The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-10-25

my friend, I'm afraid wc shall have to
take charge of you for tho present, in spite
of your clever little russo. Just put tho
rest of your things on, please, ana como
along quietly"
But what the meaning of all this?"
asked i'll bcwildcrmcnt, as tho handouts
were clicked on directly L had finished
dressing. y man steals my clothes and
my money, and you lock mo up for it and
allow him To escape. Is that the way
things gro usually managed in Holland?"
You'll SEQ how things arc managed in
Holland where diamond thieves arc con-
ccrncu quito soon enough, SIR" said tho
man curtlr, evidently annoyed at my tone
Amy explorations or excuses you can give
later on; i'll tho meantime perhaps you
will accompany us quietly"
" Yes, and in tho meantime this gcntle-
man is hurrying of as fast as trains can
carry him to sonle out of the way corner
of Europe" 1 grumblcd, but resistance
was worse than useless, and, followed by
small crowd of stolid urchns, we made
our way along the tree lined Bompjes to
the police station.
Hero short interview with q fiery faced
and fierce mustachcd official told mo tho
nature of my supposed oifensc but did not
in any way improve my prospects of re-
lease. The object of my cabin companion
was now quite clear to me, though all my
cXclamations with regard to tho change of
clothes were smiled Mt by tho officials who
evidently thought them very clumsy OK
cuScS. / was accused of being concerned
in large diamond robbery and was sup
posed to have been travelling to Amstcr-
dam in order to mako use of my knowl-
cdge of precious stones in lisposing of tho
spoil among the "fenccs' in tho jewish
quarter of tho town.
Tho actual thief was confidential clerk
to IL large firm of diamond merchants in
London His escape with the booty had
been noticed n few hours after his depar-
turc from town, and full particulars of his
clothing and general appearance had been
cablcd to Rotterdam, with instructions to
dctain him on tho arrival of the boat. But
my friend" had foreseen some difficulty
Of this kind and had laid his plans accord
ingly
Selecting mo rs u man of about his own
height and appearance, he had managed
easily enough to change tho clothes in tho
cabin, tho druggcd cigar aiding him in his
scheme. Clad in my brown ulster and
travelling cap, he had passed off the deck
with tho other passengers without attract
ing any special attention and was probably
in the act of negotiating with Amsterdam
traders at the moment of my examination
by the official at tho station.
The fact that had no diamonds in my
possession at the time of my arrest meant
nothing. They might have been concealed
anywhere i'll tho vessel, or even have been
thrown overheard The steward, to whom
appealed in support of my story, could
only assert tsat he had found mo asleep
or fciSning sleep, whilo the other Dassen-
gers wcrc all preparing to land-and, Of
course, thi., told against me. There was
in T,1l Il
mo out of my scrapc, and at tho name of
Van der Dem, diamond merchant, of
Amsterdam and Hatton Garden, the Off
Gals looked even more suspicious, though
they promised that he should bo commu-
nicatcd with Sin due course" 1 was COM
PEELED To content myself with this and re-
signed myself to my fate.
suppose l must hav, spent four or five
hours i'll confinement and was beginning
to wonder whether was fatod to pass tho
night in like fashion, when the key sud
denly turned in tho lock, and u wardcr en-
tered, closely followed by my friend Van
der Dem.
MY dear fellow said the old boy eff
fusivcly, rushing toward me and gripping
me by tho hands, "what an adventure to
have had, to be sure! But all's well that
ends well, and when you have changed
your clothes We'll start for Amsterdam mt
once. Chris is getting quito anxious about
you.
why, certainly. We've got the clothes
and the jcwclry, and the diamonds, and,
what's quite rs important, the man him
self. It's tho most curious thing over
knew in my life. Christina and were cx-
pccting you hours back, and was going
to the station to SEQ what had become of
you, when l suddenly caught II back view
Oh your very MISUNDERSTANDING cap
and that brown ulster of yours, English
every inch of it-why, 1 should know it
milo OFF in misunderstanding across tho
dam. l caught up TO him in moment
and laid my hand heavily OH his shoulder
and, instead of your face, Holt Sc
Markson's confidential clerk turned to
meet me, with terror in his eyes l had
the police up in half minute. Tho dia-
lnonds and your watch and chain wcre
discovered. He confessed the whole plot,
and beyond that there's nothing else to
tell, save that your things arc waiting for
you to slip into them, as quickly rs posi-
bic, down below"
1 havo little more to tell than Mynhcer
Van der DEM had, save that spont q
jolly winter holiday, not in tho white.
washed cell, that L asked Christina TO DO
my wife and met with very little dcmur
from her or from her father, who seemed
to think that my adventure deserved some
compensation, and, finally that the hand
some wedding present wo received from
Holt 81 Markson, out of gratitude for
tho recovery of tho diamonds, has mado
mo mono the less cautious now of mon Sin
tho other berth. London Tit Bits.
Old Music In the British Museum.
The accessions to tho collection of music
have been more than usually important.
Tho most valuable acquisition was a copy