The Farmville herald. [volume] (Farmville, Va.) 1890-1934, 1902-08-08

we were talking. There was on,
one thing that distinguished hin
from any other guest. This wa,
that half Of one of his front teeth
was missing; it had been broken OF
in almost exactly the middle.
i did not connect Mr.. Dane with
the robbery; in fact. / had mp to
this time not the slightest suspicion
Of a clew. IL was early the next
morning that ! was put on the scent.
l had visited the lawn under the
window of the room from which the
diamond had been stolen. and was
looking 10 see il could find anv
trace Of footprints ON the beds or
the lawn. ] did not find any trace
OF footprints. but ] noticed the half
OF an apple directly under the win
dow. ] picked IL up and examined
It carefully. As ! was turning IL
over and over / was thinking and
wondering how il came there. 1t
must have been thrown there re-
Gently, otherwise it would have been
swept mp. Then IL struck me that
apples had been eaten ON the night
that the diamond had been stolen.
and ! understood that no one had
gone ont on that night. OF course.
i Thought some one might have
thrown it there since that night.
Then ! noticed q peculiarly Of the
marks of the teeth ON the apple
About half Of it had been eaten.
and at every place where the apple
had been bitten small portion Of
the apple remained. small ridge
aDont an eighth Of an inch i'm width
and extending the entire length OF
the bite. saw in a moment who
had been eating the apple. It was
the man with the broken tooth. Mr..
Dane, and the ridge was left where
The missing tooth must have bitten |
Now ID occurred 10 me that II was /
just possible that after Mr.. Middle /
ton had given the diamond 10 his
wife (which WAS just after the ap-
pies had been brought in) Mr.. Dane
had followed her and taken his part
ly finished apple with him.
After She had left the room. leav-
ing the diamond in the caskct. he
had gone in. and. when opening the
box, had put the apple down. and. not
knowing exactly what 10 do with II
had opened the window. which opened
after the fashion Of a door. and had
thrown it down ON the grass below.
Another thought struck me. Why did
Mr.. Dane have bis shoes cleaned on
his feet,instcad a. having them cleaned
as the other guests did? There must
be some reason for this. unless IL was
fad. asked my confidential serv-
mt which was Mr. Danes bedroom. and
n The evening when Mr.. Dane was
u the drawiug-room with his pumps
ln, ! went 10 his room. and. as ex- /,
'ccted, / could not find the shoes. I ,
ould. however. give a guess that thew e
we're in large box which stood I'm the I
orncr Of the room. Further evidence: r
Why dii be keep his shoes locked up
b his box? pulled a bunch Of KEYS
ut Of my pocket and tried TO unlock e
he paddock. but not one key in nv
osse,sion would ft the lock. The
ext morning by six o'clock ] was be-
ne driven 10 lock smith with the pur- /"
ose of obtaining fresh KEYS. o.
On the evening ~ that dav. watched a,
'r the appearance of Mr.. Dane with II
certain amount Of excitement. felt C.,
3 though ] was going TO find the dia- m
ond that night. Presently he ap- W
cared as usual In his pumps and chal- j.
nged me TO game Of billiards. vi
ould rather not have played. but I
cepted his challenge, and we had a in
lme.
1t seemed n terrible long game, but
last II was finished. and he made
s way To the smoking-room. while I yc
ade my way to his bedroom. closed or
NJ locked the door and then started VI
try the various keys. Almost the nu
81 key fitted. and ! opened the box wy y"
ID got ont the shoes. They were Of "A
mmon make. and there appeared TO he
nothing ont of the way about them. We
noticed. however. n little cut in the bH
81 Of the right shoe. and ] put nv "
ger IN this cut and gave IT a pull. he
{ it remained firm Ter
examined it very carefully. and
covered the head Of a small nail r.,
wen into the heel from the side.
q. as this could serve no purpose
IRE. and, moreover as 10 was black
J over so that it could hardly be for
N without very close inspection. ! for
urally thought it might have some 10
pose. so ] got my knife from nv leil
'ket. and. putting 10 under the head. la'
cred IL mp. 10 came ont easily ~,
ugh, and then pulled the top Of fro
heel right 81 and there. snugly Gle,
ting in a bed Of cotton wool, lay str,
missing diamond, the
took it ont and looked a it by the dig
it Of the candle It was a mag sirt
cent stone. and / could see Of i'm noV
1se value ~. no
{ this moment some one tried the ~
r, and ! fancied ! heard an ex-
nation Of rage and then a hurrying Il
feet downstairs. ! rushed toward di
door and was Just in time TO see
Dane disappearing ont Of door I
ch led into the grounds. Ishouted . i'la
10 the gentlemen that the man Pu'il
stole the diamond was but a few by 4
is away. and they joined in the pur- =
Ne MORO raf flrfr ia. ,..t..I. Ia. - -