Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-06-19

When Parkins opened the front door
in response to 4 loud ring, he recog-
nized the carriage and liveries of the
earl Of Thornberry and the earl him
self just coming up to the door.
''Not at home, my lord" said Park
ins, not waiting to be asked
II know that" replied Lord Thorn
berry; Il just met your master on his
way to the city, and told him | was
coming to see him about something |
wished to ask him. and he begged of
me to come and wait for him. Shall
go up to the drawing -room?"
IF you please, my lord" said Park
inson, passing him on to the groom of
| the chambers, who showed him into
the drawing-room and asked him If he
wished to see the duchess.
"By no means disturb her grace at
this early hour" said Lord Thorn
berry; don't even tell her I'm here,
or / know she would kindly come
down"
'Yes, my lord" And so the groom
of the chambers and the butler re-
turned to their quarters.
In about twenty minutes the draw
ing-room bell rang. Lord Thornberry
was standing in the open doorway
when the groom of the chambers came
up
Il shan't wait any longer for his
grace said Lord Thornberry; II had
no idea he would be along. Tell him
l had an engagement and couldn't
wait
YES, my lord" bowed the groom of
the chambers, passing his lordship
down to the butler and couple of big
powdered-headed footmen. who let him
out.
That's the new second coachman, l
suppose" observed the butler to one of
! the footmen as the carriage drove off.
''No, it isn't" replied his fellow-ser-
want; Its man ! never see before"
$50 is the footman for that matter" !"
said the butler; 81 never laid eyes on
one or t'cthcr before. | don't quite
make it out"
Pooh, said the other footman; mo
one never stays no time with the old
earl He BE- too ill-tempered.
When the dukes victoria drove up to
his door it was after one, and before he
could slip past the servants and get to
| the drawing-room, the groom of the
chambers told him of Lord Thornberry'
visit.
Lord Thornberry?" said the duke,
opening his eyes; Il didn't know he
was in town"
'Why, he said as how he'd met your
grace" said the butler.
MET me?" demanded the duke.
"Where?"
''On your gracc's way to the city"
The duke did not stop to make any
comment ON this, but turned and went
upstairs to the drawing-room as fast as
his legs could carry him. His heart
| hammering away against his ribs, he
unlocked the cabinet. Ali what re-
liefl There lay the jewel-boxes safe
and sound, all piled up exactly as he
i had left them.
| "Georgina is right" he said, throw
ing himself into an armchair; I'm
making fool of myself about those
confounded diamonds. | hope haven't
drawn attention to them now. But il
won't signify Georgina will be want
ing them so shortly. What bore it is,
having TO dress SO early for that tire
some drawing-rooml What-the gong
for luncheon already? ! won't say n
word about Thornberrys visit to Geor-
gina. / wondef what the old fool
meant by saying what he did. / don't
make out his object"
Well, after luncheon, the duchess
maid requested the dukes valet to ask
his grace for her grace's diamonds This
was the usual formula.
The duke said: Certainly, I'll fetch
'em myself" and, smuggling the boxes
out OF the drawing-room cabinet, he
snealxed them into his dressing-room
and from there emerged with them IN
his arms and carried them to the duch-
ess' door and gave them into her maids $
own hands.
Ten minutes later, when the duke
was just beginning TO don his lord lieu
tenants uniform, one OF the footmen
knocked at his door with the request
| from her grace that he go up to her at
once lie found the duchess agitated
almost to the point of Mysteries. The
boxes were all there, but the diamonds
were all gone, as the duchess found on
opening them. The reader can imag-
inc the mental condition Of the duke.
'Infernal old scoundrel!'' he shouted;
''Thornberry's bagged 'em, no doubt
about il. by Jovel III have him and
his house searched ut once"
"But, my dear" expostulated the
duchess, chow do you know it was
Lord Thornbcrry? You didn't see him?"
mo; but Parkins and Venablcs and
two of the footmen did"
But arc they sure IL was he? Dc
they know him? Just ring and ask
| them"
| All the servants were positive 1t was
Lord Thornberry, yet the duchess
womanlilsc, refused TO be convinced
! One OF the chief inspectors from Scot
land Yard came in response TO n mes
sage IRON the duke. and the whole
thing was put In his hands. He en-
joined absolute secresy at once. and
the FIRST thing he did, in obedience 20
an urgent suggestion from the duchess,
was TO ascertain the whereabouts OF
Lord Thornbcrry. He was ut Cannes,
had been there month, and had never
been away since his coming So. OF
course, the theft was committed by
several confedcrates, some playing the
parts OF coachmcn and footmcn for
the most adroit Of the three, who