The Yale expositor., 1909-01-15
A Mozte Carlo Case.
-. .,lD,a...,.1t, 1905 - %.


but to wa,ch people. The company
had It's detectives to looI oat 10: lts
interests. but | WAS not O.Ir Of these
was employed by II jcWriIy firm
They rented jewels. and NY business
was to watch the people 10 VII they
rented These renters of Ch:!Hc were
usually wcnlen. They were liable tc
be robbed or swindled. ANA | kept
them constantly under my eye to see
that this dil not occur or that they
did not themselves run away with the
property.
One day while | was in the shop
saw a handsomely dressed lady come
out of the private office OF the head OF
the firm. step into a carriage and drive
away My employer said to me:
',rhat is the Countess b. | have had
dealings with her family for years and
know her to be what she represents
herself. She has eontided To me that
she expects to become engaged to q
very rich American. Her family are
wretckedly poor, and she finds it dbl
cult to keep up appearances necessary
TO snare the bird she is after. have
lent her money and have rented hei
valuable pearl necklace. Take heI
under your protecting wing"
or course to watch people | was
obliged to be among them. | dressed
faultlessly, gambled occasionally at
the tables and spent loose change Law
ishly. That evening | spotted the
and she was Immediately joined by
the American. He was a distinguish
ed looking man and wore in his but
tonhole one of those American military
badges, either the Society of the Gin
cinnati or the Loyal Legion. | don't
remember which. He and the countess
went Immediately into the gambling
rooms, and the American began to bet,
the countess looking on.
After losing some money he took out
a pocket check book. wrote a check
and handed it TO the countess, who
gave him some bills, declining the
| check. No luck came to him. and final
" the two arose from the tables and
went out. When the dancing COM
menced looked for the countess and
saw her whiring In the arms of the
American. The necklace, seven strings
Of pearls. was clasped around her bean-
| tiful neck, and she was by all means
| the most striking figure In the room.
The eminently respectable appearance
of her partner and especially his so
ciety badge gave me full confidence in
| him, for | have understood that to
gain admission to these societies in
America one must be investigated and
| be able to show q clean record. There
fore so long as my lady was with no
| one else | felt no necessity for close
watch
kept the countess In sight for sew
| eral days. The American was con-
stantly with her, and ! learned upon
inquiry that he was a packer from
Chicago. | secured an Introduction to
| him, and he told me he was Il banker
in New York. but more especially a
promoter. His bearing toward the
| countess became more and more de-
voted. One evening saw them, after
dancing, stroll out on to porch and
| get into dark corner. The lady wore
| the necklace when she went out, but
when she returned lace wrap about
her neck hid the jewels. Just before
entering the house saw her admirer
stand with her hand In his, looking
lovingly into her eyes. 1t appeared
that she had caught him.
AS the couple passed me purposely
brushed against the lady, defty catch
ing at the wrap about her throat,
which extended down over her shout
ders. l turned, bowed obsequiously
and begged pardon. My object was
to discover If she still wore the neck
lace. Her neck was perfectly bare.
l was thunderstruck. Had she been
robbed of ii | would have heard her
cry out, for it could not have been re-
moved without her knowing 1t. My
impression VAS thai her companion
had gained her confidence and borrow
ed 1t. If his object was theft, | knew
he would be off to Paris to dispose of
It, After he parted with the countess
| followed him. He went straight to
the station and caught train just
leaving. boarded it myself. saw him
leave it at Paris and tracked him to a
hotel.
About IL o'clock the next morning he
went to a jewelers. and was bargain
ing for the sale of the necklace when
arrested him.
On the morning after her departure
from Monte Carlo the countess called
on my employer and In voice broken
with sobs told him that her American
had turned out sharper, had given
her worthless checks for the money
she had loaned him and had dex-
trously unclasped the necklace and dis
appeared.
On my return ! found that the firm
did not doubt her story. but when
told mine they changed their minds.
Since the necklace was recovered and
the amount of money loaned was
small, considering her rank. they did
not prosecute her. Indeed. they relied
| on me rather than the law for protec-