St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-01
LADY SOPHIA'S SApPHIRES,
An Over True Story of English Life. By Sir Gilbert
Campbell, Bart

anu Hdu Ueen ulScuSScu IN many Sc
lect coterie. 1t was discussed with
much Struggling of shoulders and ges-
ticulation In Partisan salons, and had
even penetrated to Nice and Monaco.
where for nearly the whole day it
formed the staple of conversation.
Lady Sophia Girleton's sapphires were
missing. These matchleSS stones which
had been the envy and admiration of
society during many London seasons.
ana which were the most valued of the
Glrdleton heirlooms, had suddenly van
lshed and left no trace behind them.
1t was at Hillside hail, IL Loamshlre,
the country seat of the Girdleton's, that
the appalling discovery was first made.
Sir Peregrlne and Lady Sophia
Girdlet0n had been preparing for
return to town and civ
iliZation, when the sapphires were
missed, and, as may be imagined, ter
rlbi2 amount OF CONSERVATION at once
enSued. A thorough search was at once
set OH foot. Hillside Hall was literally
turned upside down. possible and i'm
possible places were ranSacked, Serv-
ants boxes were searched, and the do
meStlcS themselves subjected to rlgor
Gus course of croSS-eXaminatiOn, and
every effort made to recover the missing
jewels. but all efforts proved fruitleSS.
Sir Peregrine GirdletOn and wife super
Intended the search in person, and
when that distinguished county mag
nate, wearied out with his wife's lament
ations, pleaded fatigue and retired to
his library, nominally to think over the
best course to be pursued, butln reality
to indulge i'll clandestine cigar,
Lady Sophia, under the escort of
her faithful dog Lance. continued
the Investigation with unabated yigor.
Lance was large nondescript dog,
or no particular breed, which Lady
Sophia had purchased during visit to
BlarrltZ from young man whose
parents had for a long time carried on a
eontraband trade in tobacco betweenth
French and Spanish frontiers. The
lady had become devoutly attached to
her four-fOOted favorite, and insisted Oh
his accompanying her wherever she
went. The result of the inquiry ELECTED
the following facts: Lady Sophia had
packed up the jewels in brown paper
parcel. When she left the room for q
few moments the valuable packet was
repoSlng III all security upon the table,
but on her return what was her conster-
nation when she found that it had
vanished as completely as if the earth
had opened and swallowed it up. So
clety, however, has its claims, and the
GirdletonS were due in town and had to
yield to the inevitable law, SapphireS OF
no sapphireS; they had, in spite of their
trlbulation TO return to the metropolis
without daring to prolong their stay in
Loamshire.
Immediately upon Sir Peregrine'S ar
rival he hurried off to his club to con-
suit an old friend, one Maj. Harbottle,
to whom he was in the habit OF applying
for advice and assistance whenever he
found himself placed in any position of
difficulty. He was fortunate enough to
find the eX-Warrior in the smoking room
and at once Informed him of the terri
bic loss which he had sustained.
And ROW, Harbottle," said he. when
he had concluded his recital, what am
TO do? Apart from the value of the
Sapphires, and their being herIooms
and all that sort OF thing, Lady Sophia
is half distracted, and declares that peo-
pie will never believe they have disap-
peared, but they will, with the usual
consciousness of the world, declare
that we are getting hard up and had
either sold them or received temper
airy loan upon them"
The major sucked at his cigar in silence
for few minutes, and then said. sol
emmy: "The police"
What, you mean that | ought to
apply to Scotland Yaru?'' asked Sir
Peregrine.
Maj. Harbottle, who was man of
few words, nodded his head. putting on
at the same time an air of preternaturaI
sagacity.
Thanking his friend for his valuable
advice, Sir Peregrine took a cab and
drove to the headquarters of the police,
and in due time was placed in COM
munlcatlOn with Inspector McCann. to
whom he detailed all the circumstances
OF the case as far as he could recolIect
them.
Inspector Mccain was not Leng or
Goudar, such as the novels of Gabor-
lau have made us familiar with. but a
detective of the good old British school,
with StOlid smile upon his race and an
expression which might either be taken
Tor Intense stupidity or extreme intelli-
gence. He wore rather seedy black
coat, buttoned up to the throat, white
hat with black band and pair of
serviceable policeman's boots The
first result of this interview
was not wholly satisfactory, for
Inspector McCann at once went
down to Hillside hall, and so tor
mented and harrasSed the servants, ex-
aiming each of them separately and
then collectively, and with the usual di-
plomacy OF the detective, leading each
one to Imagine that he or she was sus-
pected of having committed the robbery,
that the whole of the domestic estab-
lishment sent in their designations in a
body. After having created this dis
turbance Inspector McCann quilted the
peasant woodlands and pastures Of
LoamShire, returned to town and
busted himself in making all
kinds of preparations and in
quiries regarding the guests who had
been recently staying at Hillside hall.
He had several interviews with the
body servant of that well-known kleptu-
manloc, the Duke of ST. Pancras. and
his grace's curious hiding places
were carefully searched, but be-
You'd few coroneted forks
and spoons, two Or three cigar cases
and some half dozen servietteS, nothing
was discovered. The gorgeous cham
berS on the embankment occupied by
the distinguished Italian who had late
ly contrved TO push his way into soci.
ETY., claiming for himself titles of count
and troubad0ur, were twice yainly ran
sacked by Inspector Mccain and his
SubOrdlnateS, but the disappearance Of
Lady Sophia's sapphires remained as
great mystery as ever. The ladies'
maids of two or three danes of the up
per circle, addicted to cards aud little
bargains on the stock exchange, were
likewise interviewed. but this, too. was
without the slightest success, and both
Sir Peregrine and Lady Sophia began
TO give way to despair. All at
once, however, Inspector McCann's
activity took a new direc-
ton. Neglecting all those upon
whom his suspicious had previously
rested, he attached himself exclusively
to Lady Sophia. If that lady left her
house for the purpose of doing a little
shopping or visiting the theater or any
other place of public amusement the
detectives form could be noticed fol-
lowing her like her shadow. If she re-
manned at home he made some pretext
or other, took up his position III the hall
and peered with the closest scrutiny
into the faces of all her visitors. espe-
cially of those who belonged to the OPP
posite sex. At length this new line of