Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1905-12-14
HER LADYSHIP'S
DIAMONDS
RI 4 r ITM1C
By G. B. LEWIS
Copyright, 1906, bp p. c. Eastment

Ia money matters. and so what she .
threw away was uobody's business 7
after all. 1t was SO for the first five .
years Of their married life, and then
his lordship began to feel the pinch. |
He delayed saying anything to her of |
the matter as long as possible, but /
there came a day when he had to tell /
her that retrenchment must be the
watchword for several years to come
He had figured up her bills and found
she had spent more money in given
time than any other woman in the
kingdom. In u way he was proud of
It, but in another way he had to give
her word of caution. She could still
be extravagant and reduce her ex-
penses one-half.
His lorlship found out something too
late. Give wife rein for the first five
wears. and she will take the bit In her
teeth for the next five. Talk Of econ
omy should come before instead OF
after. In addition to gratifying her
own many whlms and caprices her
ladyship had II brother in the navy and
another in the army, both officers, Of
course, and both living more or less
off her bounty. Only the day before
his lordship had asked for a private in
terview to talk retrenchment she had
sent the naval officer n liberal check
TO straighten up his debts of honor and
been informed by letter that the other
one must have a much larger amount
or throw up his commission In dis
grace.
His lordships news, therefore, came
Ike a douche of cold water. II there
was any sort of scene 1t was kept from
the servants and therefore from the
public, and things seemed TO go on as
before. They didn't, however. Her lady
ship had her diamonds duplicated in
paste and raised a large sum on the
real gems TO help others and herself.
This was done quietly and secretly and
was only part of plan she had in her
mind.
After the close of the London season
his lordship retired TO his country cas-
tie and was soon followed by score
Of invited guests The astute English
robber is always on the watch for these
house gatherings. Every woman guest
Is certain to bring at least good part
of her Jewels to wear at dinner. and
there are always chances for a smart
thief to get in his work. As an offset
the host employs n defective to mix In
with the servants or even with the
guests for the time being and keep
watch over things.
1t was so in this case. Scotland Yard
had loaned him Inspector Mcdonald,
and there never had been robbery IN
a country house he was protecting
The inspector. under another name,
mingled with the guests and made him
self at home. but he was given to pass
ing much Of his time wandering over
the estate and muSing in the shade Of
its forests. one of his muslng fits
was one day interrupted In rather
singular manner.
He was lying on the moss under
spreading beech when the sound of
footballs disturbed him, and he rolled
over on his side, to discover her lady
ship making her furtive way through
the woods. At a dozen PAGES from him
she stopped and with Il stick dug hole
| In the ground ut the foot of tree and
| concealed something When she had
| run away the inspector scOoped out the
| dirt until he came TO an oiled silk bag
! containing her ladyship's diamonds.
They were all there TO her last ring,
and the inspector knew enough about
| precious stones to know that these
were paste.
! This happened at o'clock in the aft
ernoon What her ladyship would do
| without her diamonds at dinner time
| the inspector could not determine. Her
| secret burial of them meant TO him
| simply one thing-she was going to be
robbed" of them. She would have TO
! put up a claim of loss by daylight, and
! there would be "a sensation. Either that
or she must be "indispOsed' at dinner
! time and not appear among her guests
during the evening.
Her ladyship proceeded at once 10
!
! after all the guests. including the in
! spector, had been indulging in games
! on the lawn, she went to her room to
! discover that her diamonds were miss
| ing There was Il sensation at once.
No one had seen any stranger lurking
about, and the robbery must have been
perpetrated by some of the servants.
Including maids and Wallets, these num-
bered over sixty, and each one was
obliged to come forward and be inves-
| tigated. His lordshlp insisted OIL the
| most rigorous examination, and this
led to protestations and hard feelings.
| Within twenty-four hours the house
party was broken up and scattered,
and Inspector Mcdonald had to admit
that he bad no clcw. The only thing
his lordship could do was to offer a re
ward, ana he made it $4,000.
The inspector did not 90 with the
others He remained behind to look
for clews. He held many interviews
with his lordship and her ladyship to-
gether. and he had to admire the densi-
ty Of the one and the cunning Of the
other. 1t was more than cunning. Her
ladyship had more nerve and cheek
than the detective ever before had
forms in woman. She was a most
.lcine liar. and If he hadn't had
paste diamonds In his pocket he
Id have been inclined to believe
that the scene i'm the woods was day
dream she could furnish no lnforma-
don as to how her diamonds had disap-
pcared.
She cleared her own maid Of suspi-
cion. but would not vouch for the hon
eSty Of the others. 1t was through her
advice and inSistonce that his lordshlp
advertised no questions asked" The
stolen pluudcr could thus be returned
by any one Of her choosing. The $25,-
900 would get the originals out OF
pawn and save her brother. The in