The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-07-08
Caught 4. the Act

the fact that never before had so
many vehicles of one sort and another
been seen to approach and depart
from the marble portico OF Dunrim-
mon house, the town mansion OF the
duchess of Dals-on.
The exclamation of; tie extraordinary
gathering was absurdly simple.
Her grace had lcng tsSen promi-
nent interest in tie welfare of that
excellent institution, tie Home for In
d1gent Chorus Ladies, but despite the
energy she had displayed and the
financial assistance she had from time
to time supplied, the home had fallen,
financially speaking, into the lowest
of low water. Not to mince matters,
it hand sunk considerably over its
waist
1t was at this critical juncture that
the duchess came to the rescue with
a suggestion. Unlike most suggestions,
it possessed the unusual virtue Of be-
ing not only practical, but easy of ac-
complishment.
The duchess proposed to throw open
her town house to whoever cared to
pay five guineas for ticket, to pro-
vide for band. supper and innu-
merable singers of the highest class.
The announcement of the impend-
ing function filed the Letter box OF
Dunrinmon house 10 Bursting point.
App icaticns for tickets, accompanied
by checks. came not single spies, but
in bat.alions. Three private secre-
taries specially engaged had all their
work cut out to acknowledge remit
tarces and to forward the coveted
cards of admission.
Dunrimmon house had European
reputation as one Of the finest man.
sions in town. Its pictures were price,
less, the collection cf china which
adorned the beautifully decorated sa-
Ions could not be matched. The
beauty and charm Of the youthful
duchess herself were attractions not to
be lightly disregarded. And the fact
that quite a number of the smartest
reople in town had promised to be
present, naturally carried weight. 1t
was an opportunity of mingling with
the gilt-edged which might not occur
again, and the suburbs realizing this
fact tumbled over each other in their
anxiety to secure tickets.
No questions were asked. The send
ing of five guineas was sufficient.
The duchess who, besides being
charming, possessed a more than Or
dinarily large stock OF common sense,
reflected that under the circumstan.
ces it would be well to seek the as
sistance of Scotland Yard. Dunrim-
mon house was stuffed with portable
curios, many of them of great value.
and the company was mixed. II would
be the easiest thing in the world for
a professional thief to gain admittance'
to help himself and to slip away. The
staff of servants at Dunrimmon house,
always large, was considerably aug
mented, but it would naturally be I'M
possible for the domestic to keep an
eve on every one. So staff OF .detec-
tives. in evening dress, was turned on
under the command of that eminent
officer, Thomas Tapp.
Mr.. Tapp, having disposed his forces
in mastery fashion, proceeded to es-
tablish himself in the library, some
what secluded apartment and but
dimly lighted.
Tapp, in what lady novelists call
immaculate evening dress" and an
eyeglass, was supposed to be re-
tired general. He played his part ad'
mirably. so admirably indeed, that
unite a number of people were de-
ceiyed. and several gushing ladies
from the select neighborhood OF Cam
berwell were subsequently, heard con-
fiding to their friends the agreeable
intelligence that 1.-The dear general
who was looking so well was simply
delighted to see u.s.
Mr.. Tapp had been on guard for
some time when his somewhat dull
and dismal surroundings began to pail
upon him. The library, as has already
been stated, was in remote part OF
the mansion and few discovered It,
Added to which Mr.. Tapp began to ex-
nerience a certain feeling OF dryness
in the region of the throat, teellng
which was intensified by the eXasper
ating frequency with which cham
pagne corks popped in the supper
room within hearing distance.
Impelled by these circumstances
Mr.. Tapp was on the point OF tenn
rorarily vacating his post, when the
entrance of three persons arrested MS
footsteps. Tn etrio consisted or
lady. literally blazing with diamonds
accompanied by gentleman and
particularly shabby-looking old man
who crept in with suspicious caution
some distance behind them, his eyes
fxed on the jewels which sparkled
brilliantly.
"Hullo." said Mr.. Tapp to himself,
Ginning behind a convenient curtain,
"this looks funny. What's that old
chap doing here? There's an uncom-
monty suspicious air about him, and
if I'm not wrong he's done time at
some period or other. There's look
of hard upon his face. He's slipped
behind the safe, too. That's pad.
what's he up to? His eyes are nxed
ON that ywoman's diamonds, ana no
naor She must he worth nice