Middletown transcript., 1908-09-12
The Melville Court Burglary
BY HERBERT JAMESON

Hullo! Are you theres Thai
you, Phillips?
Yes!
Mrs. Warrington Stout's jewels
have been stolen. Probably only
a common or garden burglary,
but as the Stouts have wired for
a special man to go down aud
investigate you'd better take over
the job. Know their country
place?
Grantham, isn't it?
Yes! Melville Court, about a
mile from Grantham Station.
You'll catch the next train, and
report as soon as possible.
Tonight, if l get back in time!
That's all, then. Good.by!
Good-by.
The Warrington Stouts were
known to me-from the society
columns of numerous daily and
weekly papers. Worthy and es.
timable people they might be,
but the fashion in which they
were persistently Photographed
although it only created a mild
feeling of disgust in an obscure
person like myself, must have
made certain other less adver-
tised members of society than
themselves exceedingly jealous.
Their leap into prominence had
probably been too sudden to last
I caught the 2 80 P. NJ. from
Kings Cross to Grantham.
Among other literature with
which to beguile the two hours
journey 1 had purchased "P, A.
P" WPrincipally About Peo-
ple.'O When 1 opened it 1 found
that it contained an autobiography
ical article by Mr.. Warrington
Stout, who was described as the
husband of one of soeiety's lead
ers. This description was, need
less to say, editorial. In three
columns of verbose and occa-
sionlly illiterate pomposity, Mr..
Warrington Stout only referred
to his wife once. He could hard
ly have mentioned the family
Jewels without bringing her in.
I kicked the opposite seat Il
was alone in the carriage) in
what, felt, was righteous indig-
nation, and was almost choked by
the dust. Why, oh, why do peo-
pie do these silly things in print?
That paragraph in Warrington
Stout's article was simply an open
invitation to the burglaring com,
munity to enter Melville Court
address given and lay hands Cn
the jewels. For in these days
Bill Skies is an educated gentle,
man, who gets half his ideas from
the daily papers and the other
half from the magazine stories
After reading that article | felt
my interest in the work Of this
particular investigation wane. II
only l might be allowed to kich
Warrington Stout on my arrival
I fancied l might enter on The
inquiry with requisite zest.
Mrs. Warrington Stout in ar
elaborate dress and still more
elaborate manner, alone received
me.
Oh, you've come. My husband
is out riding. He cannot do with
out his usual afternoon exercise
but he'll be back shortly. Mean
while, I'll tell you the whole
story.
She proceeded to give me al
great length an account that Car
be summed up in very few sen
tences.
The previous night, it seemed
she had been alone, her husband
crossing the Channel on his way
home from Paris. She slept
soundly until just as daylight
broke, a noise in the room sud
denly awoke her, and she opened
her eyes to see mans back van
ishing through the window. One
glance at the dressing table
showed her that her jewel box
with all its contents, was gone
She screamed violently, peaieC
the bell and aroused the whole
household. The grounds were
instantly searched, but, although
footmarks we're found on the bee
below the window, the thief ha(
evidently got safely away will
his booty.
Mrs. Warrington Stout her
made a pause.
And is that all, madam?
Dear me. no! | was Whiting
expecting that you would tai,
notes. A still more startling dis
covery was speedily made. Tlla
day a new butler had come in