The Ordway new era., 1909-02-05

husband and wife were alone together.
and while the officers drew themselves
up. one on each side OF the door. DIR.
Furnivall removed his spectacles and
advanced to the lady. who sat by the
window. with n book in her hand.
Madam" he said. be good enough
10 look at me-"
She was tall blonde with beau.
tiful skin OF red and white, a willowy
form, luscious lips. and blue eyes that
were incomparably lovely and melting
and tender. She beamed up at him
with smile that would capture the
heart OF almost any man except the
one she was bestowing II on at the
moment. He stood with one hand in
his pocket, and easily repeated the
command:
Mrs. Van Dyke. tell me In as few
words as possible. who you are and
what you know about the attempted
theft of Nine. Selba's diamonds"
In a colorless voice she answered at
once:
Our name is Seely. not Van Dyke
We pretended to belong to that old
family for social reasons. We are ad
venturers. My husband and | have
followed this singer three months
waiting for an opportunity to appropri-
ate her diamonds. which. we discov.
cred, she always left in charge of the
hotel wherever she was stopping. on
returning from the theater. AT this
small hotel there Is but one night.
clerk, and the last bell-boy goes to bed
at two o'clock in the morning. We
studied to get this clerk out of the
way for a few minutes, leaving the
safe unlocked, and 1t must be after
the bell-boy had gone. My husband
learned the make of the safe ex-
amined those like 1t at the salesrooms.
had small piece of iron made to fit
into the boltsocket. and last evening
managed to spike the safe In the face
and eyes OF the clerk-an easy matter.
for he used to be professional
sleight- -of-hand performer. We had be-
come acquainted with the Thorndikes
at the table, and knew that the daugh-
ter would not dare to waken her moth
er by screaming. for she has seri-
GUS heart trouble and the physician
has warned them against startling her
in any way, so that II the daughter
could be made to believe there was
somebody in her room she would be
likely to run to the clerk. who would
probably start so hastily for the scene
that he would not give much attention
to the condition of the safe.
I'VE had secured a room just under
Miss Thorndike's, and at three O'Clock
this morning my husband. through
long tube of tin, made on the tele-
scope pattern, which he thrust up to
her open window, initiated certain
noises, as II a man were stumbling
around in the dark. This awakened
her, and she did as we had studied 1t
out that she would do-she ran for the
office. And while the clerk was alb
sent from his place l fastened down
and secured the black bag containing
the diamonds. But a policeman. who.
as we have since learned. was in the
habit of coming to the back door for
a dram which was furnished him every
morning at just that time by the night
clerk, saw me at the safe and"
"Yes, but please tell me what Mr..
Wrinkle had to do with all this?"
"Mr. Wrinkle was the provision we
made for my escape from conviction in
case 1 should be caught in the risky
venture. I posed before him and his
pupils as a completely helpless hyp
motto subject in his hands, taking great
care that he and they should become
convinced that his mind dominated me
wholly, even at distance. Then II
our plan should fail in any way, and
should be apprehended, could pre-
tend to be in a hypnotic trance, pro-
duced by him, and acting under his d.
rection, with no responsibility Of my
own. I had many witnesses, his pu-
pills, to prove that he could command
me In this way. Then he, not 1, would
be convicted"
The authors of this ingenious
scheme were found to be two noted
English confidence workers, wanted in
London on so many serious charges
that, being sent back there BY the
United States authorities, they were
each Of them given sentences that
meant practically for life.
tCopyright, 1900 By W. q. ChapMaa,)
(coDyrisAs y 0elat Dsitainl