The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1902-01-03

two servants were quite bcy ond sus-
(! picion.
Articles Lad been missed for weeks
before ! learned Of the fact.
The kind old lady and her daugh-
ter had rcfraincd from speaking
OF the matter 10 me. First, a
much priced locket. containing an
old miniature portrait. had dis
| appeared, then several hnger-rings,
one set with a valuable ruby. After
this a string of antique gold beads
was missed. then n lady's watch. and.
in fact, a long catalogue Of such ar
| ticles, all of considerable value and
much priced for family associations.
! had come a stranger 10 New Ha-
ven; little was known of my family,
and il Is not wonderful that when the
facts became known the neighbors
were suspicious Of me.
After nearly a month my lear old
lady told me about her losses, with
tears in her eyes. The matter made
me very uncomfortable. | began TO
watch everything and everybody at
the house. and enlisted the aid of the
two servants. New locks, bolts and
chains were put or, and / installed
an electric alarm that rendered il
well-nigh impossible for a thief to en-
ter the place by night. i kept close
watch on those who came in by day.
These were few. Two elderly ladies
called once n week. always in com
pany; a dressmaker came at times;
the family doctor, the parish clergy
man, the lawyer and trustee of the
estate at irregular intervals; also n
wealthy widow. who had consecrated
her life to charity work.
Although she was, as many thought,
a most im~portunate begger for char
tiles, she gave very literally of her
own means. and the integrity of her
motives could not be questioned.
There was also an old gentleman,
whom I understood to be a relative.
These we're all. except myself. who
came into the house for weeks, yet
during that time a valuable locket
and its chain, "A pair of old, round
bowed gold spectaclcs. a beautiful
inlaid vinaigrette, a pearl brooch, a
letter seal, with an emerald set in
the end of the handle. and several
other long-treasured trinkets had dis
appeared one by one from their accus-
toned places.
As | went over the list of visitors,
I acknowledged that a disinterested
person would be far more likely 10
suspect me than any n of these emf
nently respectable people. The more
pondered on the affair. the more
clearly it wa borne in upon me that
| was in an ugly position. and that
my only way out of it was to catch
the real thief.
From that moment ! was on the
alert night and day. but soon salts
fed myself hat M n broke into
the house by night. For several days
| kept an eve on tire little lam'
grandson, till | was convinced tina
he was not the pilferer. The invalid
daughter did not now leave her bed
Aftcrward / kept watch of all thu
movements Of the old gentleman rel
atiye, till / grew ashamed of myself.
For some time / did not gain tho
slightest clew. Then II day a queer
circumstance occurred. The wealthy
charity worker was calling at the
house. and after a time | heard hel
taking leave of my %patroness and
her daughter at the door of the lat
ter's room on the second floor. Ny
door being ajar. / heard the caller
rustic down the stairs 10 the hall be
low. and n moment later the street
door closed.
Obeying an unreasonable impulse
| moved TO my window to see her gt
down the outer steps to the side
walk: nv room was at the front or
the third floor. Somewhat to my sur
prise. the lady did not appear on III
steps outside. AT first l suppose,
she was putting ON her gloves in th'
vestihule; hut five. ten, fifteen min
utcs passed. and then SO strong wa
my conviction that she was still il
|, the house that | went quietly down
10 reassure myself that no mischanc'
had befailcn her.
/ She vas not in the vestibule or u
the drawing-room or the hall or III
library. None the less the convictiol
: that she had not left the house hat
impressed itself on me. i then no
ticcd that the key to a closet doc
behind the hall staircase. which wa
! always in the lock outside. had bee
removed. and as passed the doc
. | tried the knob. The door was fast
and although passed directly on an
ascended the stairs. | felt absolutel
certain that the door had bee
( locked from inside the closet, and tina
Y some one was in there.
Wheeling unconcernedly, | ran u
the stairs. but a moment later d.
seconded on tiptoc and concealed my
n self behind the open door of tn
G drawing-room.
. After ten minutes / heard the loo
of the hall closet move in n stealth
q manner, and n moment after ! saw
II t--