Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-02-07
RY WOOD.

smile. I'm not an ogre; though 90
believe some timid folks look upon us
as such. Just please to compose your
self and tell me as much as you can
recollect of this"
Il put the bracelets out here" began
Alice Seaton, laying hold OF the table
underneath the window, not more to
indicate it than to steady herself, for
she was almost incapable of standing.
THE diamond bracelet, the one lost,
the middle Of the table at the back,
land the rest I laid out round, and
and before it,
1T was worth more than any of the
others, I believe" interrupted the off,
cial.
Much more" growled the Colonel.
The officer nodded to himself, and
Alice resumed:
II left the bracelets and went and
sat down at one Of the front win
dOWs-"
with the intervening doors open,
presume"
wide open, as they are now" said
Alice, land 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
II am quite certain" interpreted
Lady Sarah, "I looked for that brace
let, and, not seeing it, I supposed Miss
Seaton had not laid it out. I put on
the pair I 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 timer" questioned the officer.
II did not miss it in one sense, be-
cause I did not know it had been put
out returned her ladyship. Il saw
it WAS not there"
But did you not miss t." he asked.
RI only reached the table as Lady
Sarah was closing the lid Of the box"
she answered. Lady Frances sChene-
vix had detained me in the front
ROOM
my sister," explained Lady Sarah.
"She is on 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. Twill 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 it stands now
The officer looked baffled.
"You must have had the back room
full in view from thence; both the
door and the window"
'Quite so, replied Alice. IF you
will sit down In it, you will perceive
that had an uninterrupted view, and
faced the doors of both rooms"
Il perceive so from here. And you
saw no one enter?"
mo one did enter. It was impossi-
Bile they could do SO without my OBJ
serving it. Had either of the doors
been only quietly unattached, I must
have SEEM
"And yet the bracelet vanished"
interposed Colonel Hope. sThey 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. I should like to
know how they accomplished this
$50 should t. significantly returned
the officer. eat present it appears to
me incomprehensiDle."
There was pause. The officer
seemed to muse; and Alice, happen
ing to look up, saw his eyes stealthily
studying her face. 1t did not tend to
reassure her
Your servants are trustworthy; they
have lived with you some timer" re-
sumed the officer, not apparently at
taching much Importance to what the
answer might be.
"Were they all escaped convicts, I
don't see that it would throw light on
this" retorted Colonel Hope. IF they
came into the room to steal the brace
let, Miss Seaton must have seen them. -
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.
II scarcely know" painted she,. for,
what with his close looks and his close
questions, she was growing less able
to answer. 81 did not take particular
notice Of the lapse Of time; 1 was not
we'll yesterday evening"
''Was it half an hour?'
"Yes-I dare say-nearly So"
miss Seaton," he continued, in a
brisk tone, will you have any objec-
tons to take an oath before a magis-
trate-in private, you know-that no
person whatever, except yourself, en-
tered either of these rooms during that
period?" 81.
CHAPTER VII.
Had she been requested to go before
ma pistrate and testify that She her