Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1911-03-28

1
what new guest?"
1.-THE one who arrived yesterday aft
| ernoon."
mo guest arrived yesterday after
noon"
"She came while you were all away.
| received her for you. and since did
| not know what room to put her IN
| l left her in mine. Come to think of
! 1t, I've not seen her since"
| 1t was all out that the thief was this
| woman who had passed herself off on
me as her guest. Clara was so delight
| ed at what she considered my vindi-
| cation that she was about to run
downstairs to make 1t public when
| stopped her. / had suddenly regained
my head.
| 'Not so fast" said. who will be-
| lieve my story Of this woman whom
| no one but have SEEM
| II do
"Of course you do, but there are
| others who will not Promise me that
for the present you will keep the mat
| ter secret
Other purposes than vindication
| crowded upon me- | wished to see
| how Ralph piicstley would treat me
while under cloud. Shortly before
| dinner / went down into the parlor
| Now that the matter was explained
to my own and my hosts satisfaction
| | felt easier in presence of the others.
| There were several in the room when
I entered, including Ralph and Sadie,
who were sitting together on a tete-
a-tete In the center of the room. r.
walked past both of them without
looking at either. and | did not bear
myself like thief by any means.
walked to window, where /
stood looking out for few minutes,
then passed into the library. Seating
myself at the long table in the center
Of the room. took up periodical. 1
had been there but few minutes
when Ralph Priestley entered. / could
see by the expression ON his face, his
knit brows, that he was very much
disturbed.
Il have been seeking an opportu-
nifty he began, when stopped him,
locking at him as severely as l could
and pointing to the door.
please listen to me-" he began
again.
II will not listen to any man who,
while | suffer under false aceusa-
ton, not only fails to give me his sup
port, but turns against me-"
II have not turned against you. r.
"You have devoted yourself to one
| who has assumed that / am guilty
| and has treated me accordingly"
| l arose and swept out of the room.
Smarting as l was under his having
| transferred his attentions to my rival
| "a rival who had taken no pains to
| conceal her opinion that had stolen
| the missing jewels confess reveled
in my treatment of Ralph Priestley.
| Finding that he was endeavoring to
see me alone, l persistently kept out
| Of his way except when there were
| others about.
| AS soon as the detective was In
| formed of my story as to the woman
who had passed herself off as a guest
| he began operations on different line.
He took down as minute description
of her as l was able to give him; also
description Of every article that was
missing. asked him why she had
hidden the articles in my bureau draw
or, and he said that by discriminating
some one in the house she hoped to
divert suspicion from herself long
enough to dispose of her plumber
For several days while he was at
work on the case | remained with
the party, affable to those who were
affable to me, paying no attention to
those who were cool to me. There
was side play going on that / enjoy
ed watching. Sadie Stamper was en-
deavoring to hold on to Ralph Priest
ley, and Ralph was trying to get rid
Of her. The poor fellow was between
two fires. He knew that / would not
listen to him so long as he continued
his attentions to Sadie, and to break
away from her was not an easy mat
ter, especially as his only excuse was
that she believed me a thief, which
was no more than others Of the party
believed.
Then one morning the detective re-
ported that he had found some of the
missing property In a pawnshop and
within a couple OF days after the dis
| covery had arrested woman with
more Of 1t In her possession. She tai
lied with my description Of her and
10 r.. f1~t.
| borhood of the Eyre. This was the
| reason she knew Of the house party
| and the automobile excursion and was
| able to concoct her plan of robbing
| the house.
That evening at dinner our host let
| out the story, returning a number of
the missing articles TO their owners.
| / was now In a very enviable posi-
| ton. / knew those who were friend
| ~ to me and had honored me with
| their confidence while had been I'M
der a cloud. and ! knew those who
had not They all crowded around
me to show their good Will and assure
me that they had not for a moment
believed me to be guilty. The only
| person who did not approach me was
Ralph Priestfey, whose every effort to
do so ! had succeeded in thwarting.
| Now that | was INDICATED he not
only kept away from me, but Clara
came to me after dinner to tell me
that he was going away on a late
| train. I watched for him to come
| downstairs. and when he came, pre-
pared for the journey. met him and
extended my hand. His countanance
changed from very lugubrious ex-
preston to a very happy one. We
went into side room, and kept him
there till it was too late to make his
train