The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1908-05-14
| remembered the tall mans parting
words, ''The Van Dyke opals are un-
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| remembered the tall man parting
words, ''The Van Dyke opals are un-
lucky and shuddered.
| was i'll for days. The opalS were
taken back to the vault and locked up,
and it was more than week before l
could hear what happened outside my
room that night, and then Robert told
me.
He was just folding the letter he had
written when someone approaching
from behind seized him around the
throat, then a second man pinioned his
arms.
"Be quiet" one said, land we won't
harm Won: we're after the opals."
Robert was necessarily quiet, for he
was speedily gagged and bound, as L
had been. Meanwhile, Margaret in
soft felt slippers, passed silently along
the upper hall. The night was warm
and she was going to the kitchen for
ice water. CHANGING over the banlSter
she saw the two men enter the library
and knew intuitively what they were
there for. She flew down the back
stairs and out of the back entrance,
rjsking her life thereby, for she never
stopped to think that the house might
be guarded. 1t was not, however, and
she reached drug store, two blocks
away. in safety. There was a telephone
there. and within less than i've minutes
eight officers in a patrol wagon we're
fastened to our rescue.
For fear of alarming the thieves the
wagon was left block from the house,
while the men approached IN silence.
Four stood guard outside, while four
more and private detective, who hap
pened to be at the police station, noise
lessly entered by the front door, Which
the ruffians had left unlocked for their
own convenience.
The unsuspecting burglars, coming
from my room, met the offlcerS on the
main stairway. There was SNORT
sharp fight, resulting as l nave stated
one policeman also being injured.
desperate gang of housebreaKers was
etfectually wiped out. Inc Wounoeu
man afterwards died IN the hospltal,
while the uninjured one was sent W lhe
penitentiary for long time.
He was always sullen and refused TO
give any information about the scheme
to steal the opals, but the man VINO
died at the hospital eventually told
what he knew. He said that their
leader who was a shrewd, well educat-
ed man. had had his eyes on the Jewels
for wears, but they were never taken
ont of the vault. After Roberts mar
riace he argued that sometime the
bride would wear the opals; ne ln1er,
red. rightly enough, that the ball Would
be an appropriate time. He shadoWeo
the bank and was rewarded by seeing
nv husband take them from the vault.
Crouching on the balcony OUTSIDE my
window Ire saw me playing with them
and noted where put them, and SO IN
formed his gang who were hidden IN the
grounds all the evening, but our VlSlt-
ors kept us up so late that they hau no
chance to enter the house, ana instead
of chloroforming us as we slept, DIS .ney
had intended. they were forced 10
change their plans and take us by sur
nrisp The servants were all asleep,
and after Margaret had gone TO her
room for the night they anticipated no
trouble, it being quite true as the Tan
man had told me, they were TOO far
away to hear me. e, :.
DO YOU wonder that | refused TO
touch the opals? Robert sold them ana
invested the money in real estate, LOT
said [ would be afraid OF diamonds
bought with the proceeds OF thelr SAFE:
Perhaps | was foolishly nervous, put
| could not endure the old nome alter
that night of terror. l did not grow
stronger after my illness, and at length
they took me abroad again, MY boy
was born in Rome, but he liVeo only
one short week, and then RoDerG salu:
you shall never go back to the home,
stead dear; only get we'll, and you shall
have a new home" And so the old
place passed into other hands, for Rob;
ert said: .."Ancestral halls are well
enough, but wife and children are
better"
NV children have grown up in house
that has no unpleasant memories as
ISOLATED with it, and their lives VIII IN
no way be Swallowed by the Van Dyke
opals.