Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1895-04-26
q clew. Here there is absolutely

rubby is missing, that's all. "
"Not by any means. Tell me what
took place after I left you yesterday
afternoon.
II spent an hour or so in feasting
upon the prize. I laid it away i'll the
secret drawer there Che showed mel OF
my desk when / went down to dinner.
1t was there when I returned from the
theater about II o'clock, for I took it
out and spent another half hour with it
before went to bed. "
"What next?"
"When ready for bed, put it back in
the small pasteboard box, having made
up my mind that would take it down
to the trust company tomorrow. l tied
it around with bit of red twine, the
knot being Il peculiar one which have
never seen any one else use. / slept late
and merely looked at the box without
opening it this morning. 1t was there
Just as I had tied and left it. After
breakfast 1 settled down for another
treat before placing it in the vaults.
took out the little box, united the
string, which was precisely as l had left
it, opened the box, and it was empty"
He paused in his walk and looked
with q smile at me, as if to ask what l
had to say a',out it. I didn't speak. He
opened the secret drawer, took out the
small box again, lifted the lid and held
it so that I could see the interior. There
was the tuft of fine pink cotton, but
nothing else save few particles and q
trifle of dust.
. "Are you satisfied" he asked, "that
it is not there:'
"There couldn't be pinhead in that
without it's showing"
He drew out the cotton, pinched it
and put it ba;k. tossing the box on his
desk
"Where's Nittner?" abruptly asked
Sandhusen.
81 don't know. I sent for him last
night, but he couldn't be found"
"Get him here us soon as you car"
mo one ever accused me of being
detective, but will you answer me a
few questions?"
Certainly"
"Have you told any one Of the rob-
berry,"
"Not soul except you. My message
over the phone was SO worded that no
one else hearing me would have known
to what l referred"
7 rose and looked at the door. He
laughed.
Nothing there. It was securely
locked and the bolt slid in place this
morning when l examined it precisely
as left it when went asleep"
"Then no one could have entered that
way. What of the windows?"
Equally impossible. Look for your
SELF.
I did So His apartments were on the
fourth floor, and to reach his rooms
through any of the windows person
would have to climb q sheer wall Of
great height.
Entrance by that means is out of
the question. -
$50 it is. Could any one have been
concealed in your rooms?"
"If so, he must have left by the win
dow, which is impossible. Had he gone
out by the door he could not have left
the bolt in place, not to mention the
key of the lock being turned"
glanced at the transom. Sandhusen
explained chat be fastened it before re-
tiring and found it undisturhed in the
morning
Leaning back in my chair, I tried to
think. He resumed his pacing up and
down the floor. After two or three turns
he stopped in front of me and said:
~That won't answer, Brown"
II do not understand you.
"You are asking yourself whether l
am somnambulist and whether with
the thought of the ruby ringing through
my brain did not get up and hide the
gem somewhere in the room. I did not. l"
"Can you be certain?
"Never in all my life did I walk in
my sleep, not even when my mental
trouble was tenfold as great. Besides,
oonceiving such thing possible, must
have left the ruby somewhere in my
rooms. I have searched every nook and
corner where it could be concealed, and
it ism It in any one Of them"
There was one subject in my mind to
which I did not dare refer. On the day
previous Sandhusen had made refer
ence to Mrs. Howard, in which an un'
charitable mind would have seen evil
dence that he was not a stranger to her.
WANTED to ask him whether he had ex-
changed word with her or seen her
after | left him. But he was man OF
family, of the highest character, and
likely he would have considered the
question an insult. No hint Of the kind
passed my lips.
"My good fellow" l said after a
minute or two of meditation, "you must
have formed some explanation, some
theory of this strange business.
II have tried to do SO, but have given
it up. 1t is simply one of those things
that are beyond my comprehension and
yours, too, / judge.
EYES, and wonder whether Wittner
will be able'-
stu,vo ro,, eao,, onrthipo of tho man