The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1904-07-29

the baronet's assistance he at last over
powered the wiry rascal, and drag
ged him upstairs, where, with the help
of the men servants, who, now, hear
ing the scuffle, joined their aid to the
masters, the convict, still fierce, still
defiant and snllen, was led out of the
house and hoisted up into light cart
which happened to be within hail.
"To Portland" cried the warder, as,
barely remaining long enough to re-
celve the congratulations of the bar
onet, he sprang up in the cart and
laid powerful, OBTAINING hand on the
rascal's shoulder.
Then Sir Jasper, who was some
what dazed as result of these un-
wonted exertions and excitements,
turned back to the mansion, with a
sigh of relief and distinct conscious
ness that he was considerably bruis-
ed.
He could not however wait to at
tend to his wounds, or even to ascer-
tain the extent of them, as he sudden
ly remembered that he had left the
door of the strong-room open, and that
even the safe where his wife's jewels
were kept was still unlocked.
As the lights were burning both
inside and outside the strong-room,
however, it was matter of a few sec
onds only to retrace his steps and to
regain the velvet nest where the
gems lay.
What was his amazement, his horror,
to find, on looking into the case which
he had previously opened, that the
chief treasure of the collection, his
wife's tiara of hung emeralds mounted
in brilliants, was gone.
The unfortunate baronet stood for a
moment petrifed by his discovery.
He could not remember at what point
of the hurried proceedings of the past
half.hour it was that the convict had
had the opportunity of seiz1ng the
jewels; yet that he had made good use
of some momentary chance was only
too plain.
A trembling examination of the
other cases showed that magnificent
bracelet had also disappeared, but that
the rest of the collection was safe.
Scarcely able to walk, the baronet
made all safe and tottered upstairs.
"Order the phaeton round at once,' y
said he to the first servant be met,
and then, as he passed up and down
the hall, he debated the chances OF
his ever recovering the property.
He knew we'll enough that, if the
rascal were to take jewels back to
Portland with him, the search lie
would undergo would discover the
stolen property; but his fear was that
the man, whom the warder had des-
cribed as a willy old thief, would find
some means of getting rid of them on
the way. If they were to be flung in
to ditch or into the sea, what was
his chance of ever seeing them again?
The minutes seemed hours as be
drove along in the darkness toward
the prison, and when he leaped to the
ground and addressed the warder who
opened the door, his voice was cracked
and broken as he stammerd out:
"I-I want to see the warder who
brought the escaped prisoner back" "
The man started at him intently.
"What escaped prisoner, sir? There
has been no escape of a prisoner"
"Uu, es, there has," said Jasper,
impatiently. II tell you he was
caught in my house-Petercourt, not
an hour ago."
The warder looked at him, recogni-
zed one of the magnate of the neigh.
hood, and begged him to step inside
the lodge.
Sir Jasper, with terrible sinking
OF the heart, accepted the invitation
gave a minute account of what had
taken place, and was shocked to see a
more dubious look come over the
warder's face. When he paused, the
man said:
"I'm very much afarid, Sir Jasper,
that you stand poor chance of seeing
your jewels again. You've been the
victim of very artful robbery, and,
by your description of the men. |
should think it was the work of Meth
erby and Fletcher. If it tbs them, and
they've pulled off big thing like that
l should think they'll be out of the
country before tomorrow morning
They've evidently laid their plans
varv we'll down tn hayino the cart