Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-07-04
disgrace you before the servants and. every
one, because she was determined toto part

disgrace YOU before the servants and. every
one, because she was determined toto pari
| u.s."
'.But, dearest, this is not time to ponder
Mrs. Harrington's misdeeds. The question
is, who has taken the diamonds, and how
are we to recover them?"
"Perhaps mamma has taken them herself
She would be quite capable of purloining
my keys and"-
"Hush, hush, Gladys; don't be hard on
| her."
"You may forgive her, but never can, -
cried the girl passionately. "Just think
what your position would have been had
you not found that tassel of beadsr'
"You would have believed me innocent,
| Gladys?"
81? Oh Ralph, darling, of course would
would stake my life on your honor and
truth. But think of the cold, stealthy
your room and deliberately plan thing SO
wicked ana SO mean"
''My dear girl, do try to be calm. That
necklace must be found. Do you think any
one could have overheard our conversation
this morning?"
'It isjust possible; we were sitting on this
very bench, said Gladys, looking round at
the shrubs, growing thickly on three sides
of the seat which was placed in sort of
alcove of closely-cut 1aurels and yews.
ga path leading to the stables runs just at
the back. Could any of the servants
But no; don't believe any of them is capa-
BILE of theft"
'T think we shall be forced to assume
such a possibility" said Ralph gravely.
1.-THE first to find out is if any one has left
the Hall during the afternoon or evening.
scarcely think that thief would attempt
to hide the Jewels in the house after this
mornings affair.""
"No one has left am sure, except Nor
ris, mammals maid?"
"Hum! Do you know why she left?"
"She had a telegram from home summon
ing her to her fathers siek-bed."
.'Do you know anything of Morris ante
cedents?"
"Oh, Ralph, surely-surely you don't
suspect her! Why, she has been years at
the Hall, and my, stepmother has the great
est confidence in her"
"Didn't Mrs. Harrington say this morn
ing that Morris was the messenger she dis
patched to the station to telegraph to
Leatherhampton for the Inspector"
eyes; but
''Then, my dear Gladys, 1 think we have
q clew; but for the present we must keep
our suspicions to ourselves, and wait the
course of events. Meanwhile, shall do a
little detective work on my own account
During the next two or three days Mr.,
Inspector paid frequent visits to Harrington
Hall; but no further evidence was elected,
and the diamond necklace robbery still re-
mained enveloped in mystery. Ralph's
amateur detective work had, however, not
been equally barren of result On the
morning following Gladys discovery of the
real theft, he paid visit to the station,
and learned from the telegraph clerk that
Mrs. Harrington's maid had dispatched two
kilograms on the previous morning, one to
London, the other to Leatherhampton.
Ralph tried hard to get a sight of the tele-
graph forms; but the man declared that to
allow such q breach of official discipline
would be as much as his place was worth.
On his return from the station Ralph
confided to Gladys the result of his
inquiries; and the two. conspira-
tors decided to follow up the
clue thus obtained, and to place the affair in
the hands of Mr.. Jonas Lynx, noted pri-
vate detective in London. While the
country police were 1eisurely celebrating
on what steps to take in regard to the Har-
rington Hall burglary, the experienced Mr..
Lynx had discovered the whereabouts of
Miss Julia Morris, had satisfied himself that
the respectable Mr.. Morris of Holloway was
a purely mythical parsonage, and that the
place where Miss Morris was living was the
temporary headquarters of gang of light
fingered gentry with whom she was closely
connected-her brother being distinguished
member of the Fraternity Of the Skeleton
Keys and Crowbar He also identified that
clever young woman as one Sarah Brown,
who, 10 years before, had picked oakum in
one of Her Majesty's jails for term of IL
months Three days later Ralph was in
formed that Miss Brown, alias Morris, had |
been arrested at Liverpool when about to |
go on board the screw steamer Hawk. The |
however, were not in her pos |
session, the stones having probably been |
unset within few hours of their appro-
priation, and sent over to Amsterdam,
where they were placed in the right hands |
for sale. AT any rate, Mrs. Harrington's
diamond necklace ceased to exist, and that
amiable lady thus paid dearly enough for
her treachery.
But the consequence of her malicious
Iced did not END with the loss of the Jewels.
Not only was she compelled to appear in
court and give evidence against her former
maid, but she suffered untold agonies of
mind lest Morris should divulge the fact
hat the diamonds had been stolen not from
Mrs. but Miss Harrington's dressing case,
md that further revelations might be made.
Norris, however, perhaps in the hope of
1sing her knowledge for the purpose of ex-
orting blackmail from her late mistress
when her term of penal servitude was over,
liscreetly held her tongue; and therefore
'nly Mr.. Lynx, Gladys and Ralph knew
he whole story of the Harrington Hall
burglary. Many of the details could only
'e surmises, but it seemed probable that
Norris, in passing through the shrubbery
IN her way to the stables, had overheard
Al. l. |
that even if she were found out,
low unlikely it was her mistress would ven
ure to prosecute her for the theft, had
onceiyed the daring idea of abstractinp |
he necklace from Miss Harrington dress
ng case.
Yet another retribution was in store for
he unhappy Mrs. Harrington. Gladys sud-
enly assumed a violently bellicose attitude
oward her step-mother, and threatened to
ell the true story of the robbery to her
uardian, Lord Roseford-a gentleman who
7as universally respected in the county for
is almost fastidious ideas of honor a
"You have shown no mercy to me; I will !
how none to you. Give your formal con-
emit to my marriage with Ralph, and
romise to keep your wicked secret. If
ou refuse, will go straight to Lord Rose {
,rd and beg him to f1fd some other home ]
u me than Harrington Hail.
''You undutiful child, how dare you speak (
me so!'' moaned Mrs Harrington, quail !
,g before the flashing eyes Of her step t
aughter.
'sIt is your own fault. If you s
ad not tried to ruin the {
ian I love, 1 would have waited {
lree years for him. Now, I mean to marry
i'm in three weeks"
What could the unhappy woman doP !,
ladys was thoroughly reused; she was