The Wichita daily eagle., 1895-02-21

went upstairs and with the help of the
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 I
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
She sapient police had evolved two
robbers from their inner conscious
hess But what interested rae rnore
was that the Palings which separated
the shrubbcry from a public by-wav
had lately been tarred acd were no.
set dry. The robber had climbed over
the paiings, and whoever he was
he must have carried away a lit
tie OF the tar on his person. In fact,
the marks OF his fingers were quito
distinct
On getting back had . easant half
hour in the billiard room with Mr.. Eng
strom.
dinner, and was only introduced to
him as we entered the dining-room.
He was faultlessly got up. os well-made
figure and handsome features. bearing
large traces of dissipation As for his
speech, he had an invincible objection
TO the letter r." and carefully avoided
its use
We had finished soup, when begged
a thousand pardons for leaving the
table for a 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 a few minutes. but it was
time well spent
When we reached dessert and Mrs
Engstrom had lett the table. led the
conversation round to the burglary.
and induced the captain TO give his YER
sion. / waited till he had finished,
and then, looking ~ him steadily,
said:
Now, isn't ii rather e curious thing,
Capt. Olyer. 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
glass of wine.
What do you mean. sir?' he asked
at last.
II mean" l replied. still watching
him keeniy, was IL not a curious thing
that you should be tripped by blades
of grass? And is it not curious also"
] went on, mercilessly, that your
servant. or rather your accomplice,
should be standing under the bedrooTp
window here 1T the same time he was
in London?"
The captain sat dazed and pale and
motionless. though his hands trem bled,
and DR.. EnCstrom gasped out: MIR.
De Ware. whatever are YOU suggest
ing?"
Il suggested" answered, as stead
ily as before, that the burglar is sit
ting before you"
'Sir!" thundered Mr. EnTstrom,
pale with emotion; you are forget
ting yourself. To accuse my old
friends son of being thief! Prepos-
tercusr'
This is not your old friends son,
Mr.. Engstrom. Capt. dyer. of the
Thirty-eighth hussars, is at present
with his regiment at Woolvich. aud
replied to me to-day. Here is the tele-
gram:
Capt Olyer to De Ware: Am here.
What is the meaning of this inquiry
The pseudo captain had risen and
looked around as if seeking a way to
escape.
'.Sit down." cried Engstrom, "and II
you want TO save yourself from jail
make full confession De Ware, l
beg your pardon"
Don't trouble about that" 7 SAID;
''of course it was hard TO credit it"
The poor wretch sat down again and
stammered out his story. His name
turned out to be Odgers, an ex-ser-
geant In the hussars, expelled from
the army in disgrace. His accomplish.
who acted as his servant, had hidden
the Jewels in the wood near the house,
till they could safely be removed
A; breakfast time the next morning
I had TO relate how / had unezrthed
the conspiracy.
First of all" said. 1.-THE fact that
the burglary occurred shortly after
you had brought the tewelry from
London convinced me that the thief
was some one in the house. And when
mad the wires relaid and found that
the captain had fallen three feet away
from them-a fact which I discovered
from the impression made 10y mis- knees
and the toes OF his bOots-I thought
things were very suspicious against (
him. Upstairs / found t.iat IL was (,
little trouble for him to-lip into your I
wife's room and throw the casket I
down as soon as she left the room. I I
learned that be had been the last 20 4
appear a. the dinner table, and the 1
ease was strengthened At the rail- !
way station / discovered shat a man 4
answering 20 the description Of his .
servant mad arrived from London ~ 4
the $50 o'clock train. and not ty tho 4
p.1J o'clock, as il was made 20 appear.
" hat effect the telegram had you al .
ready know. Ia tracing the footsteps .
through the shrubberT ] found tina.
whoever had passed over the paliBrs
must have carried away sorne of thc
tar on his clothing. At dinner last
aight seized ny only opportunity AID
examined the mans 0TercOat and
pair OF tg-ouserA The tar Wax there.
md he had evidently tree 20 remove
Z That Is ali, I think. .7-Tid-Bit,