The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1891-06-11
A DETECTIVES STORY,

James Blayne was q little out OF
temper. For more than a fortnight
he had unsuccessfully devoted all the
observations and 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 a promising
young member of the detective force,
on the lookout for the lucky step
that should lift him above the level
of'hls compeers, and when the Merton
robbery was intrusted to his care he
Thought he had got his chance at
last.
1t certainly was a rather interesting
case.
About three weeks before the day
on which we record Mr.. Blayne's loss
OF temper, pretty Lady Merton, as
might have been gathered subsequent
ly from the newspaper reports, was
spending q solitary evening in her
house on Brook Street. Sir Robert
was dining with an old friend some
little way out of town, and not re-
turning till morning, and my
lady had intended going to the play
with some friends. But late in the
afternoon she altered her plans dis
patched a mote begging to be excused
oponl13,t Of hoe do ho
joining the party, and with a curious
feminine idea of comfort and in
diligence, told her maid that she would
not go down stairs again, but would
have some DINNER '+on a tray in her
boudoir at $50. At 10 O'Clock she
rang her bedroom bell, and dismissed
her maid, requiring nothing more that
night. Before leaving, the maid asked
If she should go to the jewelers. the
next morning early, as had been ar
ranged, to take there for repair a
diamond brooch OF her mistress's
eyes, adding, as the 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 it's 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 drought
her by her maid. The latter went to
the Jewel case for the broken brooch,
. and finding the box unlocked, with
the key lying near, hastily opened it,
and cried out her discovery OF therob-
berry to her mistress.
This was the story that in twenty
four hours was known to most news
paper readers in the country, and this
was the story that about three weeks
later was trying Mr.. James Blayne's
temper. Again and again he reviewed
the few heads OF the case.
On July 25 Lady Merton went to
bed between 10 and 1880 p. M. The
jewels were then in their places, and
she, seeing the box opened, told her
maid not to disturb them till the morn
ing. The maid locked the box, re-
placed the key in adrawer, and short
ly, went to her own room, fasten-
ing the door-this last fact
being attested to 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 andstirred the
tire-this fact attested by the cook,
who slept in the room above and was
aroused by the sound of the poker.
At 10 the next morning the Jewels we're
missing, and the Jewel case stood in
the dressing room within and only ap-
proachable through Lady Merton}s
bedroom.
Robbery from without Blayne ne
jected, after due examination, as an
impossibility. From within, by a.
man, well nigh impossible, owing to
the position of the 5emel case and to
Lady Merton's restless state during
the Elght- lit seemed g. case of chez la
femme, and Blayne had sought eeas-
1essly: chiefly among the women of
< the house, OF course, though here al
SO the great difficulty OF crossing
Lady Merton's bedroom umpereeived
by her was with him more strong
1y in their favor than their excel
lent characters from their employers.
The lady's maid seemed his only
chance as, of course, she was fully &C
quainted with the situation in all it's
senses; and her foot fall, which he
proved to be light and to which, of
course, Lady Merton, was accustomed
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 housemaids pronounced it
all impossibility for the lady's maid
to have crossed their room unnoticed.
So Mr.. Blayne was a little out of
temper with his tagging luck, and he
decided to get two or three days leave,
and then, having rested his riddle g.
bit, to start afresh at reading it.
Thus he found himself on the after
noon OF August 13-his request for
leave OF absense having been granted
talking to q pretty neat looking girl
in small semi~detatched villa on the
5safSEss &st.tt igtts B=5s 5s254