The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-05-26
ALOST JEWELS MYSTERY

CeSSIully 0eFOUeu ali UDe OBSERVATION ana
opportunity at his command to discover
the whereabouts of Lady Merton's jewels,
and of the man or woman who had stolen
them
James Blayne was promising young
member of the detective force, on the look
out for the lucky step that should lift him
above the level of his compeers, and when
the Merton robbery was intrusted TO his
care he thought he had got his chance at
last.
1t certainly was rather an interesting
case.
About three weeks before the day on
which we record Mr.. Blayne's loss of tenn
per, pretty Lady Merton, as might have
been gathered subsequently from the news
paper reports, was spending a solitary
evening IN her house in Brook street. Sir
Robert was dining with an old friend some
little way out of town, and not returning
till the morning, and my lady had intend
ed going to the play with some friends.
But late in the afternoon she altered her
plans, dispatched a note begging to be ex-
cused on account of a severe headache from
joining the party, and with a curions feIni-
nine idea of comport and indulgence told
her maid that she would not go down
stairs again, but would have some dinner
con tray" in her boudoir at 7:30.
At 10 o'clock she rang her bedroom bell,
and saying that her head still ached badly
and she should go to bed, dismissed her
maid, requiring nothing more that night.
Before leaving the maid asked if she should
60 TO the jewelers. the next morning early,
as had been arranged, to take there for
repair diamond brooch of her MISTRESS.
"Yes;" adding, as her maid opened the
Jewel case TO take out the brooch, "Oh,
leave it till the morning"
The box was relocked and the key put in
g. usual place in one of the dressing table
drawers. The butler stated that at 1870 the
house was shut up and every one went to
bed
The next morning Lady Merton, finding
her headache no better, kept her room
darkened till after 10 o'clock, when some
tea was brought to her by her maid. The
latter then went to the jewel case for the
broken brooch, and finding the box I'M
locked, with the key lying near, hastily
opened it and cried out her discovery of
the robbery to her mistress.
This was the story that in twenty-four
hours was known to most newspaper read
ers in this country, and this was the story
that about three weeks later was trying
Mr.. James Blayne's temper. Again and
again hereviewed the few heads OF the case.
On July 25 Iedy Merton went to bed be-
tween 10 and 1910 p. N. The jewels were
then IN their places, and she, seeing the
box opened, told her maid not to disturb
them till morning. The maid locked the
box, replaced the key in a drawer and
shortly went to her own room, fastening
the door-this last fact being attested by
the housemaids, who slept in an outer
room. The butler swore to turning out
the lights and shutting up" at 1890
Lady Merton slept little and restlessly till
1890, when she got up and stirred the fire
this fact attested by the cook, who slept
in the room above and was aroused by the
sound of the poker. At 10o'clock the next
morning the jewels were missing, and the
jewel case stood In the dressing room
within and only approachable through
Lady Merton's bedroom.
Robbery from without Blayne rejected,
after due examination, as an impossibility.
From within, by d man, well nigh impos-
sible, owing to the position of the jewel
case and to Lady Merton's restless state
during the night. 1t seemed a case of
cherchez la femme, and Blayne had sought
ceaselessly, chiefly among the women of
the house, of course, though here also the
great difficulty of crossing Lady MertOn's
bedroom uDperceived by her was with him
more strongly in their favor than their ex-
cellent characters from their employers.
The lady's maid seemed his only chance as,
Of course, she was fully acquainted with
the situation in all its senses; and her foot
fall, which he proved to be light and to
which, of course, Lady Merton was accus-
toned. would disturb her less than any of
any other visitors. But the lady, while
suggesting no other solution of the
problem, rejected this last theory with
some Indignation, declaring that she had
the utmost confidence in her maid, and
that she had scarcely closed her eyes before
midnight, after which hour the house
maids pronounced it an impossibility for
the lady's maid to have crossed their room
unnoticed.
So Mr.. Blayne was little out OF temper
with his tagging luck, and he decided to
get two or three days leave, and then, hav-
ing rested his riddle 4 Bit to start afresh
at reading it. Thus he found himself on
the afternoon of August 13-his request
for leave of absence having been granted
talking TO a pretty, neat looking girl in a
small, semi-detached villa on the outskirts
of the new and fashionable watering place
Stonelay.
80 you've been getting on pretty well,
Ell. Nellie?" be asked.
''Oh. yes, Jem, very. The air here seems
TO be quite setting me up. 50 / fancy had
been working bit too hard, though | al
WAYS said it was mothers nonsense. It's
true it's rather dull here, but then | often
60 into Stonelay and have a look at the
smart visitors. So even if Aunt Sarah is
snappy at times, don't mind. She's kind
enough, really"
'She couldn't have got any one else 10
bring her here, so she ought TO he. | bet
the beastly water puts an edge on a temper
like hers! Yes, expect it's pretty dull
alone with her Poor Nelly!'
"Oh, don't mind; and we've got a new
neighbor."
Odd Mrs.-what's name;-you told
me of, gomez
No. She's got new lodger-a man
good looking, rather. She brought him IN
one day TO tea, and we meet him now and
then on the road. But he doesn't go out
much"
''Oh, hiding on some count, Is heF
asked Jem rather snappishly of the pretty
dressmaker.
Nonsense, Jem! he isn't hiding. He is