The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-07-02


10 and behold there were plain signs
that the boards had been raised pretty
recently. We had those boards up in a
jiffy, and there, in a deep hole under
meath, was all the Fenton Court jew
elryp'
The detective paused impressively,
and looked at his two eager listeners, as
though challenging their admiration.
Well, and my wife's butterhy?"
asked the colonel, inquiringly.
:" am coming to that, sir. Among
the things there were several pins and
brooches not included in the list sup
piled to us at Scotland Yard. | had seen
your advertisement, and | thought one
of the miscellaneous articles looked very
much like your insect. SO | just asked
Sleepy Jim about it,, and he told me
it had been brought to him by man
who had picked it up in Sloane street
and had been afraid to pawn it. Jim
gave him thirty shillings for it, for he
saw the diamonds were uncommon good
paste, and"
" But they were nothing of the sort"
put in Mrs. Walsingham, Indignantly;
sit was only my husbands idea to
call them paste"
"Ahl That was smart, sir, very
smart. You ought to be one of us"
The colonel looked gratified. " Won't
you take glass of wine, Mr.. Sawder?"
he said, pushing the decapter over to
him.
"Thank you, sir, don't mind if l
do" replied Mr.. Sawder, helping him
self, and he required little pressing to
be induced to repeat the action several
times in the course of the next hour.
AS consequence he soon grew ex-
ceedingly communicative, and enter
tanned the colonel with the most thrill
trative of the cleverness of rogues and
the superior astuteness of detectives.
" It's not that the criminal classes are
so especially clever" he remarked, judi
cially, as he wound up one of his tales,
" but the public is so uncommonly
softr'
The colonel acquiesced. There were
a great many fools in the world, he
opined; but for his own part he had 10
pity for them. He himself had never
been taken in in his life.
can quite believe that" said Mr..
Sawder, politely, land if may make
so free, repeat again, you ought to be
one of u.s."
The colonel did not at all resent Mr..
Sawder's freedom. He was particularly
pleased with him and his stories, and
in the fulness of his heart he told him
he was going down to his club for half
an hour and would be charmed to give
him lift.
Mr.. Sawder was quite sensible of the
colonePs cOndescension, and accepted
the offer with effusion. Having ar
ranged with Mrs. Walsingham that she
was to come down to Scotland Yard the
following morning, he went off with
the colonel into the adjoining room.
waiting there while this gentleman got
ready to go out. This room was 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 war-like prediction.
The detective seemed bit of con-
noisseur, and his enthusiasm was suf-
ficiently dashed with discriminating
knowledge to be particularly pleasing to
the colonel, who actually deigned to
his latest extravaganza, to wit hand
some fur-lined coat he had recently
imported from Russia.
What do you think of that?" he
asked
"Think?' said the detective; why
that it's not a thing to be left in the hall. :"
Rather not" laughed the colonel;
we keep it in the cupboard in this
room. Why, that coat cost me more
than eighty guineas!"
1T looks as if it had,' said the de-
tective, warmly, and the colonel being
now ready, the two gentlemen got into
their carriage and drove off.
1t was scarcely half an hour after
ward that there was hasty pull at the
door bell. Mrs. Walsingham was tired
and had gone to bed, and the household
had followed her example. The butler
alone still was up, busy with the silver
in his pantry.
Why, masters forgotten his latch
key!" he cried, hurrying to the door;
" it's lucky for me he's come back so
early"
But it was not Colonel Walsingham
who stood in the doorway; it was Mr..
Sawder.
" Sorry to trouble you, my man." he
said, speaking very fast, and slipping a
shilling into Bailey's hand; "but left
some very important papers behind me,
which was showing to Colonel and
Mrs. Walsingham. Will you give them
to me?"
Papers, sir? / haven't seen any,"
" But they must be here" cried Mr.
Sawder, looking very worried. "The
fact isl dare say Mrs. Walsingham
told you-these papers have to do with
the Fenton Court robbery. We nabbed
the man and the swag this afternoon,
and the owners coming up tomorrow.
So you see the papers are awfully i'm
portaut."
"Of course they must be-" said the
butler, unbending from his solemn dig
nifty on the instant. Well, I'll Just
light taper and see if they are any
where in the dining-room. l may have
overlooked them, but ! don't think
haua