The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1902-02-06
CHAPTER vi

A little man was Strldlng about his
library with impatient steps. He
wore faded dressing gown, hand
some once, but remarkably shabby
now, and he wrapped it closely around
him though the heat of the weather
was intense. But Colonel Hope, large
as were his Golfers, never spent upon
himself superfluous farthing, espe-
cially in the way of personal adorn-
ment; and Colonel Hope would not
have felt too warm, cased in sheep
skins, for he had spent the best part
OF his life in India, and was of a
chilly nature.
The Colonel had that afternoon been
made acquainted with an unpleasant
transaction which had occurred in his
house. The household termed it a
mystery; he, a scandalous robbery;
and he had written forthwith to the
nearest chief police station, demand
ing that an officer might be dispatched
back with the messenger to investi-
gate it. So there he was, waiting for
his return in impatient expectation,
and occasionally hating before the
window to look out on the busy Lon
don world.
The officer at length came and was
introduced. The Coloners wife, Lady
Sarah, joined him then, and they pro-
ceeded to give him the outlines of the
case. A valuable diamond bracelet,
recently presented to Lady Sarah by
her husband, had disappeared in a
singular manner. Miss Seaton, the
companion to Lady Sarah, had tenn
porary charge of the jewel box, and
had brought it down the previous
evening, Thursday, this being Friday,
to the back of the drawing room, and
laid several pairs of bracelets out on
the table ready for Lady Sarah, who
was gong to the opera, to choose
which she would wear when she came
up from dinner. Lady Sarah chose a
pair, and put, herself, the rest back
into the box, which Miss Seaton then
locked and carried to its place up
stairs. In the few minutes that the
bracelets lay on the table the most
valuable one, diamond, disappeared
from it.
81 did not want this to be officially
investigated; at least, not so quickly"
observed Lady Sarah to the officer.
1.-THE Colonel wrote for you quite
against my wish"
"And so have let the thief get clear
off, and put up with the loss!" cried
the Colonel. Very fine, my lady"
"You see,' added her ladyship. ex-
planning to the officer Miss Seaton is
young lady of good family, not a
common companion; a friend of mine,
4 may say. She is of feeble constitu-
ton, and this affair has so completely
upset her that l fear she will be laid
on a sick bed"
at won't be my fault if she is" re-
torted the Colonel. The loss of
diamond bracelet, worth two or three
hundred guineas, is not to be hushed
up. They are not to be bought every
day, Lady Sarah"'
The officer was taken to the room
whence the bracelet disappeared. 1t
was back drawing room, the folding
doors between it and the front stand
ing open, and the back window, a
large one looking out upon some flat
leads-as did all the row of houses.
The officer seemed to take in the
points of the double room at glance;
the door of communication, its two
doors opening to the corridor outside.
and Ats windows. He looked at the
latches Of the two entrance doors, and
he leaned from the front windows, and
he leaned from the one at the back.
He next requested to see Miss Seaton,
and Lady Sarah fetched her-a deli
cate girl with transparent skin and
looking almost too weak to walk. She
was in visible tremor, and shook as
che stood before the stranger.
He was man Of pleasant manners