The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-04-27

/ uduuCQ W q lOu6h iOOkiuS iudu wait
ing there, after which she returned
quickly to the house."
"Did anyone else witness either of
these incidents?" I inquired.
NO" she said, quickly. "It was
evident that Lady Masterton had
chosen her time carefully"
"But what possible motive could
Lady Masterton have for taking her
stepdaughter's pendant?" I asked.
"You must be aware, Mr.. Carter, !"
she said, that my sister-in-law is a
person of very obscure origin. What
more likely than that she may have
poor relations in pecuniary difficult
ties whom she has chosen to relieve
in this dishonest fashion 2"
was startled to find my informant
furnishing evidence of the correct
ness OF theory that I had already
formulated, and then dismissed. d
Meanwhile I answered:
II should be very sorry to think
that Lady Masterton was capable of
STOPPING to crime of this kind but
the case certainly looks suspicious.
May ask you, however, not to say
word of this to anyone else"
Aunt Prissy rose. "The subject
is so extremely painful, Mr.. Carter,
that you may be quite sure I shall
not breathe word to a soul. Mean
while, I sincerely hope that you will
be able to prove Lady Masterton in
nocent, after all p
Old maids are often charming peo-
pie, and Miss Priscilla was described
by her niece as "a dear )" but I could
not help feeling that she had not yet
forgiven her brother for marrying
again; while her views of ladies con-
nected with the stage was old-fash-
ioned and out of date.
At dinner that evening Pauline was
anxious to know whether I had made
any discoveries.
"Like Scotland Yard" I replied,
lightly, "I have clew. But pro-
pose to preserve the strictest secrecy
until I put my hand on the culprit
and produce the pendant !"
"And when will that be?'' asked
Pauline, eagerly.
Probably tomorrow morning." l
answered. Possibly tonight
"Then you know who took the dia.
monds ?" exclaimed Pauline, excl
tedly.
eyes," 1 said. "I know who took
the diamonds
1 did not look at Miss Priscilla,
but 1 could not fail to be conscious of
the triumph in her eye.
"There is nothing Carter loves
like mystery" said Sir Nevil, sar-
castically. Garter, if you really
know who took the pendant, tell US,
and have done with it p
"I can't quite do that" 1 said.
"But if you will all be in the draw
ing-room at ten o'clock this evening
I shall probably elucidate the mys-
terry"
Immediately after dinner I return
ed to my room but at ten O'Clock
punctually I entered the drawing
room, where 1 found Masterton, with
his wife, sister and daughter playing
bridge.
"Do come in, Mr.. Carter p said
Lady Masterton. 1--WE are all SIM
ply dying to know
Every well, Lady Masterton. But
first I want an absolute promise that
1 shall not be interrupted until I have
finished my story, however startling
or outrageous my statements may
seem. Do you all give me that prom
Use 7"
They all answered lightly in the
affirmative. Whereupon / added:
ST warn you, Masterton, that you
will find it very hard to keep your
word as soon as I have begun"
"Go ahead, Carter ! If want to
break your head, 1 promise you I'll
save it up till you've finished your
yarn -
"All right" I said. "The day
before yesterday, in the middle of the
afternoon, some one was seen coming
out of Miss Pauline's bedroom and
the same person was afterward seen
to hand small packet to mysterious
looking man in the shrubbery. The
person in question was Lady Mas
terton ~
Sir Nevil started from his chair.
But reminded him of his promise,
and he sat down again, glaring
fercely.
"The mysterious looking man in
the shrubbery was a ne'er- do well
brother of Lady Masterton's who is
leaving for Australia in few days to
! make fresh start in life"
Here Lady Masterton was on the
point of interrupting.
appearances all pointed to the
fact that the packet handed by Lady
Masterton to her brother contained
the missing diamonds"
Miss Priscilla looked discreetly tri-
umphant.
but, added, appearances were
entirely misleading. The purpose
that took Lady Masterton to Miss
Pauline's bedroom was to get a book
she had lent her the day before, and
the packet she handed to her brother
was a sum of money she had arranged
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