The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-05-23
= The Mairoda Ruby. =: S.


hand across the chessboard.
"You will forgive me remaining
seated, Lady Borrodaile. 1 am, as
you see, an invalid"
Lady Borrodaile. a pretty, we'll
dressed woman of five-and-thlrty,
took the proffered hand and discreet
1y yelled the astonishment she could
not help feeling that this man of
whom she had heard such wonderful
things should be helpless and a
cripple.
"You got my note asking for an
appointment" she asked II know
your time is valuable, but the fact is,
my jewels, about thirty thousand
pounds worth, have been stolen, and
Sir Francis Ramon, whom l think
you know, advised me to come
straight to you and waste no time"
The Vigilant sat upright.
"Thirty thousand poundsi That's
a very large sum. When did you first
miss them? Perhaps you had better
tell the story in your own way" he
added, hastily.
my husband and I live at Dun
croft, a few miles from Hertford, "
began Lady Borrodaile. ut is two
story house, standing in about four
acres of ground. The main road
passes the drive gates in front. AT
the back and sides of the garden are
grazing grounds and farm land. We
live very quietly when we are there,
and only keep five indoor servants,
all of whom have been with us for
at least seven or eight years. My
jewels are kept in case-a red mo-
rocco box, with trays and compart-
ments. The case measures, roughly,
twenty inches long by half as much
across and in depth. This case is
always locked, and l myself keep the
key on a gold chain round my neck
here it is. The case stands on my
dressing table to the right of the
window. i sketch little, by the
way-and have brought you a draw
Ing of the house. l thought it might
be OF use. There, you see those two
windows marked with a cross, those
are in my room.
"In the country l wear little or no
Jewelry. The last occasion on which
1 used that in the case was at a ball
In town over month ago. / re-
placed them myself the next day and
locked the case. Since then never
touched it till yesterday morning,
when / thought would take out a
tiara which needed resetting. l tried
the key, which would not turn, and
becoming alarmed l got my husband
to force open the lid. Not only were
the jewels not there, but the case
which was identical with mine out
side, was not my case at all; yet on
the outside it had my monogram,
and was exactly the same even down
TO a deep scratch in the left-hand
corner"
y Have you it with your"
"Yes."
Third just glanced at it, and put
1t down on the table.
did you replace the jewels in
town or when you got homer"
"Not till got home. / only used
a portion of them-those l carried
in separate cases in my dressing bag
returned on the 2Sth, the day after
the ball, and locked them up some
time that evening""
THAT leaves a period of thirty.
two days in which the robbery might
have been effected" He placed the
case before him, and examined II
carefully with a glass. "This was
made in Paris, l see, and for such al
expensive article it is easy to see that
1t has been made in a hurry. The
lining is very roughly finished, and
some OF the leather work is bad. II
has been made quite recently, too
The signs of wear on the outside anC
on the edges are purely artificial, yet
well enough done to deceive a casua
observer. The monogram die was, o.
course. cut from tracing of YOU
own-all of which means that tn,
robbery had been planned and settled
on at least five days before it wal
carried out, probably longer. Wher,
was the ball to which you went OF
the last occasion of wearing YOU
jewels?"
AT Mrs. Endover's, in Carlton
House terrace"
Marshall Thirds pupils contracte,
to pinpoint, as they always did whei
he was thinking hard and quickly.
Among your jewels, If my mem
ory serves me Alright, there was
ruby known as the Mairoda ruby,
stone with strange history?"
Lady Borrodaile nodded.
Yes, that is so, though how 70,
knew 1.-The fact is, very few peopl
know of its existence. 1t has tragi
story connected with 1t, and my hus
band has asked me not to speak Of |
to my friends-not to talk about /
at all, in fact-and hardly eve
wear it,"
Marshall Third moved chessmal
thoughtfully across the board In
long diagonal.
Il remember seeing 1t mentione
In the papers at the time OF YOU
marriage, twelve years ago. Yo
wore It at Mrs. Endover's tina
night?"
The question was raped ou
sharply.
Lady Borrodaile looked tria
confused.
"Yes, as matter OF fact did. IL
well, 1t went SO well with my ores,
! thought It pity not to. I've onl
worn 1t q dozen times since II cam