Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1896-05-28

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live Tor besides social triumphs.
Tell me all about it, Mrs. Mower,
L said, 'and 1 promise you that i
Will help you in any way can. II
Is as you say-if you won't tell me,
one of your invited guests will.'
know it, she answered, 'and
Tor that reason 1 will tell you the
truth. thought my position in so.
ciety would warrant me in many
liberties that others would not dare
to take. Last summer, while in Eu.
rope, l met a handsome young man
to whom L became quite attached,
and after ] returned home / an
nounced to Mr.. Mower my intention
Of inviting him to visit us. NV
husband asked mo what knew of
him, and L told him that l knew
nothing whatever of him, but that
no was travelling the same as 1 was,
but that he came from a good family.
l considered that quite sufficient
NY husband and never cross each
other and never quarrel. de-
spatched my invitation, and he &C.
cepted 1t with alacrity, arriving a
few days after his letter of accept
ance. He went everywhere with
me, and, as you know, hardly week
passed that did not entertain for
him, giving musicales, teas, dinners,
"at homes," and receptions in his
honor. OF course l could not ex-
plain to my friends how we had met,
and merely said his family and mine
had been friends for years. He al
ways seemed to have plenty of
money, and every day the most ex-
quisite flowers were placed there on
on that table, and it needed no card
to assure me they were from Regi-
nald Thorne. Mornings we would
drive or go shopping or calling, and
sometimes remain at home. He said
he was passionately fond of jewclry,
and would sit for hours looking at
my jewels. I would bring my Jewel
box in and laugh at his interest in
my jewelry. had several sets of
diamonds and rubies that belonged
to my mother. The settings were
old-fashioned, and 1 never wore
them, but thought that some day
l would have the stones reset.
This seemed to interest him i'm
mensely, and he used to say, Don't
ever have these stones reset-you
have plenty Of others-keep them
as they are for heirlOoms.' One af-
ternoon, at a reception we attended,
lady lost her pocketbook. She had
laid it on a stand in the hall while
she adjusted her hat, which had be-
come disarranged in the crush
When she turned to pick up the
pocketbook it was gone. No one
had been near her except her society
friends. She quietly went to the
hostess and told her what had hap
pened, and also said she lamented
the loss Of the book, as she had four
one-hundred-dollar notes in it, and
had Intended doing some shopping
at jewelry store. The pocketbook
also contained very valuable dia-
mond ring that she desired to have
fixed, as the setting was loose.
The hostess was nearly i'll at the
occurrence. She begged that moth
ing be said of the affair, and prom
ised that detectives should be hired
to ferret out the culprit. Then other
ladies began to miss bracelets, pend
ants, hair ornaments, and even fans
and expensive handkerhiefs. There
was great deal Of excitement over
the THEFT, and every one was fright
ened for fear the newspapers would
hear of it. Detectives were hired,
but to no avail. Reginald was ter
ribly shocked, and said he was sur
prised that anything of that sort
should occur.
At a tea, about a week ago, Regi-
nald seemed i'll at ease, and COM
planned Of not feeling we'll. There
was stranger present who mixed
with the guests, and still no one
seemed to know him. The hostess
told me he was noted detective
whom she had hired to protect her
guests from the thefts that
had occurred so often. Several ladies
had whispered to me that they had
lost a card and pocketbook case, a
diamond pendant, a handkerchief
and tortoise-shell comb set with an
emerald of great value. The comb
had been the envy of many ladies,
and the owner naturally felt grieved
at losing it. AS usual, when
the thefts occurred there was an
under ripple of excitement. I no.
ticed the detective very closely
watching Reginald, who was con-
versing with some ladies'. Reginald
soon came to my side and said,
Really, Mrs. Mower, I am fearfully
Ill, and If you have no objection, we
will go.' looked at him, and saw
he was very pale. AS we were leav-
ing the room noticed him stagger,
and before 1 could cry for help he
had fallen to the floor. Several ran
to his assistance. One gentleman re-
moved Reginald tie and another un.
fastened his vest.
AS the vest fell back several
ladies screamed, and no wonder. In
the lining of his vest could be seen
the edges of two handkerchlefs that
had been stolen that afternoon. The
gentleman who had opened his vest
I had not noticed in the excitement,
but I saw he was the detective. He
put his hand in the lining Of the
vest-the lining had been fixed like
a large pocket, and from its depths
procured all the stolen articles of the
afternoon. Merciful God! shall
never forget the agony of that day.
However, no one wanted him ar
rested, on account of the scandal ii
would cause. There was nothing
left for me to do hut to have him
carried to my carriage. He was un-
conscious when we arrived here, and
my coachman and hired man carried
him to the house and to his room.-
After restOratives had been applied
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