The Van Buren press., 1894-11-17
NEATLY PLANNED.

NEATLY PLANNED.
had just reached my office after
lunch one miserably wet day last No
vember, when visitor was announced.
Mr.. Engstrom" was Inscribed on the
card-a name quite unknown to me.
MT. De Warre?" said my visitor, a
shrewd looking, we'll groomed man,
who apparently had not yet touched
forty.
THAT Is my name," I answered.
please take seat and tell me what I
can do for you"
II am In great trouble" said Mr..
Engstrom. I'VE had burglars at our
house at Lyndhurst, in the New For.
est, the night before last. They broke
In while we were at dinner and several
thousand pounds worth of jewels are
gone from my wife's bedroom. But what
distresses us is that a valuable heir
loom, q pearl necklace of great value,
that has been in our family Tor two
hundred years, is among the plunder.
The other jewelry we could bear to
lose, but not this. To tell you the
TRUTH" he added, with q smile, Il
must own to being a little supersti-
tious, and there is q legend In our
family that this necklace was gift to
an ancestress Of mine by Charles H.,
and whoever shall lose 1t his days
shall be very short and full of evil 1t
is said it was lost about the beginning
Of the century, and the legend came
true My wife is more superstitious
than myself, and am afraid If it is
not recovered it may seriously affect
her health. OF course the police have
been At work, but have not very
great confidence in them, and up to
the present they have discovered moth
ing. II you can aid me shall be
very glad.
~ am" said Mr. Engstrom, 1.-THE de-
scendant of an old landed family who
have lived In Hampshire for genera
tiona We are not Is wealthy as we
once were, and l find employment for
my time by being on tho board OF di-
rectors Of several companies. have
only been married q short time, not
quite . year, and we have been living
very quietly. On Tuesday night, when
the burglary occurred, there were only
Eve OF us ut dinner. Besides my wife
and myself were the rector and his
wife and Capt. Olyer. the son of an old
friend, whom / lately met In the city
and invited down. He has been with
US over q week, and leaves to join his
regiment on Saturday.
1--WE had just reached dessert and
Capt Olyer was inquiring OF the but
ler II Wisden (his man servant) had
returned from London, when my wife's
maid came in gasping: oh, ma'am,
YOUR Jewels are gone-robbersF and
sank fainting ON the floor.
"'Goodness graciousr ! exclaimed,
and we sprang up.
"sLet US search out Of doors 1t
ONCE said the captain. Bring US
light, John he said to the butler. and
rushed out We followed him.
ut was quito dark. and we had not
gone dozen steps before he fell down.
Look OUT he cried, the brutes have
laid wires. They have caught one fool
At any rate, he remarked as he got up
I went back for . light, and sure
enough there were wires around that
side Of the house.
"The captain was holding his nose.
He was but little hurt. he said, for,
luckily, he had fallen on the grass. At
the captains suggestion l summoned
two men servants.
III found lantern, and we searched
the grounds and the surrounding roads.
We found nothing, save ladder under
one OF the windows, and q small
brooch which the thief or thieves had
dropped. No suspicious looking person
had been seen In the village or at the
station, and the two policemen who
came could do nothing beyond looking
wise. I called at the police station
this morning, but they have no ciew,
nor il It likely they will have one All
have learned from them is that tney
believe that two were engaged IN the
affair from the footmarks."
"It will be too dark by the time we
could reach Lyndhurst TO investigate "
T said. .but I will come on BY the frst
train in the morning.
~ wish you to promise me one thing,
not to mention to anyone the oo)ect OF
INV visit Call me . fellow director or
anything you like"
found Mr.. Engstrom at the station
the next morning with dog cart l
forebore to talk on the subject OF my
visit save to ask one question.
"Why did you keep such valuable
necklace at home, Mr.. Engstrom?
II kept it in the Safe Deposit IN
chancerv lane, he answered, land only
brought it home Saturday because my
wife wanted It at the county ball TO-
morrow night" .
had some lunch and pleasant
chat with my host and hostess, aiter
which | asked permission to interview
the servants. ~.
Are your visitors IMP" asked Mr.
Engstrom.
Capt. Olyer is rabbit shooting WIN
the rector, but he will be IN 10 am
ner." his ac.
..ou,.. Of what happened Now "s ia
vou be so kind as to have the wires
arranged round the house IN tne eA
49,. v,1.cs the burglars left themf