Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-09-27


that l would do much better work as
Miss Ayers than as the too wei known
Miss Van Arsdale."
you have great powers of persua-
sion. But may you not meet people at
the hotel who know your"
II shall try to avoid people, and IL
my identity Is discovered, its effect or
non-effect upon one we find 1t difficult
to mention will give us our clew. II
he has no guilty interest in the crime,
my connection with IL as witness
will not disturb him. Besides two
days Of unsuspicious acceptance Of me
as Miss Grey's nurse are all I want.
shall take immediate opportunity, 1 as
sure you, to make the test mentioned.
But how much confidence you will have
to repose In me! comprehend all the
Importance Of my undertaking and
shall work as If my honor as well as
yours were at stake"
II am sure you will" Then for the
first time in my life was glad that
was small and plain rather than tall
and fascinating like so many of my
friends, for he said 'If you had been
triumphant beauty, depending on
your charms as a woman to win peo-
pie to your will. we should never have
listened to your proposition or risked
our reputation in your hands. It is
your wit, your earnestness and your
quiet determination which have i'm
pressed us. You see 1 speak plainly.
I do so because 1 respect you. And
now to business"
Details followed. After these were
well understood between US ventured
to say: do you object-would it be
asking too much-lf requested some
enlightenment as to what facts you
have discovered about Mr.. Grey which
go to substantlate my theory? 1 might
work more intelllgently."
mo, Miss Van Arsdale, you would
not work more intelligently, and you
know it. But you have the natural
curiosity of one whose very heart is
bound up in this business. | could
deny you what you ask, but l won't,
for l want you to work with quiet con-
fidence, which you would not do If your
mind were taken up with doubts and
questions. Miss Van Arsdale, one sur
mise of yours was correct. A man
was sent that night to the Ramsdell
house with note from Miss Grey
We know this because he boosted Of
II to one OF the bellboys before he
went out, saying that he was going to
have a glimpse of one of the SWEETEST
parties of the season. 1t Is also true
that this man was Mr.. Grey's valet, an
old servant who came over with him
from England. But what adds weight
to all this and makes us regard the
whole affair with suspicion is the addi
tlonal fact that this man received his
dismissal the following morning and
has not been seen since by any one we
could reach. This looks bad to begin
with, like the suppression of evidence,
you know. Then Mr.. Grey has not
been the same man since that night
He is full of care, and this care Is not
entirely in connection with his daugh-
ter who is doing very well and bids
fair to be up in few days. But all
this would be nothing If we had not
received advices from England which
prove that Mr. Greys visit here has al.
element Of mystery in 1t. There was
every reason for his remaining in his
own country, where political crisis Is
| approaching, yet he crossed the water,
bringing his sickly daughter with him.
THE explanation al volunteered by
one who knew him well was this:
that only his desire to see or acquire
some precious object for his collection
could have taken him across the ocean
at this time. nothing else rivaling his
interest in governmental affairs. Still
this would be nothing II a stiletto
similar to the one employed in this
| crime had not once formed part Of a
| collection of curiOs belonging to a
! cousin of his whom he often visited.
This stiletto has been missing for some
time, stolen. as the owner declared, by
some unknown person. All this looks
bad enough but when l tell you that
a week before the fatal ball at Mr..
Ramsdell's, Mr.. Grey made a tour of
the jewelers. on Broadway and. with
the pretext of buying a diamond for
his daughter. entered into talk about
famous stones, ending always with
some question about the Fairbrother
gem. you will see that his interest In
that stone is established and that 1t
only remains for us to discover If that
interest is guilty one. l cannot be-
lieve this possible, but you have our
leave to make your experiment and
see. Only do not count too much on
his superstition. II he is the deep
dyed criminal you imagine, the cry
which startled us all at a certain
critical instant was raised by himself
and for the purpose you suggested.
None of the sensitiveness often shown
by man who has been surprised into
crime will be his. Relying on his
reputation and the prestige of his
great name, he will, If he thinks him
self under fire. face every shock I'M
moved"
Il see; | understand. He must be-