Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-02-15

customers, chiefly travellers, were down
also, ard two or three outsiders had straw
ed in to warm themselves With cup OF tea
or coffee before they started OH Their days
work. l soon found that the mysterious
robbery at The Gables was the general
topic Of conversation.
Sat it's quite incomprehensib,er said
one man. The jewels was safe and sound
in the old baronets bed room a week before
he died. for Rachel Marks saw them with
her Own eyes! And TO one entered the room
till after, and then only the undertakers.''
Ah! them uHlertakersr' exclaimed
another man. Il wouldn't tcust them any
further than l could see 'emi Whyi | re-
member when my mother died, and they
was left in the room 10 lay her in her cot
lin, there wasn't q pin left in the cushion
the next morning, and the very soap was
took out of the soapdish, for I've hearl my
sister say SO score o. times"
Them jewels was worth a power of
money, iEterposel third The OLD gem
tieman got them from the king of the IL
gies, and they was valued at a million
pounis."
He stole them, most likely" sad the
iFst speaker. 1T was in the days of DID
John Company, when the Brit.shers stole
right and left; loot they called it, but Il
came to the same thing! And now Won SEQ
TINS IS what they calls q Nemesis. They've
lost them again. Lor'. it Won't be for i6rs-,
SIR Charles, he have telesraphed for a de-
tecEve from London, and all the servants
are !orSit to leave the house till he CONES,
aien ma en-, never fear. They can't have
very far, neither, All l know is, tfat 7
Woutdnt Ike TO be the man as has got 'e.l.
ne ne, officer he'll sniff EN- out soon eno9gh,''
Inc man!' repeated his companion coz
tem2tucGsiy Tain no man as has those
jewels He'd better shake out NV Ia1y,e
SKIRTS, instead That's where the levels
- gone. she was always mad to get EN-.
ana mad against the young baronet. ami
she mas en-. you may take my word fer +,
an! there's no artfulness TO beat the arr
iu!1ess or a woman!" sighed rather ih.o
sa,u. tae other man, as though he had
cause to know it. 'i''1-
PART II
listened to their talk, but, of cour.o
said nothing So that was the way the land
lay, thought to myself 1t was true that
Little dependence was to be placed on these
bucolic opinions. yet long experience lad
taught me that there was seldom smoke
without fire l tried to maintain an nm
prejudced mind, but it is difficult to extin
guish train of thought. once lighted, and
iound myself thinking there might be a
sood zeal or sense in the laborer's surul;se.
AS soon as my breakfast was concluded
ana L could leave the hotel without cr..+
ing suspicion as to my errand I mad, NV
way quietly to The Gables, and. serdir,- in
my card. inquired for SIR Charles I;iIes-
mere. The old butler who answered the
door to me glanced at the card and then at
me. and said, quietly:
glad you've come, sir! There's been
a terrible upset heren
SO l understand. What is your name?,,
Goddard, sir and I've been man ar, nov
in The Gables ever since the late naster
came home from the East Indies, now
forty years ago!'
An! Then l dare say you'll be vaIu-
able adjunct in this matter I SHAH bava :,
talk with you, Goddard by ard ,by, At
present my first business is with Your
master" WA
OF course. sir, This way, if you please.'
And the butler preceded me into a hand
some library, well furnished with book
shelves.
In another minute the door reopened and
ST Charles Ellesn2ere, dressed In deep
mourning, stood before me- He was n
singulariy handsome young man. though
looking pale and careworn He noticned
me to a seat and took one himself
You wired to Scotland Yard for me yes
terday, understand, Sir Charles?' L COM
E2enced
Il did. There has been a most serious
robbery committed on these premises and
suppose Mr. Busby," he said. looking at
my card. which he held in his hand, that
must tell you everything 1 know concern
ing it?''
1T would be better, Sir Charles" re-
Piled. Perhaps you will begin by dsscrib-
ing the Jewels you have lost"
Il know very little about jewery,'' he
said, but they were magnificent, and my
late father has often told me that they
thousand pounds"
They must have been unique to have
cost that sum-" / remarked.
He did not buy them; they were a gift
to him for services received Before he
came into the title he was an officer ii the
East Indta eompany's service and saved the
LIFE Of the rajah Of Tanibore, whose king
dom was III a state of nutiRy, in order to
quen which the company had volunteered
the assistance OF one of their reg menJs, in
which my father held the rank of leu
tenant. In return for this service the rajal,
who was deeply grateful. presented him
with the ornament from his turban, which
comprised some of the state jewels, and
begged that 1t should be handed down in
his family as an heirloom. Shortly after
wards my father came into his title and
property-he returned to England and set
tied down here-he married, and 1 am the
sole issue of his marriage
You considered, then, Sir Charles that
the rajahs heirloom would naturally de-
scend to you and your children after your
1T have been told so. times out of mind!
When I was a mere infant and my father
was proud Of me, he used to produce these
jewels for mo to play with and tell me they
were my own. I never dreamt for q mo-
ment. that 1t would be otherwise, until
Until"