Hutchinson gazette., 1901-11-28

self and tell me as much az you can
recollect Of this"
II put the bracelets out here" began
Alice Seaton, laying hold Of the table
underneath the window, not more to
indicate Il than to steady herself, for
she was almost incapable Of standing
"The diamond bracelet, the one lost,
l placed here" she added, touching
the middle OF tho table at the back,
"and the rest | laid out round, and
and before IT,"
ut was worth more than any of the
others, | believe" interrupted the OIL
CiAl.
Much more" growlod the Colonel.
The officer nodded TO himself, and
Alice resumed;
IL left the bracelets and went and
sat down ut ore Of tho front win
dows---."
with the intervening doors OPEN l
presume"
"Wide open, as thoy are now" said
Alice, "and the other two doors shut.
Lady Sarah came up from dinner al
most directly. and then the bracelet
was not there"
Indeed You are quite certain of
that"
Il am quite certain" interpreted
Lady Sarah, IL looked for that brace
let, and, not seeing It, supposed Miss
Seston had not laid II out put on
the pair ! wished TO wear and placed
the others In the box and saw Miss
seaton lock It,"
Then you did not miss the bracelet
at that time?" questioned the officer.
II did not miss It in one sense be-
cause did not know II had been put
out" returned her ladyship. II saw
1t was not there"
But did you not miss IT." he asked,
II only reached the table as Lady
Sarah was closing the lid OF the box" !"
she answered, Lady Frances Chenc-
yix had detained me In the front
room"
MY sister" explained Lady Sarah,
"Sho is on a visit to me, and had come
with me up from dinner"
"You say you went and sat in the
front room" resumed the officer to
Alice, in quicker tone than he had
used previously, "Wil you show
where?"
Alice did not stir; she only turned
her head towards the front room, and
pointed to chair little drawn away
from the window
"In that chair" she said 1T stood
as II stands now,
The officer looked bNIiled
you must have had the back room
full In view from thence; both the
door and the window"
quite 80" replied Alice, III you
will sit down in 1t, you will perceive
that | had an uninterrupted view, and
faced the doors OF both rooms"
II perceive so from here, And you
saw no one enter"
No one did enter 1t was impossi.
BILE they could do so without my oh.
serving it, Had either of the doors
been only quietly unlatched, must
have seen"
"And yet the bracelet vanished"
interposed Colonel Hope, They must
have been confounded deep whoever
did It; but thieves are said to possess
slight OF hand"
"They are clever enough for it, some
of them,' observed the officer,
'Rascally villains, should like to
know how they accomplished this
80 should l." significantly returned
the officer AT present It appears to
me incomprehcnslble."
There was pause, The officer
seemed to muse; and Alice, happen
ing to look up, saw his eyes stcaltbily
studying her face, 1t did not tend to
reassure her,
Your servants are trustworthy; they
have lived with YOU some time?' re-
sumed the officer, not apparently at
taching much Importance to what the
answer might be.
"Wero they all escaped convicts, ]
don't see that 1t would throw light on
this rctorted Colonel Hope III they
came into the room to steal the brace
| let, Miss Scaton must have seen them. y
From the time you put out the
bracelets to that Of the ladies coming
up from dinner, how long was IT." In
quired the officer Of Alice,
81 scarcely know" painted she, for,
what with his close looks and his close
questions, she was growing less able
TO answer. II did not take particular
notice of the lapse of time; | was not
well yesterday evening"
WAS 1t half an hour"
"YesI dare say--nearly So"
Miss Seaton" he continued, in a
brisk tone, will you have any objec-
tions to take an oath before magis-
trate--in private, you know-that no
person whatever except yourself en-
tered either of these rooms during that
perod?"
|
CHAPTER VII.
Had she been requested to go before
a magistrate and testify that she, her
self, was the guilty person, 1t could