The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1891-07-01
4 LOST JEWEL MYSTERY.

James Blayne was little out OF tenn
per. For more than Il fortnight he had
unsuccessfully devoted all the oppor-
tunity 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 his compeers,
and when the Merton robbery was in
trusted 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
temper, pretty LAZY Merton, as might
have been gathered subsequently from
the newspal er reports. was spending u
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, my
lady had intended going to the play
with some friends. But late in the
afternoon she altered her plans, dis
patched note begging to be excused
ON account of severe headache from
joining the party, and with curious
feminine idea of comfort and indul-
gence, told her maid that she would not
go down stairs again, but would have
some dinner ION trey" in her boudoir
at 30
AT 10 o'clock she rang her bedroom
bell. and saving that her head still
ached badly aud she should go to bed,
dismissed her maid, requiring nothing
more that night Be ore leaving the
maid asked ii she should go to the jew
eler's the next morning early, as had
been arranged, to take there for repair
a diamond brooch of her mistress.
YES" adding as her maid opened
the jewel case to take ont the brooch,
"Oh. leave it till the morning."
The box was re ocked and the KEY
put in its usual place in one of the
dressing-table drawers. The butler
stated that at 10 30 the house was shut
up and every one went to bed.
The next morning Lady Merton, find
ing 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 unlocked with the KEY
lying near it hastily opened it and cried
out the robbery to her mistress.
This was the story that in twentv-four
hours was known to most newspaper
readers in the country. and this was the
story that about three weeks later was
trying James Blaynes temper. Again
and again he reviewed the few heads of
the case.
On July % Lady Merton went to bed
between 10 and 10:30 p. m. The jewels
were then in their places, and she, see
ing the box opened, told her maid not
to disturb them till morning The
maid locked the box, replaced the kew
in 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 but
Ter swore to turning out the lights and
shutting" up Mt 1920. Lady Merton
slept little and restlessly till II 80,
when she got mp and stirred the fire
this fact attested bv the cook, who slept
Ia an outer room above and was aroused
by the sound of the poker. At 10
o'clock the next morning the Jewels
were missing. and the jewel-case stood
in the dressing-room within, and only
approachab.e through Lady Merton's
bedroom.
80 Robbery from without, Blavne re-
iected after due examination rs an inn
possibility. From within, by man,
well-nigh impossible, 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 ceas eIessly
chiefly among the women of the house,
of course, though here also the great
difficulty of crossing Lady Merton's bed
room unperceived by her was with him
more strongly in their favor than their
excellent characters from their en-
ployers. The ladvs maid seemed his
only chance, as, of course, she was fully
acquainted with the situation in all its
senses; and her football, which he
proved ~ 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 lat theory with
come indignation, declaring that she
had the utmost confidence in her maid.
and that she had scarcely closed her
ewes before midnight. after which hour
the housemaid pronounced IL all !hpossi-