Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1905-12-14
HER LADYSHIP'S
DIAMONDS
D. 4 ID IEMlc
BY c. B. LEWIS
Copyright, 1905, by p. c. Edstment

his lordship began to feel the pinch.
He delayed saying anything to her of
the matter as long as possible, but
there came n 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 a given
time than any other woman in the
kingdom. In a way he was proud OF
it, but in another way he had to give
her a word of caution. She could still
be extravagant and reduce her ex-
penses one-half.
His lordship found out something too
late. Give a wife rein for the first five
years, 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 whims and caprices her
ladyship had 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 private in
terview to talk retrenchment she had
sent the naval officer 4 liberal check
To straignten up his debts of honor and
been informed by letter that the other
one must have q much larger amount
or throw up his commission in dis
grace.
His lordship's news, therefore, came
like a douche of cold water, If there
was any sort of scene it 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 or the London season
his lordship retired to his country cas-
tie and was soon followed by a 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 smart
thief to get In his work AS an Offset
the host employs detectivs 10 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 a robbery In
q 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 musing fits
was one day interrupted In a rather
singular manner.
He was lying on the moss under a
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 a stick dug hole
in the ground at the foot of a tree and
concealed something. When she had
run away the inspector scooped out the
dirt until he came to sn oiled silk bag
containing her iadyship'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 S o'clock in the aft
erAoon. What her ladyshlp 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 Claim OF loss by daylight, and
there wauld be sensation. Either that
or she must be 'indisposed" at dinner
during the evening.
Her ladyship proceeded ct enee TO
business. An hour before dinner, and
after al the guests, including the ir-
spector, had been indulging in games
on the lawn, she went to her room to
discover that her diamonds were miss
ing. There was q sensation at once.
No one had seen any stranger lurking
about, ard 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 lordship insisted on the
most rigorous examination, and this
led to protestations and hard feelings.
Within twenty-fouy hours the house
party was broken up and scattered
and Inspector Mcdonald had to admit
that he had no clew. The only thing
his lordshlp could do was to offer re-
ward, and he made 1t $4,000.
The inspector did not go 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-
" 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
found In woman. She was a most
convincing liar, and IL he hadn't had
the paste diamonds in his pocket he
would have been inclined TO believe
that the scene In the woods was a day
dream. She could furnish no informa-
ton as to how her. diamonds had disap-
peared.
She cleared her own maid of suspi-
cion, but would not vouch for the hon
esty of the others. 1t was through her
advice aud inslstence that his lordship
advertised mo questions asked" The
stolen plunder could thus be returned
by any one of her choosing. The S2a,'
600 would get the originals out of
pawn and save her brother. The in
spector held but one interview with
her ladyship alone. At that interview,
after she had retold her story and
looked him as straight in the eye as q
woman could, he said;
81 can't believe tha. the plnnder was
carried FAR. l shouldn't wonder If il
was buried In the woods
"That may be-" she innocently re-
piled.
'"They didn't happen to be your paste
diamonds, while the real gems are in
vault In town.
would his lordship advertise such
a reward for paste diamondsf Have
you ever heard that have resorted to
paste"
II did not mean it IN that sense. The
reason | spoke of the woods Vas be