The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-06-27
in Bond Street and her sister has lost

II can quite believe It," said Julia: 81
always thought her the silliest woman j
ever knew, but I've noticed that she gen.
orally contrtved to get the easiest chair
II the biggest peach, INT the most com.
Portable seat in a carriage for herself, sc
that really l think her Stiffness is all put
II more or less"
"Of course it Is. But It puzzles ME tc
know why she should make such n fuss
about this affair. If ever Miss Theodosia
mentioned the robbery, she would shudder
u shut her eyes and begin 10 faint.
Pray, spare ME, Theodosia,' she would
say, and poor old Miss Theodosia, who wns
aching to talk about the finest rubies In
Europe and burning to discuss every lit.
tie detail concerning them always had to
bottle her words up and turn the CONVEX
sation to ward off the threatened tit of
Mysteries. l told Miss Theodosia once that
if were her l should just let her 10 of
into Mysteries and stop In them rs long as
ever she liked"
And what did Miss Theodosia sayi"
asked Stephen, in 6 eat amusement.
"'Ohl my DEAR she said," Laura an.
swered, "'don't let Lavinin hear you say
that. She is quite capable of leaving the
whole of her fortune to that detestable
Emily Spenderley's hateful boy-and if l
ever thought that horrid boy would be
master of this house, l am sure I could
not rest in my gravel believe l should
come back aud haunt the place. It's a
beautiful old place." Laura went on, land
the gold plate was n dream. l dare say it
was all melted down within u few hours
of its disappearance"
"Oh, l should think So" Julia agreed
then after II moments pause she said. re-
flectivcly, dear me, what u lot of people
we know who have lost their plate aud
jewels in the same way. l wonder If it
is the same gang who did all the Others"
Very improbable" put in Stephen,
carelessly.
Eyes, l suppose So" answered Laura.
"Bnt, do you know, it puzzles me and
worries me to guess why Miss Lnvinia al.
ways wanted to drop the subject-and she
did"
"Oh, no; you must have fancied it,"
"No. I didn't, for l told Anthony and he
thinks the same thing. l can't make 1t
u now" Laura continued In a deter.
mined tone, but / shall never rest till ]
have made 1t out. Obi you may laugh
as much rs you Ike" she added to Steph'
an-'But all the same l mean what l
say!"
Stephen Howard went Of into q at Of
laughter.
WELL" he said Mt last. when no could
command himself sufficiently to speak,
~ sometimes think juicy goes In for pro-
pounding the funniest ideas in all the
world; but III her widest flights OF imag.
ination she has never equalled your sug-
g%estion. Surely you don't mean to say
that the old lady is mixed up with the
robbery In any way. or hat she has act
ually stolen the things herself,"
"No. DON'T" answered Laura, stoutly,
"but l do think this. that Miss Lavinia lie
a thoroughly sharp and clever old lady
who chooses to wear a mask Of utter silli-
ness which she calls nerves just to make
herself look interesting and coQuettish;
and l think she knows more about this
particular affair han she cares to tell"
but how could she know anything
about 1t If she was not implicated in the
matter he1self'" Stephen exclaimed.
very easily" said Laura, quickly, "for
instance, the robbery took place that par.
ticular evening about ten O'Clock, or rath.
er about ten O'Clock the night after they
got back to Little Street the robbery was
discovered by Warner, whoi is upper lady's
maid to the two old ladies. Miss Lavinia
had gone up to her room for something
Immediately after dinner, that is about Il
quarter past nine. She stayed upstairs
about twenty minutes, went quietly into
the little dr%awing-room and sat down In d
chair without speaking and In fact cover.
ed her eyes with her hand, a most unusual
thing with her. About ten o'clock, or a
few minutes past. Warner went up from
the upper servants supper which begins
ut nine punctually, and, finding that
someone had been In tho room and that
the jewel-case was gone, she uttered an
awful scream and ran down to the draw.
ing-Ioom.
dosia, who was quietly reading a book.
What Is the matter that you come rushing
in in this manner Have you taken leave
of your sensesY
"'Oh, Ma'aIn!-Miss Staunton! cried
Warner, sobbing with fright, there have
been thieves and robbers in the house
and your rubies-they're gone, ma'am-
goue!'
"'oh! my Godr cried Miss Laviuia. in o
sharp voice. and then with n great groap
sank back fainting into her chair"
"Well, 1t seems to me-" remarked Steph.
en-, then his sister-in-law had got to this
stage, that all this was natural enough,
and, in fact, was precisely what almost
my woman would have done under SINH
lar circumstances"
Yes, yes" answered Laura, ".but hear
the rest. She was In a genuine faint for a
quarter Of an hour or twenty minutos.
Oh, yes, she can do Il shnm one rs %cleverly
as anyone l know, Ive seen her many Il
tt,,a nortjn,,lnp.ly s{poo tho ,c6horv tco1,
place-and Miss Theodosia In her fright
md anxiety went up to her room to fetch
some special medicine which she had put
away for use on such occasions. Whilst
she was gone, Miss Lavinia opened her
eyes Il little and her lips moved. Warner
bent over her and heard her say, oh
Frank, Frank, that you should awe come
to this-oh, my God! it will break my
heart and hen she slipped off Into On
other swoon, and when Miss Theodosia
came back with the restorative she came
to and s%traightwny went off into violent
Mysteries. After that she has always
stendily refused to listen to any discussion
of the affair, %upbraids hcr sister for any
conversation which arises about 1t, says
she has no heart INT thinks more Of her
rubies than Of her only sister and has gen.
orally made herself very disagreeable
about it ever since"
"Wellf" said Julia. eagerly.
"Well, I know whatI think about it,
said Lady Staunton, significantly.
"Aud what do you thinki" cried Julis
and Stephen In the same breath.
II think that she ven up accidentally
to her room n surprised the thief ut his
work-and l think that she recognized
him."
"Then why didn't Staunton ask he,
about it2"
Anthony did breach the subject, but
the result was such n much worse At Of
Mysteries than she had ever INDUCED In
before that Anthony was glad to have
done with the subject aud Miss Theodosia
begged him for Heavens sake never 70
mention the robbery to her sister again.
And of course you know" Lady Staunton
went on, Anthony has to be very careful
what he says to her, for they have six
thousand a year each and ii he ofends her
she will think nothing of, as Aunt Theo.
dosla often says, leaving the whole Of it
to that detestable Emily Spendorlcy's