Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-05-20
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MealWille Abe tr0nklte had descend
ed to the half way social station occu-
pied by the butler the coachman and old
Anne, the maid. 1t connected the luxury
OF the dining room with the necessity
of the kitchen by Il passage on which
abutted several coSey apartments The
detective made himself comfortable with
newspaper and pipe in the one of these
into which the rear stairs opened.
lie was, however, so little affected by
the lull of either that presently he darted
to the second step of the stairs and
picked out from the dust OF the corner
an object whose soft light had caught his
sharp eyes. 1t was Il pearl, one of the
Sprlngstead pearls, with a bit of gold
tiligree still clinging to it.
Over his paper and pipe Cronkite
thought of the shadowy form he had seer
slipping down from the sitting room
when he had answered the judges cali
to the library the evening before. Might
not that have been the shadow of the
thief instead of an eavesdropper: might
II not have been the shadow of both?
The pearl had lain in n clean corner
glimmcring through layer Of dust. This
might well indicate that the stairs had
been thoroughly swept The day before
even ms on account of the excitement
they might have been hurriedly swept
that morning. 1t must therefore have
been dropped at some unnOticed instant
tttNftl. W ny NOT NAbn inns unknown
shadow had descended. angered over
what had been overheard, absorbed with
the revenge or reprisai that had been
taken either through the negligence of
Miss knage III not properly locking the
safe or through fUrtive knowledge Of
its combination?
The fligree fragment on the pearl
also held his attention. 1t ended in a
Jagged wire on one side and in ball on
the other, plainly showing that tue pearl
itself had been nj the bottom of one of
the pendants of the girlle-a conspicuous
place from which It's absence must sure
ly be noted. Would not search then be
made for it and would not the identity of
the Searcher establish the identity of the
thief?
Cronkite cautiously worked his way
down into the cellar, a capacious space
broken by stout pillars into compart-
ments for the storage of provisions and
other household needs and the collection
of debris. At Shadowy sight aud a
slighter sound from the compartment
used for the latter purpose he noiselesSly
CROPPED until from behind IA side pillar
he could discern what was occurring
within.
a woman. an old woman, was bending
over one Of the barrels of dust, furtively.
feverishly. sitting every particle Of il
through her tremllous hands She had
was grooming with disappointment, al
ready turning avidiy e. the other barrel.
Cronlite deity threw the tilgree pearl
into the top of the other barrel, where
it nestled among the rubbish like Il dew
drop-aud just in time. II was enclosed
IN the first cntchinS handful. 1t was
disclosed by the first frantic inspection
With mothers rapturous Groom the
woman drew the pearl grdle from her
bosom and fastened the missing gem in
its place.
Judge in his room.
where have you been. Abe. and what
have YOU been doing p demanded the
impatient lawyer. There is the deuce
ana an i'm tsle house"
"And in that all must be included,
sir. the pearl cirtle, replied the detee-
tive.
what do you mean by that? Have
YOU seen it, Do you know where il isf''
1T is back in the safe, sir. the least
likely place for search to be made for
Il.
''Preposterous: Put back there by
whom g