Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1906-08-30
THE MYSTERIOUS
SQUARES
(Original.1

wealthy British people was makinS
merry. Lady Barnickel, the wife OF
Sir Michael Barnlckel, on retiring to
her room to go to bed missed brooch
In which was rose diamond her hus-
band had brought her from India and
which lie had procured from one of the
native princes. 1t was of priceless
value Every guest was known to be
above suspicion except Edgar Ken
worthy, young American. Ken
worthy was student at oxford. where
he was trying for the honor of senior
wrangler, a distinction to be obtained
only by proficiency in the higher
mathematics.
Lady Barnickel declared that her
brooch could not have been stolen from
her by servant for she did not trust
servants and took care not to expose
her jewelry to them. 1t must have be-
come unclasped during the evening of
Its loss and been picked up by some Of
her associates. At any rate. no servant
had come near her In the evening. A
number Of persons had been with her,
among them Kenworthy. LORD Sara
son directed personally search Of the
house and grounds, but the brooch was
not found An unspoken opinion grad
ually settled upon the guests that Ken
worthy knew something about the loss
OF the treasure.
The first intimation he had that he
was suspected was from Miss Lucy
Trevor, a young lady to whom he had
been devoted, who gave him hint.
He showed such unaffected surprise
that the girl had no doubt OF his limo
cence from that moment. But she had
no influence with the others. Ken
worthy, after learning OF the position
he occupied, went to his room to think.
Either the brooch must be found or he
must endure the obloquy of being con-
sidered Il thief.
That night after ull had gone to bed
Miss Trevor, whose room overlooked
the front lawn heard some one be-
meath her window and saw dark
figure pouring something out of n wa
build or walk or some other feature in
dicated to her that he was Kenworthy.
The figure soon passed too far away
to be visible, and Miss Trevor went to
bed wondering. She wondered still
more lie next morning when one Of
the guests asked, "Who was that per-
ambulating over the lawn with Ian
tern before daylight this morning."
She did not catch what followed but
she naturally put the remark with
what she had seen. Then when she
went out on the terrace she saw
number Of guests looking at the lawn,
which had been divided into squares
by lime lines. the process used in
marking lawn tennis courts. These
squares had been made during the
night, and no one could tell who had
made them The host denied any
knowledge Of the work, and none Of
the guests attempted to explain it.
Miss Trevor looked on with the others
and said nothing.
The mystery Of the squares on the
lawn engaged the attention of the
household all that day. The only per-
son who did not appear to take my
interest In the matter was Kenworthy,
who sat over sheets of paper on which
he was figuring or porting over book
on optics. At luncheon time he left
his books and papers on table on the
terrace. and they were examined by
several persons, hoping some evidence
could be adduced from them to con-
Wet the American of theft.
The next night one Of the guests,
whose room overlooked the lawn, was
awakened by seeing a light through
the Stats of window blind. He got
up, went to the window and looked out
A light was moving on the lawn. And
Il very singular motion 1t was. The
light would go, say, to the right. then
ut right angle, then at another and
still another right angle. This process
was repeated over and over again.
What did it mean?
The watcher Kept his pest till the
monotony of the moving light made
him sleepy, when lie went back to bed.
In the morning he Informed the house
hold that the place must be haunted,
for he had seen light moving over the
lawn nbout two feet from the ground
describing succession of right angles.
Then some one suggested that n lantern
had been carried over the squares.
That day the host told kenworthy
~. - Inc lat
down the squares and asked him II he
had done so; also ii he had moved
over them with lantern at night.
Kenworthy admitted that BE- had done
both. Then when his lordship asked
his object in this strange proceeding he
said he was working out n problem
which would be finished that night and
would not object To spectators.
AS soon as il was dusk, while the
terrace overlooking the lawn was
crowded With people waiting iii anx-
ieus expectation FOR revelation of the
mystery. the American came out with
Il lantern and said:
Il saw Lady Baruickel on this lawn
with her brooch uupiuned on the after
uoan os its loss. | believe il is in the
grass. | have heated over three-quar-
ters of the surface and shall do the