The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1896-07-24

y
satisfied on his own account, but by
and by disaster crept upon him.
The traveller made four journeys
year, covering the three kingdoms on
each expedition. He had started on
the third round since the completion
of the two trays, when the jeweler, by
a chance examination of his treasure,
discovered that he was in possession OF
the imitation, and that his servant had,
by some queer blunder, walked off with
the real thing. To an unlearned eye
the mimic jewels were exactly like the
real, but an expert was not to be de-
ceived for an instant. The two trays
had been set for comparison side by
side outside the showcase, and the
traveller had made an accidental ex-
change. Il was little surprising, but
it excited no suspicion. The jeweler
sent Il special messenger down to BriX-
ton with a note of explanation, and the
special messenger came back to say that
the gentleman had gone to Birmlng
ham. y telegram was sent to Birming-
ham, and the jewelel went to his home
in the suburbs quite contented and at
ease. When servant had been faith
full for II years in big things
and little, when he had had hum
dreds and hundreds of thou
sands of pounds through his hands,
and had never once been out in his ac-
counts by farthing. an honest man is
not likely to grow mistrust from so
small seed as this. But when no an
swer came from Birmingham-when
telegraphic inquiry ELECTED the fact
that the traveller had not been to his
customary hotel-when further in
quiry proved that he had not been
heard OF at Manchester, Liverpool, Ed
inburgh, Glasgow-when, after four
or five days, his wife, for the first time
since her marriage, was ignorant OF his
Observation-Disclosures things began to
grow uncomfortable. and suspicion
began to peer. Not at all in the direc-
tion of the dapper little Jewish gentle
man. He was above suspicion, as the
wife of Caesar should have been. Sew
enteen years of unstained fidelity were
not to be rewarded SO. But it became
clear that some mischief had befallen
him--there are hundreds of people in
the world who would do muir
der for the fiftieth part of such q booty
as he carried. His employer went
moulnfully to the police and offered a
reward for the missing mans discov-
cry. He was angry at the mere idea
that one whom he had trusted 80 en-
tirely, and whose faithfulness had
stood the test so long, had at last de-
ceivcd and robbed him, The honest
heart would have no commerce with
that fancy. No! The poor fellow
had fallen i'll, had tumbled into some
alteration of the mind, of which the
changing of the trays was the earliest
sign, had been robbed, drugged, spir-
tied away, murdered.
The police accepted this view of the
case with courteous incredulity, and
planned ana labored on their own lines.
They networked the country through
the telegraph; they woke up every port
in Great Britain, and had every passen-
ger list examined; they haunted way
side stations, and shadowed the great
termini; they sent the news tingling
to every country in Europe and to the
United States. Every pawnbroker in
Great Britain, every mont de piete in
France, every dealer in precious stones
and precious metals everywhere had
warning.
Then, as his own lucky star ordained,
the sergeant was sent to London on pro-
fessional affairs. He called at Scotland
Yard to pay visit of respect to an old
provincial superior Of his own; partly
because q little civility is never wasted
las you know, Mr.. Murray"-partly
because he liked the gentleman in ques-
ton, and partly because ''out of sight
is out of mind with many people," The
late provincial superior was affable to
the extent of n glass of whisky and o
cigar; and, at their parting, he confided
to the sergeant's charge packet of
handbills, which set forth q portrait
of the missing gentleman, full de-
scription of his person, and an inven-
tory of the lost jewels. The sergeant
kept one Of these for his own private
reading, packed the rest in his hand
bag, and having finished his business
by noon on the day following, strolled
down to Euston station in time fer the
two o'clock train.
On the way he encountered an old
friend, with whom he had glass of
whisky. At the station he encountered
another old friend-one of the detec-
tives on constant duty there-and with
him he had another glass Of whisky.
The day was warm and heavy, the ser
geant had been seeing "life" in the capi-
tai at the expense of his nightly rest,
and ensconcing himself in one corner of
secondclass smoking compartment,
five minutes before the trains de-
rarture, he fell asleep. At Chalk Farm
he was dimly aware that somebody got
into the carriage, and then he slept
again. He was halfway to Rugby be-
fore he awoke. His fellow-passenger
was seated in the opposite corner at the
far-end of the compartment, and the
sergeant surveyed him uninterestedly
through scarce-opened eyelids. 1t was
a Jewish gentleman of n neat and
dapper aspect, with coal-black hair,
| eyebrows, and mustache, and cheeks
and chin clean shaven. He smoked q
cigar, and read railway novel, but
every now and then he seemed to awake
to sudden interest in a hat-box which
was bestowed in the light-luggage net
ting over head, and at such moments
lie would screw himself round and look
upward, if he feared to find it spirited
| away.