The Press., 1901-08-08

the owners of having taken the rings.
He seemed to feel it a duty to report
his loss, however, and after being
quietly advised to have an eye on his
employees and unknown customers he
was dismissed with the promise that
the matter would be looked into. AS
matter of fact, no assignment was
made on the case. Some flash chap
had gifted" the jewels without even
his call being remembered, and it was
no use to hunt for a needle in a hay
stack.
1t wasn't three days before another
case was reported by another Strand
jeweler. This time it was a diamond
sunburst, and he was positive that he
had shown it to only three ladies before
he missed it. He was reluctant to give
the names, but when pressed to do so,
that of the marquis wife again headed
the list. The others were almost as far
above suspicion. and the inspector look
ed at the complainant in a way to make
him feel like culprit. This time
was put on the case, but shall be hon.
est enough to say that it was a mere
matter of form. 1t was more than any
officials head was worth even to hint
that one of the three ladies mentioned
might have carried the ornament away
in moment of Observation-Disclosures.
1t was about five days after this that
the third case was reported. This time
a jeweler had lost a pair of valuable,
diamond earrings, and he had. to be
hard pressed by the inspector before
he would admit that the loss was de-
tected almost Immediately after the
marquis wife had left the store She
had greatly admired the ornaments and
had partly decided to purchase them at
a later date. Not for one instant, not
on his life, did the jeweler suspect the
lady of title of even taking the jewel
away in fit of abstraction, but some
how he felt it his duty to report the
case. The inspector didn't bluff this
third tradesman quite as heavily as he
had the first and second, and he looked
grave and thoughtful when was CIV
en- the case and he related particulars.
l was told to go my own way about it,
but II l made blunder Scotland Yard
would see me no more as a detective
That wasn't at all encouraging, you
see, but l had to 60 ahead and make a
start. Much to my surprise, after
thinking the matter over came to the
conclusion that the marquis wife
might possibly be guilty of shoplifting.
The idea almost took my breath away
at the first go off, but when came to
recall the many rumors about the mar
quis being a gambler, hard up, a man
of miserish habits at home, and so
forth, there looked to be something in
it from a detectives standpoint.
The lady was well known to me by
sight. She was past As, much faded,
and her face always carried a fretful,
worried look. I simply waited until
she appeared on the street in her car
riage, as IL bound on a shopping tour,
and then followed her. 1t was a week
after the third case was reported that
she came out, and she went directly to
a Bond street jewelers.. I followed
her into the store. where she was
known and received with great servil.
ity, and when tray of jewelry was
placed before her 1 felt sure that the
next half hour would clear her Of all
further. Her manner was that of lofty
condescension. She slowly and Ian.
guidly inspected the jewels, and now
and then the proprietor of the store,
who was waiting upon her in person,
had his attention attracted for the mo-
ment elsewhere. My lady finally de-
cided to call again and was bowed out,
and she was hardly clear Of the door
when revealed my identity to the
jeweler and asked him to be sure that
there was nothing missing from the
tray. He was at first inclined to ad-
minister snub, but when he found
the finest ring of the lot conspicuously
absent he almost fell over in faint.
There was no room to doubt that the
lady had lifted" it, but that only made
the case worse in way. For trades
man and detective to charge a lady
Of quality with shoplifting was as bad
as treason against the crown. A mere
word would bring financial ruin upon
the jeweler, and he was ready to stand
the loss ten times over rather than
speak it.
Twice more within the next fort