Waterbury evening Democrat., 1892-10-19

NS-<<ss8 F many maya and have e gained from them a thorough contempt for probability and the police. The first thing you should do when a crime has been committed, as often said to Uncle Poffkins, is to suspicion the most unlikely man as being the criminal. That was the course 1 adopted when Aunt Potfllins' earrings were stolen. It was in the morning when the theft was discovered. Aunt came down late and ran into the room where Uncle Poff- kins, Dora and 1 were breakfasting. My aunt bore traces of strong agitation and she had forg otten her cap.
 My earrings!" she cried. ''They are gone-they are stolen!'
 God bless my soul!' exclaimed Uncle Poffkins, dropping his teacup as if he had been shot, and leaping up with yell of pain. He said the yell was attributed to the heat of the tea, which was trickling down his legs.
 My aunt explained. The earrings were kept wrapped in cotton wool in a jewel box on her dressing table. The box was never locked, and the house. maid had access to the room. The girl had only been in the house a week, and was known to have a beau. My aunt and cousin at once concluded she was the thief, and sent for policeman, who searched her trunk and found nothing, of course. 1 could have told them that.
 Meanwhile, I kept my eye on Uncle Poffkins. He was the one person who could have no motive whatever in steal ing the earrings He was very rich, most respectable and extremely slow and noisy in his movement; moreover, my aunt would have given him the ear rings at any moment if he had asked for them. Evidently he was the last man to attract suspicion. According ly, watched Uncle Poffltins closely.
 We passed a week of excitement. The police were running out and in. Dora crOss-eXamined the housemaid inces- sanity. Aunt Poffkins went about weeping and reminding everyone she met that the earrings were a pres cnt from Uncle Poffkins on the occas- ion of their engagement. My uncle himself affected to make light of the matter, and went so far as loudly and ostcntatiously to curse the earrings. He was wrong if he thought he could put me off the scent by that clumsy maneuver. I never left him alone; 1 tracked him to the city, hung about all the morning, shadowed him when he went to lunch, when he returned, when he crossed over to the exchange. Unknown to him I was on his bus, inside if he rode on the top, and on the top when il rained and he slowed himself away in side. He never escaped me, except when he was in his office. At last after ten days weary chasing, was re- warded. l need not say that the police had discovered nothing. The house was still topsy turvey and my aunt sub ject to intermittent mysteries. That wronged creature, the housemaid, diG her work with a mop in one hand an6 in the other handkerchief wet witf innocent tears. But to return to Uncle Poffkins. The tenth day after the ear rings had disappeared, as he was brush ing his hat before leaving the house and looking at my aunt's tear bedewet visage, his conscience smote him, and | he so far forgot himself as to exclaiu audibly:
 I'm blamed if I can stand this any longer!" The folly of the man was in credible. had him now! In an instant I was after him. He took bus, tool cab, and started for the city. Nov came the odd thing-Uncle Poffl1in disappeared. How it happened d. not know, but when the bus pulled ul at the bank Uncle Poffkins was not t. be seen. I questioned the conductor but he had evidently been bribed, an' told me very rudely that he had some thing better to do than answer my rid dles. He drove on, and was left fo the first time at fault.
 It was evening before saw Uncl Poffkins. I was going home in a yer. disconsolate state, when, about tw hundred yards from our gate, l espie
 him ahead of me. Quicl1ening my pace
 I stcalthily approached him. H opened the gate and passed in; noise lessly followed. A little further or sheltered by the shrubbery, he stoppe and, after a stealthy glance towar, the house, took from his coat pocke small morocco case. l stood O tiptoe just behind, and, wit
 mingled horror and satisfaction as
 looked over his soulder. I saw the ear ISOCIABLE