Putnam patriot., 1910-04-22

session l was invited to the national capital to spend a week with my friend Jim Treusdail in company with others. forming n very pleasant house party, Jim had not been long mar ried, and was bachelor have always thought that his wife got up the affair especially for my benefit and that of Miss Mildred Sweet. Mrs Jim desiring to make Il match between us. If she did she had no trouble. so far as was concerned. for l had not been acquainted with Miss Sweet ten minutes before I remarked to myself. That's the girl l am looking for"
 l have theory that a geod way to win u girl is to conjure up something in which you and she may have a mutual interest. Fortune favored me In this wise:
 One evening at dinner Mrs Jim show ed plainly that something had hap nened She Sai nothing to any of the guests and when they spoke to her replied in munosyilahies. freusdail iabered hard to keep n certain amount of fife il the party. buI WIS not sue eesSful
 After dinner Jim took me up to little den he used to. hide away In and teld me what was the matter His wife had lost diamond as big Us hickory nut IL had heeu handed down to her for five generations and sJ ding day She had taken 1t out of it's reeeptahle to wear f that evening at q reception that was ta occur at the White House and had Jeff # on her bureau while giving some diree- tons about the dinner
 He had nc sooner told me this than il recurced to me to make a detective of myself for the purpose of discover ing the thief and to take Miss Sweet into the business with me By inter esting her in the case hoped eventual ly to turn that interest from the gem to myself
 I asked Jim a good many questions. every servant in the house during his wife's absence from her room was downstairs and quite busy. most of them with the preparations for the dinner. The men guests were all in the billiard room. Two of the women guests were dressing in their rooms for dinner and after that the function at the White House. \ third. wid- ow. Mrs Jernegan. with little daugh- ter. five years old. had finished her toilet and was assisting her nurse to put the child to bed
 Mrs Jernegan was my first choice for the thief. Women who are not persons house, and Mrs. Jernegan was the only person on the foor at the time the stone was lost 1 went to the White House reception with Miss Sweet and during the evening told her about the loss and began to excite her curiosity as to who could have been the thief
 Ut would be nice thing" l said If you and I. working together. could recover the stone and turn il back to the rightful owner"
 "Indeed 1t would.' she said. but how can we do that?"
 .'I don't know that we can. but we can try
 confided to her that l suspected Mrs Jernegan. She did not especial ly fancy the widow. but could hardly bring herself to feel that she had stolen the diamond. I told Miss Sweet that she. being q woman. could keep an eye on the suspect better than l. and she agreed to do so.
 I had a little scheme up my sleeve to compel Mrs. Jernegan to show her colors if she were guilty. Of course that was not proving her guilty or get ting back the stone. but 1t would serve for a clew. 1 invited a party. including Mrs. Jernegan. to visit the eapitol. Miss Sweet was. of course, with us. After showing the party through the building l took them up into the dome. There is whispering gallery in this dome in which voice speaking on one side can be heard at the other Leaving the widow on one side Of the dome. took Mlss Sweet halfway round the semieirele. aHd. watching till Mrs. JerBegan was sep arated from the others. 1 suggested to Miss Sweet to put her mouth near the wall and whisper the words. What did vou do with ity'
 She did so. and the effect was in- stantaneous and unmisfakable. The widow staggered. turned pale and locked hurriedly about her. When she turned her eyes upon us We were looking down on to the marble floor far below.
 My companion was delighted with the success of my device. She seemed to be struck with surprise and ad- miration al what she was pleased to call my ingenuity, l was more inter ested in Miss Sweet than in the thief. I dlsclaimed any great shrewdness- indeed. thus far I was simply lucky. But I must keep up the illusion. must find some method of learning from the widow what she had done with the diamond.
 And bere I showed that instead of being an experienced detective l was a mere bungler 1 permitted the wid- ow to discover by keeping a watch over her that suspected her l knew Enat she was aware that l did suspect her, for she showed tie plainly that she feared me. Doubtless she would have taken or sent away the diamond eif she had iti. but Treusdail. al my suggestion. would not permit any one to leave the place without being searched. the guests volunteering To submit tn rhe nrsieaI If they were