Waterbury evening Democrat., 1895-07-22
THE LOST JEWELS.
Tingl Ting! Ting!

the office of the chief of the secret serv- ice. Opening large glass door he stood before his superior. The latter mOtioned him to chair. "Tell me, |" he said, eff you have been reading the newspapers and are posted upon the Mantle disas ter"
 "The Niantic,' said Mir. Martinot, running the case over ill his mind and speaking in the bright, quick, way which so pleased the chief, twas an apartment house, an old fashioned, aristocratic structure, facing Washington square. At midnight, month ago, it burned to the ground with great loss of life. The fire is supposed to have originated in an explosion in an upper story, caused in some mysterious way by the gas with which most of the tenants heated their rooms.
 Good" said the chief. "Now I have only to tell you wherein this fire concerns us. There visited here today Henry Williams, tho famous diamond collector, whose apartments were ill the Mantle, and he tells me that on the night of the fire he was robbed of his fortune in jewels, $25O, 900 being sto- lem
 "And you wish me-
 'To talk with Henry Williams, get the points of the robbery and recover the missing gems for him. And-I would suggest that ill tracing the rob bery you may find that the Niantic was set on fire. This involves case of man. slaughter, as lives were lost. In short, it will bo the biggest case of the year. And I have in my hand letter from the Empire Fire Insurance offering $1O, 900 reward for the discovery of the origin of the fire ''
 "When do begin?"
 "Right away. You will find Henry Williams in tho reception room." Detective Martinot bowed in his usu- al quiet manner and stepped across the hall to whcro Collector Williams sat, nervously waiting to tell his story,
 Before you begin," said MT. Marti- not, "tell mo why you have waited a month before coming here" ''I have been expecting to find the jewels ill the ruins of the building, es- pecially as I havc offered immense re- wards to the workmen.
 And when did tho idea of their be- ing stolen enter your mind?'' II had suspicion the night of the fire. But it was too vague to put in words. You must havo read that was the first to givo the alarm and the last to leave the building. The fact is that was awakened that night by sound ill my rooms. And, always on the alert | for my jewels arose, and, lighting q taper, stepped out into my private hallway to go to tho front room where | tho jowcls> were hidden in a safe in the ! wall. As I did so I heard a swift sound, as though somo one was run ming. It was the mercst movement, but it alarmed me, and fearing to make 8 mark of myself, blew out the taper and picked mp my revolver. An uncan- | ny something seemed to rush past me but, recovering msyelf, flew after ii to my hall door. It was closed, and all was still again. Its my imagination, I said to myself. But went into tho front room to look after the jewels
 II was about to put my hand in the safe, which was behind the picture when I was startled by a terrific explo I sion, which seemed to blow the roof of the house. rushed back along my hall way and threw open the door. The big hall was filling with smoke, and, witt sudden fear for the people ill the house, I ran along, knocking on all tho doors and calling on everybody to awak l en.
 "Thcn, flying back to my rooms, slipped on some clothing, put my watcl ] and money i'll my pocket, and ran tC my front room for my jewel caskct. put my hand ill the safe ill the wall but the casEet was not there! Across the room was another and similar safe and, hurrying across, 1 was about tt move tho picture from in front of i when a fireman rushed in, shouting Run for your life The main staircas' is on firC' I would havo waited ever then, but he seized mo by the shoulders and forced me to the iron fire escape which was already hot with the tongue of flame.
 Even then I did not forget the jew els But, knowing they were in the soliC iron casliet, reasoned that they woult fall through into the ruins, and that should recover the box entire. Even, i its fasteniHgS melted away there wcr steel drawers, absolutely fireproof.
 II did not leave the scene, and witt this idea in my mind I have haunte' tho ruins night and day. And now tn i fact of not finding them, taken with tn 1 reCnll"ctiunS of tlrat night convinces m that they were stolen from me befor the fire. And there is something else.
 "That same night my old housekeeper who occupies room on the floor abov me, slept very uneasily. Finally sh rose, seeing d light burning ill the iron ! apartment, where she was sure she ha left none, and was about to investigat it when-when the explosion occurred It was so hear her that she was over come with smoke and escaped with di1 ficulty, flame seeming to be all aroun her.
 And still more singular. Yesterda
 Sarah hObbled out for the first tim and naturally turned her steps towar
 her burned home, where they are sti
 busy with the ruins, and while sh
 stood thore 6 plainly dressed woma
 came along, wearing on her hand
 AA1lSy OuS WL1C
 Sarah thought she recognized as one
 my collection.
 "Would you recognize your jewels,
 asked Mir. Martinot, C if they had bee
 taken from their settings?"
 "As quickly as would my own fiji
 gers" stretching out the long slend'
 hand of a student. And will giN
 you my gem catalogue, with each d.
 scribed ill it. And upon all, making
 very tiny mark, "there is this sigl
 easily seen with pocket microscope
 my own particular trademark. ''
 "There is one thing certain,"
 unused as he put on his hat and coa
 "Henry Williams was robbed of tho
 jewels and before the fire. So the N ' antic was probably set on fire by son
 one-the one who took the jewels B,