Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1891-08-01
THE LOST JEWELS.

/ James Blayne was a little out of temper.
! For more than fortnight he had unsuc-
cessfully devoted all the observation and
opportunity at his conn and to discover
the whereabouts Of of Lady Merton's jew
( els, and of the man or woman who had
! stolen them
1 James Blayne was a promising young
( member of the detective force, on the look
out for the lucky step that would lift him
above the level Of his compatrs. and when
the Merton robbery was intrusted to his
care he thought he had got his chance at
asst.
1t certainly was rather an interesting
/ case. About three week 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
/ newspaper reports, was spending a soli-
I tary 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 until morning, and my lady had
/ intended going to the play with some
/ friends. But late IN the afternoon she
altered her plans, dispatched a note beg
! ging to be excused on account OF severe
/ headache from joining the party, and
with a curious feminine idea Of comport
and Indulgence told her maid that she
/ would not go down stairs again, but would
have some dinner ION tary' in her bou-
doir at 1880.
At 10 o'clock she rang her bedroom bell
and saying that her head still ached badly
and she should 60 tc bed, dismissing her
maid, requiring nothing more that night.
/ : ln
4 should 90 to the jewelers. the next morn
ing 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 reocked and the key put
| IN its usual place IN one of the dressing
/ table drawers The butler stated that at
1890 the house was shut up and every
one went to bed.
The next morning Lady Merton finding
/ her headache no better, kept her room
/ darkeDed till about 10 o clock when some
/ tea was brought to her by her maid. The
| latter then went to the jewel case TOR the
broken brooch, and finding the box un.
locked with a key lying near, hastily
opened it and cried out her discovery of
] Jue ROBBERY 10 neI mlsLTeSe'
This was the story that in twenty-fJur
| hours was known to most newspaper
readers in this 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 l0;30p. N. The jewels
are then in their places, and she seeing the
| box opened. told her maid net To disturb
/ them until morning, The maid locked
I the box, replaced a key in a drawer and
/ shortly went to her own room, fastening
I the door-this last fact being attested 10y
/ the housemaids, who slept in an outer
! room. The butler swore to turning cut
| the lights and shutting up at 1890 Lady
/ Merton slept little and restless till 1890,
when she got up and stirred the ire-this
! fact attested by the cook, WHO slept IN the
room above and was aroused by the sound
/ Of a poker. At 10 clock the next morn
! the Jewels were missing, and 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 lmposslbllty
! From within, by a man, well nigh lmpOs-
/ sible, owing to uhe position OF the jewel
] case and to Lady Merton restless state
| during the night. 1t seemed case Of
cherchez la femme, and Blayne has sought
carelessly, chiefly among the women of the
| house, of course, though here also the
| great difficulty OF crossing Lady Merton 8
/ bedroom unperceived by her was with him
more strongly in their favor than their
employees The iady's maid seemed his
only chance, as, of course, she was fully
acquainted with the situation In all its
senses and her football, which 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 solu-
ton of the problem, rejected this last
theory with some indignation, declaring
that She bad the utmost confidence IN her
maid, and that she had scarcely closed her
eyes before midnight, after which hour
the housemaids pronounced il an imp0ssi
bility. for the lady maid to have crossed
that room unnOuCed.
So, Mr. Blayne was a little out Of tenn
per with bis tagging luck, and he decided
! 10 get two OF three days leave, and then,
1 having rested his riddle, a bit, to start
airesh at reading it. Thus be found him
self on the afternoon of August l3-his
request for leave Of absence having been
/ granted--taIkiDg to a pretty, neat-look-
ing girl in a small semi detached villa on
the outskirts Of the new and fashionable
watering place, S.cuelay.
so you ye been getting on pretty well,
en- Nelhe?' be asked
Oh. yes, Jem, very. The air here
seems to be quite setting me up, 20 fancy
( / have been working a bit too hard
though ] always said il was mo. here non
sence It's true its rather dull here, but
then ! often 20 into StoneIay and have a
look at the smart visitors So even if
Aunt Sarah is happy at times. ! don Z
mind. She's kind enough really.
''Sne couldn't have got anyone el.e 10
bring her here, so she ought to De- ! be.
the beastly water put an edge on temper
like her. les. ] expect It'll pretty dull