The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-09-19
down and when up covering of evos

Nothing was found, and when we mad
done there wasn't scintilla OF evidence
to warrant US in suspectIng ANYBODY. II
is true that the diamond was Last actu-
ally seen by the secretary IN charge OF
Mr.. Marsden and Mr.. Tomas. MT. Mars
den opened the safe, Mr.. Tomas put the
tray containing the big stone ana sew
eral other fine ones into its USUAL com
partment, and the safe door was locked.
Therefore that fact went for mourning
lyon know, l suppose, that one OF the
diamond room staff always remains ali
night in the room; there is at least one
nioht Waterman on every landing; and
tha frnntages are patrolled all night by
armed men of the special police. Tomas
was ON duty on the Saturday night. lie
was searched as usual when he came Or
duty on Sunday morning. Nothing was
found. and l recognized that 1t was hp-
solutely impossible THAT he could nave
brought the diamond out OF the room
mr. nassed it to any confederate IN the
street without being discovered. There
fore. though, at first sight Suspicion
MIGHT have pointed to him as being the
one who was apparently last In t1e
room with the diamond, there was an
solutelv no reason to connect tnat TACT
with it's disappearance.
"I must saw that that is great deal
nlainer and more matter-of-1act unah
any of the other stories that nave
hnSrd NJ the mysterious disappearance,
T sa;d. as the inspector paused to rehll
hi, glass and ask me to do likewise.
.yes" he said, drily, "the truth Is
- commonplace ND to a certain point
than the sort of stories that Stranger
will find floating about Kimberley pu'
Stiu 7 dare say you have found in your
own profession that it sometimes has
wov of-to put it in sporting language
giving Fiction seYen-pound uitAAuiC"p
and beating it in "A canter
.For nv own part" l answered, with
AN affirmative nod, my money Woulu
on on Fact every time. therefore, IL
SyouId 90 ON now if | were betting. Al
any rate, l may say that none OIL TIE
fction that l have so far hearu mas
offered even a reasonable eHplanatloli
of the disappearance Of that dlaihoAu
o;van the conditions which you have just
stated. and, as far as can see, aohlft
that | couldn't give the remolest guess
at the solution of the mystery.
"Tbats exactly what l said to myseii
after | had been worrying day ana nlsh'
for more than a week over IT, sald tns
| inspector. "And them" he went on
suddenly getting up from his seat anc
beginning to walk up and down TN
room with quick, irregular strides, al
of a Sudden in the middle of very mucf
smaller puzzle, just one OF the com
mon I. D. B. cases we have almost ev
erv week, the whole of the work that
was engaged upon vanished from m.
mind. leaving it for the moment PEI
feet blank. Then, like lightning hasl
ont of q black cloud. there came
momentary ray of light which Shove
me the clew to the mystery. That wa
the idea. These" he said, stopping i
front of the mantelpece and putin
his finger on the glass case which COY
cred the tive relics which had starte
the story, ''these were the materially.
ton of it,"
..And yet, my dear Inspector" | ve1
. tured to interrupt, ''you will perhar
! pardon me for saying that your rag
light leaves me as much in the dark q
ever"
But your darkness shall be made da
, all in good course" he said. with
: smile. could see that he had an ey
! for dramatic effect. and so thought
| was better to let him tell the story n
: interrupted and in his own wHy. so