Evening journal., 1900-12-15
CHAPTER TX.

ny brain positively rceled.
The two pairs OF steel eyes met and
looked hxedly at each other.
A tap came to the door,
Sir George WINGED and made a sign to
Ralph, who rushed to it and bolted it.
Il am coming in, George" said Lady
Mary's voice.
Send her away, came whisper from
the bed.
This was easier said than done. But
it was done after a sufficiently long
parley and Lady Mary retired under the
impression that Ralph was sitting alone
with his father, who thought he might
get little sleep.
Now" whispered Sir George, motion
ing to Ralph.
The fact is, said Ralph, ''the Jewels
are gone. They have been stolen in the
night"
He bolted ont with this one sentence
and then Was silent. Marston and 1
stared nt him aghast.
Is there no Elistal:eg" said Marston
at las,
None" replied Ralph. y put them
in drawer in the great inlaid writing
table in the library last night before
everybody went for them this morn
ing! half an hour ago, at fathers re-
quest. The lock was broken. and they
were gone"
There was another long silence
Il was fool, of course. to put them
there" resumed Ralph Charles told
me 80, but thought they were as safe
there as anywhere, if no one llnew--aud
no one did, except the house party"
"Were any Of the servants about"
asked Marston.
mot one. They had all gone to bed
except one of the footmen who was put
ting out the lamps in the supper room
miles away"
iEAnother yilence.
e"That is the dreadful part of il, - burst
out Ralph. "They must have been taken
by someone staying in the house-some-
ione who saw me put them there. The
first thing did was to send forthe house
maids, and they assured me that they
had found every shutter shut and every
door locked this morning as usual. Any
one with time and wits might hate got
in through one of the library windows
by taking out a pane and forcing tho
shutter. | suppose a practiced hand
might have done such thing. but
went outside and there was not a foot
step in the snow anywhere near the
library windows, or, for that matter,
anywhere near the house at all, except
at the side and front doors. which arc
impracticable for anyone to force an en-
trance by"
when dHd it leave off snowingy" asked
Marston.
About o'clock, replied Ralph. Il
must have showed heavily TIL then, fol
there was not trace of all the carriage
wheels on the drive when we went on
last night, but our foot prints down t
the lodge are clear in the snow now
There has been no snow since Q o'cloc!
this morning"
ut all points to the same thing" sal
Charles, quietly, speaking for the frs
time. "The jewels were taken by some
one staying in the house"
Zone of the servants began Mar
ston.
''No," said Charles, cutting him shor'
mot one of the servants
1T is impossible it should have bee
Sne of them" said Ralph after som
thought. First Of all, none Of them sa'
the Jewels put into that drawer, anC
secondly, how could they suspect me (
hiding them in a place where had neve
thought of putting them myself till tn;
moment? Besides, that one drawer onl
was broken open-the center drawer
the left hand set Of drawers. All IL
others were untouched, though the
we've all locked. No one who had M
seen the Jewels put in would have fou1
them SO easily. That is the frightf
part Of it,"
For few minutes no one spoke. 4
last Marston raised his head from h
hands.
"There is no way out Of it," he sal
very gravely. "The robbery was col
mitted by one of the visitors staying
the house.
'Yesr' said Charles.
"Yesf" echoed a whisper from the be
Charles looked up slowly and delibe
ately, and the eyes Of father and son N
again.
eve do not often agreg, father"
said in a measured voice. III mark Il
exception to the rule with pleasure"
when / had made out, as much
this" continued Ralph, "father told !
TO call both of you and Charles to CT
sider what ought to be done before
make any move"
."Have you TN inventory Of the jewel
asked Marston at length.
"None," said Sir George, "unless NJ
dleton had enc from Sir john
thereupon recapitulated in full
tho circumstances OF the bequsst, fna
addine that Sir John had never SO mt
as mentioned en- inyentoEH