue by which we can
trace her"
Julia shook her head. al could only
tell You that thought | saw Miss Alice
Aauleverev-I could not describe the wo-