Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1900-10-13
From 4 Detectives Notebook.

they are too queer For instance doubt
if you have ever heard of strange Incl
dent that happened only Il season or two
ago in that select section Of the fashion
able world known as society"
\ lady Of title. Lady yarmouth. re-
quested me to call on her one morning
about the beginning Of June, the London
season being then at its height.
| II want your help, Mr.. Lowe" she be-
I gan, and then stopped aWkWardIy. per.
haps you are not aware that at several
balls and dinner parties this season there
/ have been jewels and ornaments stolen.
II has, of course. caused great deal of
| lnpledSuntnCSS. In several cases trinkets
have even been actually taken from the
WcarCrs without their knowing how it
was done or who did it,
had heard several wild tales of arti-
clcs having been missed at fashionable
gatherings, and there was much Specula-
ton rs to who was the culprit The arti-
cIes were not, as Il rule, Of immense value
aud they always disappeared singly, con-
ScquCntly no public notice had been di-
rectcd to the matter. 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 n person
VINO mixed IN society as an equal, prob
ably woman who had allowed her love
of 1ewelry to tempt her to dishonesty.
Il presume. then. that the--cr-thief is
guest-a person i'll society," l said in
quiringly.
Il am afraid so. Two or three
things were missed ut dance which /
gave last week. Now. | am giving an
other dance next Thursday and | am, OF
course, most anxious it should not occur
again, nc any rate in my house. |
fhnnUhf | on. r..
the evening. to see if You detect any
thing suspicious. or course, you would
be treated as a guest
We made arrangements about terms.
and it was agreed that | should be in
troduced as an American by name Can't.
Burke
Il suppose. Lady yarmouth" / said'
carelessly,, you don't suspect anybody
in PARTICULAR"
ooh, no" she said. but noticed what
thought was Il look of anxiety ON her
face, and made mental note of it.
As | was leaving. Lady yarmouth
SAID: OF course. Mr.. Lowe, you quite
understand, there must be no expose. If
you make any discoveries. they must
be treated as secrets. can't have n
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 eases that require ali
your tact and yield very little credit
secondly, that Lady Barmouih knew
more, or ut any rate, guessed more fbon
she cared to tell
thursday evening arrived. and | wrur
TO Merion house. Practically, my duty
was to mingle with the guests. enioy
myself and keep my eyes wide open.
NolhlIiE seemed to be more improbable
than that there should be a thief among
the brilliant thrcng that crowded the
rooms. Everything was conducted in
the most Sumptuous and luxurious styln
a hungarian band diScoursed the SWEEP
est OF dance music and the guests were
among the highest in the land
For long while nothing occurred of
the smallest significance But M about
: clock In the morning, when | was sill
ing III Il snug corner Of the conServa-
tory, where cigarette smoking was ner-
united, | noticed a couple take mn n M
sutton in the opposite corner. They were
both young, and evidently very much in
ioV' with one another. The girl was
handsomely dressed and wore some vain.
able jewels. In particular [ noticed \
pmlr of diamond eardrops which had lust
come INTO fashion again. Without being
j tohholSseur OF precious stones ] nm
urrS,and them well enough 10 know that
tneSe were very valuable indeed. and
HEHIy to he worth several hundred
pounds.
These two young people were sitting
"nt during dance and they flirted all
through set of lancerS, without any i'm.
patience ut their length.
~ last they got up and went into the
bathroom again. On the chair where the
SIri had been sitting lay something shin.
,hS' StroIled across and examined it.
= was her vmaigrct. which she had
probably left there by accident. | re-
paced II, thinking ii might serve as n
trap for our fashionable thief, if he were
IN the heghhornood, and withdrew to my
corner. where was almost invisible.
Presently an Old gentleman Strolled out
!" rmoGc cigarette, He was tall,
handsome. lntellectual- looking man. with
the air of the true ariStocrat. His name
didn't know, but | noticed him chat
ing with the gIeSts. He was evidently
known To every one. and was man Of
social Importance.
Presently his eye caught the little jew
r'ed vinajgret. He looked carelessly
round the conservatory. to see if he were
observed, and picked ii up. He now had
ms back 10 me. was on the point of
stepping mp to him. when he turned
round and replaced the vinaigret and
walked quietly away.
1t was lucky | had not moved.
should have looked rather foolish. Some
curious instinct babe me cross the CON
Sfrvatory and look at the vinaigrct
again. Without thinking about il, | put
II To my nose.
The next thing | remember is that
found myself sitting in a chair. Grad
ually things became ciearer. The viuai
gret lay by my side 1t was dragged
For few minutes ! had lost conscious
ness. | still felt dizzy and sick. but
knowing that everything depended ON
my being prompt and acute, / managed
with an effort to pull myself together.
Then arose the question: What
should do next? Should 90 straight
10 the man who had tempered with the
Flnalgret? A moments thought showes