Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1911-07-13


words, he is q detective. When we
were drinking our coffee and smoking
I asked him to give me the most i'm
portant case in which he had ever
been employed.
You mean the most important to
my employer or to me"
well, let it be the most important
case to you"
"All right. I'll give you the Viii
nams case"
1 saw his wife look up at him, evi
IDENTIFY with an intent to stop him, but
ne told the story all the same.
Mrs. Williams came to the Of
fee one day-she was a widow and
stated that something was occurring
In her house she wished investigated.
She possessed a number Of valuable
family jewels, which she kept in q
safe imbedded in the wall on the sec
ond story of her dwelling. She alons
knew the combination. and yet the
jewels were gradually disappearing.
She had a governess for her children.
a Miss Elizabeth Ward. whom she sus
pected. I having been detailed on the
case, she was giving these facts to
me. At this point interrupted her.
"T thought you said. Mrs. Williams,
that you alone know the combination.
How can Miss Ward open the safe
without it,
Possibly in this way: She has {
brother who is a skilled mechanic IL
the service Of a safe ard lock com
pany. He visits her frequently, and !
suspect that either he has instructed
her in lock picking or she concoaLg
him in the house and he watches his
opportunity to pick it himself unob-
served
at struck me that to discover the
truth all she had to do was to watch
and she would catch either Miss Ward
or her brother stealing the jewels. Bat
If she preferred to pay a detective for
doing it I was quite willing. l was
introduced into the house as a nephew
Of Mrs. Williams, from a distant land
and, of course, to Miss Ward.
81 found the governesS a very at
tractive young lady. Had l not fell
very sure she was an adventures
should have fallen in love with her
Indeed, I'm not sure but Don't like
to hear it, Ell, dear? That's quite
natural. III switch of from that par
of the story, though I'm sure you have
no reason to be jealous. Well, tool
up my residence for few days or {
few weeks, as the case might require
and was assigned a bedroom directly
opposite the safe in which the jewel,
were kept.
at didn't take me long to find GU
that Miss Ward was as smart as
steel trap, and l made up my mint
that to catch her-or her brother,
which was the same thing-I woult
have to be. awake every night in thu
week. But she seemed worried. Witt
the true detective instinct, I saw
through that inferred that hel
brother was dominating her, compel
ling her to keep on with the thefts
while she feared this scheme would a
last be detected and one or both woulC
spend a term in the state prison. A
any rate, she was worried.
81 remained awake all night for sew
eral nights in succession. and as | haC
no excuse to remain in bed all day
gave up the plan of catching the THE
in the act and determined to try auC
worm myself into the confidence Q
Miss Ward and see if couldn't &c
the secret from her l found be
quite willing TO be courted and
Horace interposed Mrs. Jones.
Pardon, my dear" Then to me; IN.
wife can't bear to hear me- speak o
my premarital affairs"
"Of course she can't" l chimed il
with Mrs. Jones. How would yol
like your wife to talk about her Owl
premarital affairs?"
"Um! That's different But to g
on with my story. l didn't get mucl
from the governess, and while I wa.
making up to her Mrs. Williams re
ported that she had lost another jewel
Meeting Miss Ward after this theft
l found her In a very bad humor
Why l could not understand. for nei
Their she nor any one else had beer
caught stealing. She astonished m'
by coming out bluntly:
"'NGr. Detective, if you wish to int
out who is stealing the jewels change
your room
you could have knocked me dowr
with a feather. l knew I had met my
match and answered never a word.
went to Mrs. Williams and told her
would take a room farther from tht
safe. She gave me one at the end o.
the hall where l could see withou
being seen, the light, which was KEEP
burning low all night, being directl.
over the safe.
thine passed, during which l wa!
getting impatient at doing nothing
though l was not dissatisfied at bein.
kept IN the house with Miss Ward
One night l heard a light tap at N.
door Putting on a dressing gown.
opened it. Miss Ward was standing
in a dark corner and pointed toward
the safe There stood Mrs. Williams
fumbIing with the lock.
ashes asleep whispered Mis-
Ward.
, 'NIrs. Williams opened the safe tooI
out something, closed the door ant
went away. The mystery was solved
As a sleepwalker she was transfer
ring her Jewels from the safe to q III
box in her bedroom closet"
'What became Of Miss WardT'