Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-11-22
nau mace an important discovery.

maid examined the bedroom. The
window had been left half open, The
maid said, as master was so particular
about fresh air" Next inspected the
footsteps, matter of some difficulty
considering the number OF people who
had been there since But finally
traced them across a flower bed into
the shrubbery, where they were quite
distinct, Only one person had passed
there, and ! came to the conclusion
the sapient police had evolved two
robbers from their inner conscious
ness But what interested me more
was that the palings which separated
the shrubbery from public by-way
had lately been tarred and were not
yet dry The robber had climbed over
the palings, and whoever he was
he must have carried away a lit.
lie Of the tar on his person. In fact,
the marks Of his fingers were quite
distinct
On getting back had a p easant hall
hour in the billiard room with Mr.. Eng.
strom.
Capt. dyer returned just In time for
dinner, and was only introduced to
him as we entered the dining-room.
lie was faultlessly gotup, Of well-made
figure and handsome features, bearing
large traces Of dissipation As for his
speech, he had an invincible objection
TO the letter n" and carefully avoided
its use.
We had finished soup, when begged
thousand pardons for leaving the
table Tor few minutes My host
looked little surprised at my want OF
manners, and the captain surveyed me
through his eyeglasses as though |
were new kind Of animal. was
only gone few minutes, but 1t was
time well spent.
When we reached dessert and Mrs
Engstrom had left the table, | led the
conversation round to the BURGLARY,
and induced the captain TO give his ver-
sion waited TIL he had finished,
and then, looking at him steadily,
said:
Nov, isn't it rather curious thing,
Capt. 0lyer, that you should fall over
the wires when they were quite three
feet away?"
Engstrom stared at me, and the cap
tain did not answer till he had drank
a glass Of wine.
what do you mean, sir?" he asked
at last.
~ mean" ! replied, still watching
hiln lseenly, was it not n curious thing
that you should be tripped by blades
Of grass? And Is 1t not curious also, :"
! went on, mercilessly, "that your
servant, or rather your accomplish,
should be standing under the bedroom
window here at the same time he was
In London?'
The captain sat dazed and pale and
motionlcss, though his hands trcmblcd,
and Dr. Engstrom gasped out. MIR.
De Ware, whatever arc you suggest
ing?'
~ suggested" answered, az stead
lily rs before, that the burglar Is sit.
ting before you"
"Sirr' Numbered Mr.. Engstrom,
pale with emotion; you are forget
ting yourself. 10 accuse my old
friends son Of being thief Prcpos-
tcrousv
"'rhis Is not your old friends son,
Mr., Engstrom. Capt. dyer OF the
Thirty-cighth hussars, Is at present
with his regiment at Woolwlch, and
replied to me to-day. Here Is the tcle-
gram:
"'Capt, 0lyer to De Ware: Am here.
What Is the meaning Of this inquiry"
The pseudo captain had risen and
looked around as II seeking a way to
escape.
"Sit down." cried Engstrom, "and II
you want to save yourself from Jail
make n full confession. De Ware, !
beg your pardon"
Don't trouble about that" ! said;
'of course II was hard to credit It,"
The poor wretch sat down again and
out his story. His name
turned out to be 0dgers, an ex-ser.
geant in the hussars, expelled from
the army in disgrace. His accomplicc,
who acted as his servant had hidden
the jewels in the wood near the house,
till they could safely be removed.
At breakfast time the next morning
had TO relate how had unearthed
the conspiracy.
First Of all, | said, "the fact that
the burglary occurred shortly after
you had brought the jewelry from
London convinced me that the thief
was some one In the house. And when
| had the wires relaid and found that
the captain had fallen three feet away
from them--a fact which | discovered
from the impression made by his knees
and the toes OF his boots-I thought
things were very suspicious against
him. Upstairs | found That 1t was
little trouble for him to slip into your
wife's room and throw the caskct
down as soon as she left the room. !
learned that he had been the last TO
appear at the dinner table, and the
case was strengthened. At the rail-
way station discovered shat u man
answering 10 the description OF his
servant had arrived from London by
The $3.50 o'clock train, and not by the
Dl5 o'clock, as II was made to appear
What effect the telegram had you al
ready know In tracing tho footsteps
through the shfubbery found that
had passed over the palings
must have carried away some Of the
lar on his clothing. At dinner last