The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-08-09


legged lover, which was all perfectly true.
your boy, Arthur, went to bed after his in
terv1ew with you, but he slept badly on ac-
count of his uneasiness about his club debts. In
the middle of the night he heard soft tread
pass his door, so he rose, and looking out,
surprised to see his cousin walking very STEALTH
lily along the passage, until she disappeared into
your dressingroom. Petrifed with establishment,
the lad slipped some clothes, and waited
there in the dark to what would come of
this strange affair. Presently she emerged from
the room again, and in the light of the pas
sage-lamp your that she carried the
precious coronet in her hands. She passed down
the stairs, and he thrilling with horror,
along end slipped behind the curtain near your
door, whence he could see what passed in the
hall beneath. He her stealthily open the
window, hand out the coronet to some one IN
the gloom. and then closing it once more hurry
back to her room, passing quite close to where
he stood hid behind the curtain.
"As long she was on the scene he could
not take any action without horrible exposure
of the woman whom he loved. But the instant
that she was gone he realized how crushing
misfortune this would be for you and how all
important it was to set 1t right He rushed
down, just he was, in his bare feet, opened
the window, sprang out into the snow, and ran
down the lane, where he could see dark figure
in the moonlight Sir George Burnwen tried to
get away but Arthur caught him, and there was
a struggle between them, your lad Juggling at
one side of the coronet, and his opponent at the
other. In the scufle, your struck Sir George,
| and cut him over the eye. Then something sud
denly snapped, and your son. finding that he
had the coronet in his hands, rushed back,
closed the window, assembled to your room:
and had just observed that the coronet had
been twisted in the struggle, and was en-
deavoring to straighten it when you appeared
upon the scene"
'Is it possible?' gasped the banker.
''You then reused his anger by calling him
! names at moment when he felt that he had
deserved your warmest thanks. He could not
| explain the true state of affairs without be-
| tray who
enough consideration at his hands. He took
| the chivalrous view, however, and pre-
| served her secret
"And that was why she shrieked and tainted
when she saw the coronet," cried Mr.. Holder.
| ooh, my God! what a blind fool have been!
| And his asking to be allowed to go out for five
minutes! The dear fellow wanted TO see If the
, missing piece were at the scene of the strug-
| gle. How cruelty l have misjudged him."
| ''When I arrived at the house. continued
| Holmes, 81 at went very carefully round
| it to observe If there any traces In the
! snow which might help me. I knew that none
had fallen since the evening before, and also
| that there had been strong frost to preserve
| impressions. l passed along the tradesmens
path but found it all trampled down and In
! dstinguishable. Just beyond it, however, at the
| far side of the kitchen door, woman had stood
| and talked with a man, whose round impress
! sions on one side showed that he had wooden
leg could even tell that they had been dis
| turbed for the woman had run back swiftly TO
the door, as was shown by the deep toe and
light heel marks while Wooden-leg had waited
a little, and then had gone away. l thought
| at the time that this might be the maid and
| her sweetheart. of whom you had already spoken
| to me, and inquiry showed 1T was so. l passed
round the garden without seeing anything more
! than random tracks which TOOK 10 De me
| police but when l got into the stable lane a
| very long and complex story written In
the snow in front of me.
| ''There a double line of tracks OF a
| booted man. and second double line which
~, lad
| feet. I at once convinced from what you
had told me that the latter your son. The
first had walked both ways, but the other had
run swiftly, and, his tread was marked in
places over the depressons of the boot, 1t was
obvious that he had passed after the other L
followed them up and found that they led to
the hall window, where Boots had worn all Inc
snow away while waiting. Then | walked 10 the
other end which a hundred yards or more
down the lane. / saw where Boots had faced
round, where the snow was cut up as tho there
had been a struggle and, finally, where few
drops of blood had fallen, to show me that
was not mistaken. Boots had then run down
the lane. and another little smudge of blood
showed that it he who had been hurt When
he came to the highroad at the other end,
found that the pavement had been cleared, SO
there end to that clew.
ION entering the house. however, I examined,
as you remember, the sill and framework of
the hall window with my lens and coulo a.
once see that some had passed out. could
distinguish the outline Of an instep where the
wet foot had been placed in coming In l was
then beginning to be able to form an opinion as
to what had occurred. man had waited out
side the window, some one had brought the
gems: the deed had been Overseen by your
son. he had pursued the thief, had struggled
with him, they had each tugged at the coro-
net their united strength causing injuries which
neither alone could have effected. He had re-
turned with the prize, but had left rag
, ment in the grasp of his opponent SO far
was clear. The question now was, who was
| nd yho
net?
'.It is an old maxim of mine that when you
have excluded the impossible. whatever re-
mains, however improbable, must be the truth
Now, / knew that it was not you who had
brought it down, there only remained your
niece and the maids. But If it were the maids,
why should your son allow himself to be ac'
cused in their place? There could be no pos
sibIe reason AS he loved his cousin, however,
, there was an excellent explanation why ne
should retain her secret-the more so as the
secret was a disgraceful one. When remem
l bered that you had her at that WINDOW,
and how she had tainted seeing the coroner
again. my conjecture became a certainty
land who could it be who was her confed
crate? a lover evidently. for who else coult
outweigh the love and gratitude which she mus
feel to you? l knew that you went out ntue
and that your circle of friends was very linn
: tied one But among them was Sir George
Rurnwel I had heard of him before as being
e a man of evil reputation among women. 1t mus
have heen he who wore those boots and re
Y ! tanned the missing gains Even tho he knew
o that Arthur had discovered him. he might Still
d hatter himself that he safe, for the lac
r could not say word without compromising MI
own family.
..Well, your own good senses Will sugges
I what measures l took next went in tn
shape of a loafer to Sir Georges houses, man
o aged to pick up an acquaintance with his valet
S learned that his master had cut his head thu
| night before and finally at the expense of 81
shillings, made all sure by buying pair OF hi
/ cast-off Shoes With these 1 journeyed dow
q to Streatham, and saw that they exactly ftte
> the tracks.
h II saw an addressed vagabond in the Ian
1 yesterday evening" said Mr.. Holder.
Precisely 1t was /. found that I ha
my man, so l came home and changed m
clothes 1t was delicate part which bad I
) play then, for l that prosecution mus
, be avoided to avert scandal, and 1 knew tina
| so astute a villain would that our hand
: were tied in the matter. 1 went and saw him
r At first of course, he denied everything Bu
when / gave him every particular that had oc
cured he tried to buster, and took down III
It preseryer from the wall. ! knew my man
e however, and l clapped a pistol to his head De
d fore he could strike Then he became htti
e more reasonable. told him that we Woul
l. give him price for the stones he held-4loo
n apiece. That brought out the first signs OF gre
" that he had shown why, dash it all sal
is he I've let them go at six hundred Tor tn
= three.' I soon managed to get the ADDRESS 0
e the receiver who had them, on promising I'LL
It that there would be prosecution oH sc
|, to him, and after much chafering got on
y stones at Ell 900 apiece Then looked IN upo
your son. told him that all was right, an
d eventually got TO my bed about o'clock, afte
what may call a really hard days work.
II "a day which has saved England from grea
is public scandal said the banker, rising ssh