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moment her husband in the He attempted
the lights but nothing responded his
turning the buttons Hurriedly scratching a match
he lighted small candle which Mrs. Higgins had
her dressing table.
what in the world has happened?" he demanded
Some has stolen my diamond necklace" an
swered his wife Hastily she him the details Of
the THE lights out but a second or
two the before Jones screamed and said that
some one had snatched the Jewels from her hands"
Her husband eyed the servant girl severely. How
much do you know about this theft?" he asked
THAT Is all I know. sir the weeping reply.
THE lights went out, felt rough hand my wrist.
then some twisted the necklace out OF my hands.
That is all know about it," And she began to sob.
Stop crying for heavens sake. and get to work
and search for both thief necklace then"
BY this time other servants had arrived the
orders were given to inspect the hall and
joining rooms thoroughly. Mr. Higgins himself
fully searched for trace of the perpetrator his
wife's AS well might he have searched for a
day breath There nothing absolutely nothing
TO show that any had been in the room The win
dows leading to the outside were fastened on the in
side proving conclusively that had escaped by
that 1t would have been still impossible
him to have escaped by the door, for the hall
brilliantly lighted and at the further end, the only
means by which one could leave the hall group of
had been standing and talking all the time while
theft took place Satisfying himself that the thief
could not have escaped. Mr.. Higgins headed minute
search of the upper part of his house. Closets and
rooms and corners of all kinds searched There
neither thief nor Jewels in any OF them If
could tell anything Miss Jones the only in
with Mrs. Higgins when the lights went
A detective quietly summoned from a nearby station,
promptly placed her under despite her fearful
protests that she had part of sort in the thei
Mrs Higgins arrayed herself in other Jewels that
the absence of the necklace might not be noted by her
guests and the festivities of the night went Off If
nothing had taken place.
The next day the Higgins domicie turned into
the hands of police and private detectives. Nothing
that detective ingenuity could do to find possible
clew of the thief undone. The result of all
such effort simply nothing. At the police station
Miss Jones underwent the ordeal of the sweat box,
but stuck to her story with persistency that
could not he shaken She knew nothing of the robbery
save that some had grabbed the diamonds from
her had the moment that the lights turned out
In the end the police and private detectives
forced to that they loss for clew. This
the end of the Higgins mystery, so far as they
concerned.
Next spring in a small town in Iowa contor-
ZIONIST travelling with a small circus fatally
stabbed by a canvas whom he had crossed in
affair over woman. When told that ne going to
die he made the following confessions 50 am the man
who stole the Higgins diamonds. have them in the
belt around my body at the present time.
gave exhibition at Mrs. Higgins lawn fete
in the evening. After my I entered the
secreted myself behind curtain in Mrs Higgins
I watched while the maid dressed her While she
dressing I was digging with pocket knife at the
electric wires that lighted the room. Just she
reached the sparkers I reached the wires with my
knife the fuse went out then stepped to her
side grabbed the diamonds. and disappeared
in the all the time that the search
was going on. In corner Of the room small
settee. which had discovered was only box with
fancy and with lid IT was hardly large enough
to hold ordinary dog. But business is to twist
myself into small forms. / got into this settee and
staid there 1t small that thought of
looking for a man in there. When the excitement had
subsidized made my escape by going down the hall and
out through an open window in the conservatory ad
joining the ballroom. As have friends relatives
and unable to dispose Of the diamonds with
out arousng suspicion, want to give them back to
the owner"
This is how Mrs Higgins is able the da-
monds which were so mysteriously taken from her,