Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-03-05

'oomP SO continued TO keep a sharp
rye on all the inhabitants of Manning
FORD, whilst ne vas busy with his APP
pllcaticn to the home secretary. These
sort OF things generally take some time,
but at last the order came, and down
came Ben with It to Manningford
There was tremendous scene at The
tables when our intentions were made
known. The widow protested against
the disturbance of her late husbands
remains. Sho declared it was an out
rage and an indecency, and she would
not allow it. But Ben only winked his
eye when she wasn't looking, and as.
sured her, alphabetically, that she
hadn't q voice in the matter, and that
government had good reason for the
demand. The dwarf, Miss Craley, whu
appeared to have gained some inkling
Of what was about to happen, seemed
delighted at the idea. She capered
and screeched all day, constantly MAX.
ing signs with her hands that she
wanted the earth removed from the
coffin, and then pointing to her own
mouth, and then TO the dowager, Lady
Ellesmere, MS though she would init,
mate that she had something to do with
her beloved patron being put under
ground. Until l really began to be.
licve myself that Ben was right after
all, and the widow had given the old
gentleman his quietus. And yet he
had treated the idea of lover with
indifference. Aha! I sald 10 myself,
Ben may supplement the discovery
with another, but he'll find I'm right
after all, and that the jewels were taken
by her and delivered over TO an &c.
complice-the one, doubtless, who
helped hUr to hasten her husbands
death. But the idea of that beautiful
face and figure In the dock didn't please
ne, and wished Ben hadn't been quite
so sharp, but cor tented himself with
looking after the lost property.
The exhumation was carried ont
very quietly. The coffin was disin-
tered by night and conveyed to the
mortuary chapel, where two medical
Inen beside DR.. Stone were prepared to
examine it, and Ben, OF course, being
present. with Sir Charles Ellesmcre.
felt very snd NJ / watched the pro.
ceedings commence. / was thinking
of the beautiful widow up at The
Gables, and how it would fare with her,
il Ben's suspicious proved correct
have rather soft heart for women,
1 can't help it! 1t seems so terrible To
me that they should ever go wrong,
when there's so much good in each one
of theml Az the coffin lid was re.
moved, stepped forward rather curl
ously to view the corpse. It was that
of an attenuated, shriveled-up old man,
with stern expression. The appear
ence OF the body was almost unchanged
by TIE short time it had been under
ground. but as the doctors moved N
uoout tor che purpose OF performing
the post mortem, the stencil became
unbearable, and l saw Sir Charles turn
deadly pale and make a bolt for the
outer air. was about to follow him
when I was startled by an exclamation
from one of the medical men.
"Why! what is this?" he said, as he
took something from under the corpse
and held it UP. 1t was gittering mass
of Jewels. Ben Crewe and 1 bounced
upon it at the same moment.
''rhe rajah's heirloom!" we cried,
simultaneously.
"But however did it come hereP" de-
manded DR.. Stone, curiously.
81 KNOW" exclaimed, and II can
guess" said Ben-"the dwarf"
1t proved to be true. Miss Craley,
having overheard the baronet threaten
his son with the loss of the heirloom,
and the sA.wager Lady Ellesmere tell
Rachel lrks that the jewels were hers,
conceived the cunning idea to secure
them for Sir Charles by putting them
In the coffin with the corpse, whence
they might never have been disinterrcd,
had not both Ben and gone on wrong
tact to find out the truth.
4 brief examination proved that Sir
Henry had died from natural causes,
and the body was reburied with duo
solemnity. But we cared little for the
failure in that direction. We had I'M
earthed the missing heirloom, and we
Kept the rest of the secret TO ourselves.
All our suspicious melted into thin air.
Lady Ellesmere had not murdered her
husband-she had never had lover or
an accomplice-she had not purloined
the iewels--we were almost ready to
believe that she had been devoted wife
and stepmother Sir Charles was de.
lighted with the recovery of his prop
erty-the little dwarf screamed with
pleasure when she saw it back again
and Ben and / were laden with compli-
ments and congratulations So ended
the robbery OF the rajah's heirloom.
Ben" said, solemnly, as we wendell
our way back to Scotland Yard to re-
port proceedings, Ben, don't you think
we had better smooth this matter over
little to the chief? We are considered
the two sharpest detectives in London
yet | made sure the dowager had pur
Joined those jewels; and you made cure
she had poisoned her husbaud-but VIC
were both mistaken. don't understand
1t, but it is the case, isn't it, now?"
"Hum.-yes," replied Bon, thought.
fully; but we found the jewels. Jack,
) after all, and that's the main thing"
"True-but now that we are alone,
tell me, what WIS 1t that made you first
think of cxhuming the baronet's body"
Ben looked very grave.
~ can't tell you, Jack. I don't know
myself. But sometimes, there comes &c
me a knowledge can't say from
whom OF from where, but IL fixes itself
upon my mind, and can't get rid OF II
until, rightly or wrongly, have act@d
II. l.