The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1902-08-01

marquis wife had left the store. She
had greatly admired the ornaments and
had partly decided to purchase them at
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.
| was told to go my own way about it,
but If made blunder Scotland Yard
would see me no more as a detective.
That wasn't at all encouraging, you
see, but had to go ahead and make
start. Much to my surprise, after
thinking the matter over l 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, man
of miserish habits at home, and so
FORTH there looked to be something in
it from detectives standpoint.
The lady was well known to me by
sight She was past 45, much faded,
and her face always carried fretful,
worried look. l simply waited until
she appeared on the street in her car
riage, as If bound on a shopping tour
0nd than fnl1nrrad
after the third case was reported that
she came out, and she went directly to
Bond street jewelers.. l followed
her into the store, where she was
known and received with great servfl-
fty, and when tray of jewelry was
placed before her l felt sure that the
next half hour would clear her of all
suspicion or complicate the case still
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 a faint
There was no room to doubt that the
lady had lifted" it, but that only made
the case worse in a way. For trades
man and a detective to charge 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
night followed the lady into jewelry
establishments and morally convicted
her of shoplifting. This made six cases
in all, and, no matter how the victims
felt, we of the Yard were quite deter
mined that something ought to be DONE
had been on the staff for ten years,
and my work had given good satisfac-
ton, but l was selected as a sacrifice.
l mean by that that / was ordered to
secure an interview with the lady, in
form her of my discoveries and take
the consequences. l must take all the
burden on myself and clear the Yard.
There could be but one ending, and
before making my call my resignation
was written out, and / had arranged
to go with private agency. One
morning l appeared at the residence of
the marquis and boldly asked for my
lady on important business. l was
kept waiting until she was satisfied
that l was neither a process server nor