Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1895-11-04
CAUGHT IN THE ACT.

A certain high official of the state
had repeatedly missed money from
his study, and the theft, if theft it
were, was always committed on a
Sunday.
The gentleman who was very we'll
known at Scotland Yard by reason of
his position, applied for the assistance
Of an officer in calculating the mys-
terry and was appointed to help him.
We talked the matter over at Scot
land Yard and agreed that it looked
uncommonly like case of dishonesty
on the part Of some member Of the
household who had means Of obtain
ing access to the study of the master
Of the house on Sunday afternoons.
Obviously the best course to pursue
would be to set watch upon the room
in the absence Of it's owner. But how
was this to be done? If any stranger
was known to be in the house, the
thief, whoever he might be, would be
on his guard and would not allow him
self to be detected.
At last we decided that on the Sun
day afternoon following should walk
outside the house in-square, and that
the occupier should take his chance Of
opening the door to me himself and
thus let me into the place unperceiv-
ed.
Accordingly on the Sunday after
noon I went to"square, and [ had
not been walking long when the door
of No.-was opened cautiously, and
I sped up the steps.
The house was of the kind which is
common to many parts OF the aristo-
cratic quarters of London, having an
area and basement, SO that the
servants had very little chance of not
ing the arrival of callers unless duly
summoned by the bell.
was led into the study on the first
floor, and apparently no one in the
house was aware Of my presence.
Leading off the room was a little
lavatory, and into this lobby 1 went. I
shut the door and found that by kneel-
| ing on the floor I could look through
the keyhole and in this way command
view of the desk which stood near
the window in the study.
This was sufficient for my purpose,
and the owner of the house went out
of the room.
| Presently I heard him call to his
| daughters, and some one cried aloud,
eve are all going to church"
This was the signal that the family
had Quilted the house and left me a
| fair field.
Nothing happened whatever for
some time, and my knees became
dreadfully stiff. 1t was fortunate that
| there was no handle on the door in
side, but only catch, or it would have
impeded me in spying through the
| keyhole.
If you can get your eye close such
an aperture, it is astonishing how
much you can see of the interior of a
room.
Presently [ caught the sound of
cautious footsteps on the stairs out
side the landing which led to the
study.
In moment or two the footman
| entered. His face was ashen gray,
his eyes set, his hands trembling.
Guilt was written upon every Inca
ment. He glanced nervously round
| the room and into every corner, but,
| strangely enough, never thought of
trying the door of the lavatory where
was concealed.
I withdrew my eye for moment,
thinking that he might perchance OBJ
serve me there, but | made no sound,
and did not feel the aching in my
knees then.
When [ again looked through the
kevhole, the footman had opened the
desk with a duplicate key.
To his hand he found some marked
money, which he appropriated and
put into his pocket, but he had not
relinquished his grasp of the coins
when his face flushed, his eye went
round the room, he trembled, and
with a shaking hand he withdrew the
pieces from his pocket and restored
them to the desk.
Then he hurridly relocked it and
withdrew from the room hastily,
averting his face from the desk and
setting his teeth.
Conscience, my man." I thought,
conscience has been too much for
you'll"
But what was | to do?
There was no help for it. I must
wait for the prearranged time for my
release.