The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1897-02-25
LOST EARDROFS.


they arc too queer. For instance d.uht
If you have ever hcard Of certain strange
incident that happened only seascn CT
two ago in that select section Of the fash
ionahlo world known as society"
A lady Cf tito, Lady yarmouth, request
ed mo TO call ON her one morning about
the beginning of June, tho Louuon season
being then ut its height.
81 want your help, MIR Lowe" she be.
gan, and then stopped awkwardly. Per
haps you arc not aware that at several
balls and dinner parties this season there
have been jewels and ornaments stolen. it
has, of course, caused great deal Of un.
pleasantness. III several cases trinhets
have even been actually taken from tie
woGrors, without their knowing how it
was done or who did it,"
had heard several wild tales of articles
having been missed at fashionable gather
inps. and there was much SPECULATION as
to who YVES the culprit. The articles were
not, as Il rule, Of immense value, and they
always disappeared sirgly, consequently no
public notice had been directed to the mat
ter. in one or two cases the police had
been consulted, but it was impossible for
them to help. There could be no doubt
that the thief was person who mixed in
society as an equal, probably woman,
who had allowed her love Of jgwelry TO
tempt her to dishonesty.
81 presume, then, that the-er-thicf is
a guest-a person in society" l said in
quiringly.
81 am AFRAID so. Two or three things
were missed at Il dance which l gave last
week. Now l. am giving another dance
next Thursday, and am, Of course, most
anxious it should not occur again, at any
rate in my house. | thought | would en-
gage your services for the ey eniug, to SEQ
if you detect anything suspicious. OF
course you would be treated as guest.
We made arrangements about terms,
and it WAS agreed that should be intro
| duced as All American, by name, Captain
Burke.
- suppose, Lady Barmouth," said
carelessly, you don't suspect anybody in
Particular"
ooh, no" she said, but noticed what
l thought was look of anxiety on her
face and made mental note of it.
AS ] was leaving, Lady yarmouth said:
"Of course, Mr.. Lowe, you quite under
stand there must be no expose. If you
make any discoveries, they must be treat
ed as secrets. l can't have scene of any
kind. 1t must be hushed up.
returned to the office impressed with
! two ideas. First, that my task was one of
! those delicate cases that require all your
! tact and yield very little credit; secondly,
that Lady yarmouth knew more, or at
any rate guessed more, than she cared To
tell.
Thursday evening arrived, and | went
! to Merton House. Practi' ally my duty
was to mirple with the guests, enjoy ny
self and keep my eyes wide open. Nothing
seemed to be more improbable than that
there should be thief among the brilliant
throng that crowded the rooms. Every
| thing was conducted in tho most sumptlI-
Gus and luxurious style. A Hungarian
band discours.d the sweetest of dance mu-
! sic, and the guests were among the highest
! in the land.
For n long while nothing occurred of the
smallest Significance But at about .
o'clock in the morning, while | was sit
ting in snug corner OF the conservatory,
where cigarette smoking was permitted,
noticed "a couple take up position in the
opposite corner They were both young,
and evidently very much in love with one
another. The girl was handsomely dressed
and wore some valuable jewels. In par
ticular | noticed u pair OF dian ond ear
drops, which had just come into fashion
| again. Without being connoisseur of
precious stones, / understand them well
enough to know that these were very val
liable indeed and likely to be worth sew
eral hundred pounds.
These two young people were sitting out
during a dance, and they lirted all
fhrnlryl 81 al lanrnrS wi i'm
patience at its length.
At last they got up and went into the
ballroom again. On the chair where the
girl had been sitting lay something shin
ing. l strolled across and examined it. 1t
was her vinaigrotte, which she had prob
ably left there ny accident. | replaced it,
thinking it might serve as trap for our
fashionable thief, ii he were in the neigh
horhood, and Withdrew to my corner,
where | was almost invisible.
Presently an old gentleman strolled out
60 smoke II cigarette. He was tall, hand
some, intellectual looking man, with the
air of tho true aristOcTat. His name
didn't know, but had noticed him chat
ting with the guests He was evidently
known to every one and was man of 60
cial importance.
Presently his eye caught the little jewel
ed vinaigrette. He looked carelessly round
the conser, ntory to SEQ If he were observed
and picked it up. He now had his back to
me. was Oh the point of stepping up to
him, when he turned round and replaced
the vinaigrette and walked quietly away.
1t Was lucky had not moved. should
have looked rather foolish. Some curious
instinct babe me cross the conservatory
and look at the yinaigrette again. With
out thinking about 1t put it to my nose
The next thing | remember is that
found myself sitting in Il chair. Gradual
ly things became clearer. The vinaigrelte