The Caucasian., 1909-06-20

the house. He was one of those nerv-
Gus Yankees who fear everything ex-
/ cept danger hundred petty anx-
ieties asstiled him. including the dread
of taking cold. rs he grumblingly made
his way downstairs.
! In the lower hall he listened. Be
yond doubt there was some one in the
library. Olmstead opened the door
alsd entered. The room was dark save
for feeble, huttering light which
suddenly settled upon Omstead with
a brilliancy that surprised him.
Throw up your hands" said a
voice.
| "Oh. nonsense!' said Olmstead. and
he felt about on the wall for the but
| ton that controlled the lights. The
burglars lantern revealed it to him.
| and he instantly made the room bright.
Seeing that Olmstead had no weapon
the burglar did not retreat. but took
some steps forward, holding his re-
| volver ready In one hand while with
| the other he 'clasped the ebony jewel
box as a football player holds the
| ball
When they were quite close Ohm
| stead sprang upon the man SO sud
| denly and with such skill that he
| saught his right wrist and held the
arm straight up in the air. The bur-
| glar let fall his weapon. which made
| q loud noise on the floor. 0lmstead
| hurled him backward and stopped for
| the revolver. whereupon the burglar
drew another from the side pocket of
| his coat and fired with considerable
| coolness of aim from distance of
about ten feet The bullet struck
| Olmstead on the upper edge of the
| left eyebrow and glanced off. He was
| stunned. but only for few seconds.
| When the servants came running at
| the noise of the shot their master was
already on his legs again and feebly
attempting a pursuit of the marauder.
| The case was Immediately reported
| to the local authorities. The suburb
| of Marchmont has chief of police
and twelve patrolmen.
| The chief and ten Of his men turned
| themselves loose on the trail of the
| Olmstead burglar. with no result
| whatever The eleventh man remain
| ed in charge of the station house
The twelfth man patrolled old March
| mont village and caught thief in the
| bakeshop of Mrs. Sophia Neely. where
| there was the sum Of $4 In the till.
| He had effected his entrance through
| the adjoining barber shop of Gustav
| SwartZ. where there was no money.
Three days later my services were
requested by Mr. Olmstead. who was
| walking about with some plaster over
I! his eye and not much the worse for
7 his adventure.
After hearing his story ! was able to
| give him hope of the rascars capture.
for the description furnished to me
was excellent Its most salient fea-
| ture was a reddish. brushlike mus
tache. The burglars hair was dark
brown, but his mustache was unde-
niably red and not false in Ohm
stead's opinion.
Singularly enough. this description
perfectly fitted the only suspicious
character then known to exist within
1
petty thief above referred to. who was
smooth shaven. The suspicious char
acter was Gustav Swartz. the barber.
Swartz had borne an excellent repu-
| tation until about month ago. when
some silver. stolen from Marchmont
residence. had been found in his shop
| The barber said that the parcel con-
tanning the silver had been left with
him by customer who was to call
| for 1t and that he himself did not
know what the contents were. but the
story had obtained no credence.
Upon hearing Olmstead's description
the local police Immediately exhibited
| Swartz
"Swartz looks very much like my
burglar" said olmstead. except that
he has good eye The other fellow
had a bad one | don't believe Swartz
is the man"
The case stood thus when ! took
hold. That evening, while | was talk
ing with Miss Olmstead and her
| brother and Mr. McKellar in the IL.
brary there came loud. sudden rap
at the window. Olmstead. who was
naturally nervous. nearly jumped out
of his skin. but he was the first man
to reach the window. He raised the
curtain and the sash. and by the light
that streamed out from the room he
saw the ebony box lying on the We
randa. The person who brought it had
escaped.
Olmstead was overioyed. AS the
box showed no mark of violence the
diamond stomacher must be in 1t. and
with the anticipation of seeing this
treasure again Olmstead's hands shook
so that he was fifteen minutes opening
the casket. He did not let us see
how he did 1t. The casket was empty.
/ will not enlarge upon the mysteries
involved in this performance There
was no reason why anybody should
have returned the jewel box except
upon the belief that the diamonds were
In it. | was doublv convinced of this
fact after | had persuaded OImsteaa
to show me the trick OF opening the
eacEnf