The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-15

/
rant thief does not usually steal state pa
! pers He would not know what 70 do with
| them. Now If your house was not broken
/ into on the night of the robbery, the per
son who carried of the papers must have
| been numbered amongst those who slept
under the roof that night. How is IL pos
| sible for NE TO trace the thief unless
/ have some knowledge Of those people?
| The black sheep is probably amongst
| them, and must be weeded out. But how
| is he 10 be detected unless some special
means are taken to find him? Black sheep
OF this kinds are very cunning, 1 assure
! YOU"
The count put his hand over his eyes
and rested his elbow on his desk and in
a voice that plainly told how troubled he
was he said:
You must excuse me. did not see the
AFFAIR in the light in which you now put
! 1t before me. You, of course, are right,
and ! am wrong I place myself. there
fore, unreservedly in your hands. What
do YOU suggest2'
1 viii make a suggestion a little later
on In the meantime I should like to see
your bedroom and the position in which
the box was placed on the night of the
theft"
Certainly. certainly. My valet shall
take you up stairs and show you the
rooms The count was about TO ring his
bell when l stopped him by saying
1 should prefer, count, thaS you did
not send your valet with me, nor anyone
else. If you will permit me to trouble you
VIII ask you 10 go with me yourself"
The count readily consented to this
and leading the way he assembled private
staircase and conducted me to his bed
room. Il was nobly proper toned
chamber, furnished richly and with great
taste. The room was about thirtv-eight
feet long, with several recesses in it. Il
lighted rrrfu 1ctry
side. The bed stood between two Of these
windows. At one end of the apartment
was a dressing and bath room; but they
could only be reached through the mai,
apartment. At the other end a door gave
access to smaller chamber, which the
count informed me was his sons bed
room. The floor of both rooms was COW
cred with an exceedingly rich and thick
carpet, which deadened every football
The counts bed was a heavy Old-fasn-
Toned four-poster. draped with most cost
~ silk-lined curtains.
Any one lying in the bed would have
but a limited view of the room. The dis
patch-bOX had been placed on a table that
stood against the wall, and between the
led and Ferdinand's room. | ascertained
that the count always locked his door
after his valet de chambre had retired.
and he kept a light burning all night
But strangely enough, the previous night
was not locked. When the count wen;
to his room he was exceedingly tired, for
he had had an excessively fatiguing ana
harassing day.
on attempting to lock his door after his
valet de chamber had gone he found there
was something the matter with the key
He was too fatigued and too much alb
sorbed to let this trouble him. He looked
into his sons room, but he had not vet
come up So the count got into bed think
ing his son would not he long and when
he heard him he intended to call out to
MIN. However he fell asleep, and siept
soundly until he was awakened by his
valet bringing him his morning coffee.
he did not discover that the box had been
tempered with until he was fully dressed
and about to go downstairs
On making the discovery he rushed to
his sons room, but Ferdinand was sleep-
ing heavily, and he had to arouse him
The young man had been out on the pre-.
vious evening and did not return until two
o'clock.
Having gathered these details. 1 pro-
ceeded to examine the key of the door
but found there was nothing the matter
with II nor with the lock. II was there
fore evident that whatever temporary OBJ
struction had been introduced it had since
been removed
The counts valet de chambre was an
Austrian. sedate, middle-aged man
who had been in the counts service for
man years. All the other servants were
Austrians with the exception of the chef
who was Frenchman, distinguished in
his particular line.
Having so far completed my examina-
ton of the bed chambers l returned in
company with the count to his room
where Ferdinand was sitting waiting.
WELL what success have you had?''
the young fellow asked of me as we en-
tered,
Monet Have you any theory. sir. of
your OWN"
My only theory is this. Somebody tam
pered with the key of the counts chamber
door, so that the door could not be locked.
That showed an exceeding artfulness. OF
course, the person who tempered with the
Key was either bribed to do so, or he was
the person who stole the papers
Whom do you suspect of having tam
pered with the key?"
Il don't suspect anyone in narticuiar"
But you must have an idea?"
Perhaps l have"
May l then ask you, sir to name the
person you think might possibly have done
this thing?"
mo; I'll do nothing of the sort" he an
swereu deeisiVely. I have no right to
cast suspicion on anyone unless I had some
good grounds for believing that 1 might
be right ~
But | understand you to say that Won
had some idea | remarked
SO l have, but decline to shane II in
words. Mere suspicion is not proof and
my idea might be wrong
Il agree with you quite" l remarked
and yet there should be no false delicacv
In this matter. 1t is a very serious busi-
ness, and no obstacle should be thrown in
the way of trying to get at the truth
During this short dialogue the count had
remained silent but after my last remark
he said to his son.
Il think, Ferdinand, that If Won have
the slightest reason for suspecting anv
particular individual you need not hesitate
TO mention the name of the person to Mir
Donovan"
The son bowed to his father and said.
i must decline, sir. to clotne nv thought
with words" Then addressing me he
asked What course are you going to
pursue?" -
4 have decided on no particular course
at present. In matters of this kind 7 all
low myself to be very largely guided ana
influenced by circums tances.'
But have no circumstances Influenced
you In this instanee?"
ITO some extent they have"
Then have YOU not decided what Vol
are going to dO? SSN