The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1896-05-09

W assNs
missed the jewe !-box. And the odd part
of 1t was that not one of the three Miss
Mauleverers had left the room during the
two hours of her visit even for Il minute.
During the course of the next day o
messenger came over to Julia from Mrs.
Lovelace. Would she go over for five
miuutess And of course Julia went and
was shown up to Mrs. Lovelace's room
where she found one or two business-like
men In plain clothes together with the
three Mauleverer spinsters and Major and
Mrs. Loyelace.
Mrs. Lovelace apologi2ed for having
troubled her. You know that / have lost
all my jewels" she said.
"Yes-and most sorry we are for you,"
said Julia, kindly.
"Wcll-these gentlemen are detectives.
and one OF them has heard that You said
at dinner last night, when you were all
talking of this affair that yoa saw one of
my friends here-Miss Alice Mauleverer
cross the road and go in ct the door be-
low"
Yes. 1dld," said Julia, 'about half
past four"
But do you know thai / was in their
~Grawiug-rOom yesterday afternoon from
four to six o'clock and that the three Miss
Mauleverers We're there and never left it
for one minute during the whole OF that
timer"
For n moment Julia was thunderstruck
she sat and stared ut Alice Mauleverer
until the ancient damsel began to shipper
and then to blush. II was never so much
mistaken in my life then,'' she cried
Julia mean.
~ nd - NIy, Y~,,of,~o no. -, ksCl al
tells me that about TINT time he was COM
ing downstairs and that he met Miss
Mauleverer on the l~anding-he told her
that was out and that he believed l had
gone over to No. 10. Yes she answered.
she is there now, but l have come over
for a bottle of throat lozenges which Mrs.
Lovelace wants. He went down to get a
light, having just used his last match,
and when he came back the lady was at
the door. Don't trouble about u light,
Clark she said, 1 have got them. They
were on the table and then she went out
and Clark shut the door behind her."
well, that bears out what l said" ex-
thinking wildly that surely the Maulever-
ers could not have suddenly turned klepto-
maniacs.
-S no -hadASseltI C0IAc LeIe-bOU
one of them was out of my sight from
four to six O'clock" Mrs. Lovelnce re-
piled. The person you saw II Clark
here saw, was n mnde-up Miss Maulever-
err" Here Julia ~involuntarily gave n
glance at the three weird sisters on the
other side of the room, only n flicker of a
glance and yet a protest in itself against
the literal truth of Mrs. Lovelace's words.
"'rhat was the person who stole my jew
els"
Mrs. Lovelace!" Julia exclaimed.
Yes. That is why / sent for you. 1t
is to know il you can help us-if you really
saw the woman. if you can describe her
c. give us the least clue by which we eau
trace her"
Julia shook her head. ~ could only
tell you that I thought l saw Miss Alice
Mauleyerer-I could not describe the wo-
man more closely than TINT" she said.
why don't you ask Clark? He spoke to
her-and must have seen her better than
L."
"No-Clark had been upstairs and had
Just used his last match. He met her on
a landing, just outside the door here in
fact, which is never too well lighted even
in the morning and he, like you thought
1t was Miss Mauleverer n had no suspi-
cion otherwise until l got home aud found
that the tewel-casc had gone. But what
we want to know from you Is how was
she drcssedi"
oh! l can tell you that although the
dusk was just beginning to fall,' Julia
replied. She had n dark red dress on
with n lot of black braiding on the skirt.
have seen Miss Mauleverer in just such
a dress" she added. sin fact 1 think / saw
you In 1t yesterday, and l never noticed
that there was any difference"
Yes. l was wearing 1t yesterday" said
Miss Alice.
Then she had a short seal-skin cloak,
tight fitting, and n tall black hat. For
the rest l can really tell you nothing ex-
cept that she opened the door and went in,
as ! have sometimes seen the Miss Maui
~everers do"
and She stayed Mrs. Lovelace said
eagerly.
II don't know. Ibid not wait to see,n
said julia, simply.
And you can tell lis nothing more.'
exclaimed Mrs. Lovelace in evident disap-
pointlnent.
II am very sorry," Julia answered, "but
I am afraid I cannot"
But You would know her If you saw
hcr-you would be able to swear to her."
she cried, anxiously.
II don't know" said Julia, with a dep
rccating smile, but l think l shall never
dare to swear to anything. / believe il /
saw Miss Alice Mauleverer aud that per.
son going across the road, that l should
not know which was which. Ionly wish
l could swear to her-I would swear hard,
l promise you"
She took leave of them then, shook
hands with Mrs. Loyelace, who was look
ing very anxious and i'll, made n very stiff
little bow to the ancient damsels, and nj
lowed Major Lovelace to precede her
downstairs. And then when he had seen
her to the doorstep and she had spoken a
few words of pity for his wife in her mis-
fortune, she went home to No. Z, where
she found Stephen.
To the select audience gathered there
she detailed the whole scene, how Mrs.
Lovelace had looked, how the three aris-
: t%ocratic spinsters from No. 10 had looked,
and lastly how Miss Alice had actually
brought herself to speak to the obnoxious
young person from No. Z.
And" said Julia ut last, "then l told
Mrs. Lovelace that ii / could see the per-
son ana MISS Allce go across the ROAD To-
gether was quito sure l should not know
the one from the other, and then I think
they were satisfied that it was no use toll
Grating my presence any longer, so they
let me come away"
II am quite relieved that you would not
know the woman again." said Stephen
Howard. at this point.
"Yes-whys"
Because l hive no fancy for being kept
waiting about for you to give evidence and
perhaps our marriage put off for It," he
answered.
"oh! but II they catch anybody they
think likely, | shall have to give evidence
all the same,n Julia cried.
Are you suref" he exclaimed.
Perfectly sure" he answered.
OH | thin you are wrong"
My DEAR said Julia, decidedly, al
don't think your opinion on the subject is
worth having. What can a mere savage
like you know about the English law"
Perhaps know more han you give
me credit for" he cried, with an amused
} laugh.
A -. -A---.- 80, ~, .