The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-07-03

party a lady named White missed three
valuable rings which had been LEFT lying
ON a table In her room. They had been
taken in broad daylight while the ladies
were on the lawn and while the maid
was temporarily absent from the room. II
was impossible that any outsider could
| have got into the house. and II seemed
| impossible TO trace the theft TO any par
ticular servant. Counting maids, Wallets,
and the house retinue, there were about
! twenty people in the house aside from
| the guests. Mrs. Whites loss was kept
a secret for several days from all but
host and hostess, but the colonel's quiet
detective work brought no reward.
The second loss was more serious. a
Mrs. Willmere left her jewelry lying
about after dinner. and at bed time dis
covered that she had been robbed of
every single article. The value was at
| least $1,000, and as she and her husband
we're both excitable people. the loss I'd
not be kept quiet Between the finish of
/ dinner and bedtime we were scattered
about the house and lawn, wi h the serv-
! ants moving to and fro, and no stranger
! could have entered the house without be-
| ing seen. The bedroom window was up,
but no ladder had been used. II seemed
to be plain enough that some servant had
secured the jewelry. and one by one the
entire lot were summoned before the COL
| onel's court of inquiry and Intercepted
There wasn't one without a good charac-
| ter. nor could suspicion justly attach to
any one. II was long after midnight be-
| fore We got through. and next morning
| the sergeant from the police station was
| called over. He couldn suspect one Of
I IL. L. 4
! for suspecting one of the servants. and b =
| got out of II by looking wise and say ng
I that Mrs. Willmere had probably mislaid
/ her ornaments. Unfortura ely for her,
| she was rather absent-m rded. and We
/ presently came to acc pit the theory,
though she searched her rooms over and
| over again without discovery.
| The losses did not break up the party
as might have been the case. The colonel
| and Mrs. Willmere came to some mutual
unaers and ne. I think the detective ad-
! vised them TO call 1t mis- ay' and these-
| by put the thief his guard. Col oaun-
/ ders insisted that every jewel Of value be
! locked up in the family safe, and when
| this had been done every guest became a
| Sherlock Holmes. There were twenty
guests and twenty theories. Everyth' ng
| from an Owl 10 the sldDie oOy was uuuef
| suspicion.
TIE detectives theory. as ne gave II to
| the colonel privately. was that a smart
/ thief, disguised as lady's maid or an up
Der servant, lad entered the house and
committed both robberies, OF all the theo-
ries this was the most absurd, but OF
course the man felt bound 10 make
move of some sort The jewelry lad been
| locked UP for four days ami things had
Quoted down. when the colonel started L.
/ produce II n horCr Of government off,
| eial who was TO arrive that evening. !
say he started 10, because he had no
| SCORER attempted 10 unlock the safe than
I he discovered that the bolts had been
! shot AS he pulled the door open he Ut
/ tered q groan, and the sight OF his bag
| gard face was evidence enough that some
| thing was wrong. The safe had been
/ opened by means OF a Eey but had not
| been locked again. Every article OF Jew
| elry was gone, ard the value OF the lot
1 was not cent Under n0,00 In seeking
| 10 render his guests safe the colonel had
I helped 10 despoiI them. II was impossible
| 10 say al what date the robbery had hap
pened, and the only thing 70 DO was 10
| telegraph up TO London for O detective.
| While waiting his arrival no servant
was allowed OF the grounds. and Of
/ course no guest could we'll leave while
Under FIRE. II was q painful position for
| every one. and the detective rather added
| 70 II when he got to work. As soon az
| he was IN possession OF all the facts he
said TO the colonel:
These robberies were committed by one
OF your guests. They must all assemble
/ in the drawing-room and submit 10 have
| their rooms searched
Rather than subject them 20 such an in
| dignity the colonel offered 10 pay the full
| loss out Of his own pocket, but this no one
would hear to- All were willing for the
search 70 go on, and host, hostess. and de-
tective made IL Nothing was found. The
/ detective chung 70 his theory, however.
and took another look al the rooms and
was given the names OF their occupants.
There were three rooms which conamu-
nicattd. and those three were occupied by
/ the colonel. his wife, and little Mrs. Hope.
/ The door between the rooms OF the colonel
and Mrs. Hope vas boliee on her aide ara
I had been for years. This door caught the
eye Of the detective. and after an exami-
\ nation OF the bolt, he said:
| This bolt has been No ked within three
i or four days. as any lockxmith viii tell
| you, and this door has also been opened .
/ do you know what You are sayiug1s'
/ sfernly demanded the colonel
Il DO. air. lou carry the key OF the safe