Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1907-08-30

mond. His name was not used--in-
deed, 1t had been kept out of the pa
pers with the greatest unanimity but
the hint he had given the inspector at
Mr.. Ramsdell's ball had been acted
upon and, the proper tests having been
made, the stone, for which so many
believed life to have been risked and
another taken, was declared to be an
imitation, fine and successful beyond
all parallel but still an imitation, of
the great and renowned gem which
had passed through Tiffany's hands
twelvemonth before, a decision which
fell like a thunderbolt on all such as
had seen the diamond blazing in unap-
proachable brilliancy on the breast Of
the unhappy Mrs. Fairbrother only an
hour or two before her death.
On me the effect was such that for
days l lived in dream, q condition
that nevertheless did not prevent me
from starting certain little inquiry of
my own, of which more hereafter
Here let me say that did not share
the general confusion on this topic. l
had my own theory, both as to the
ment when 1t was made. But the time
had not yet come for me to advance it.
1 could only stand back and listen to
the suggestions aired by the press,
suppositions which fomented so much
private discussion that ere long the one
question most frequently heard in this
connection was not who struck the
blow which killed Mrs. Fairbrother
(this was question which some seem
ed to think settled, but whose Juggling
hand had palmed off the paste for the
diamond, and how and when and where
had the jugglery taken place?
Opinions ON this point were, as I
have said, many and various. Some
fixed upon the moment of exchange as
that very critical and hardly appreci-
able one elapsing between the murder
and Mr.. Durand's appearance upon the
scene. This theory, l need not say,
was advanced by such as believed that,
while he was not guilty of Mrs. Fair
brothers murder, he had been guilty of
taking advantage of the same to rob
the body of what in the terror and ex-
element of the moment he evidently
took to be her great gem. To Others
among whom were many eyewltnesses
of the event, 1t appeared to be a con-
eeded fact that this substitution had
been made prior to the ball and with
Mrs. Fairbrother's full cognizance. The
effectual way in which she had WELD
ed her fan between the gllttering orna-
ment on her breast and the inqulsltive
glances constantly leveled upon it
might at the time have been due to
coquetry but to them it looked much
more like an expression Of fear lest the
deception in which she was indulging
should be discovered. No one fixed the
time where I did; but then, no one
but myself had watched the scene with
the eyes Of love. Besides-and this
must be remembered-most people,
among whom l ventured to count the
police officials, were mainly interested
In proving Mr.. Durand guilty, while l
with contrary mind was bent on eStab-
fishing such facts as confirmed the ex-
plantations he had been pleased to give
us, explanations which necesstated
conviction on Mrs. Fairbrothers part
CT the great value of the jewel she
wore and the consequent advisability
Of Kidding herself Of it temporarily II,
as 80 many believed, the full letter Of
the warning should read BE warned.
He means to be at the ball. Expect
trouble IL you are found wearing the
great diamond"
True, she may herself have been de-
Of Tvnc uoin 70
herself she may have been the victim
of a daring fraud on the part of some
hanger on who had access to her jew
els, but as no such evidence had yet
come to life, as she had no recognized
or, so far as could be learned, secret
lover or dishonest dependent and,
moreover, as no gem of such unusual
value was known TO have been offered
within the year here or abroad, in
public or private market, l could not
bring myself to credit this assumption,
possibly because | was so ignorant as
to credit another and different one
one which you have already seen grow
Ing In my mind and which, presump-
tuous as it was, kept my courage from
failing through all those dreadful days
Of enforced waiting and suspense. For
l was determined not to intrude my
suggestions, valuable as l considered
them, till all hope was gone of his be-
Ing righted by the judgment of those
who would not lightly endure the in
reference of such an insignificant
mote in the great scheme of justice as
myself.
The inquest, which might be trusted
to bring out all these doubtful points,
had been delayed in anticipation of
Mr.. Fairbrother's return. His testi-
mony could not but prove valuable, If
not In fixing the criminal, at least in
settling the moot point as to whether
the stone which the eStranPpd wife