Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1913-12-16
By CLARISSA MACKIE

/
party. 1t is an endeavor to find THE
among group Of people none O
whom could possibly be guilty o.
theft" He leaned back and smiled a
Rogers look Of dismay.
Tough proposition, eh?"
Rather. 1t sounds interesting. With
out consulting my partner I'll say tina
we will take 1t up as recreation afte
business hours"
"Donew returned the visitor heartily
Drawing Il cardcase from his pocket
he laid bit of pasteboard on Rogers
desk and leaned back in his chair.
my name is GibsOn-Iames Addison
Gibson" he said. nodding toward thu
card, land my house was robbed last
evening Of $4,000 worth Of jewels"
Rogers sat up in his chair and lis
tened intently.
at happened at my country home a
Shorecliffe. My wife and I were enter
tanning six friends from Manhattan
all people of refinement and impecca
BILE honesty.
During the evening Mrs. Gibson
mentioned that she had just received
necklace Of diamonds as birthday
gift from me. and she brought out the
Jewel cnsp and displayed the necklace
10 her friends. 1t was greatly admired
nns. I WIS about to close the case and
4, Tn n
,v.rn both my wife and myself were
summoned to the telephone by an
| urgent message
WAS the message really an urgent
Onc:"
1T proved to be an errsr. There
was some mistake about the number
and the Mr.. and Mrs. Gibson called fol
were really my brother and his wife
who lived over on the East road"
$50 your absence from the room was
really unnecessary"
$50 1t appears"
"Did any one enter or leave the room
during your absenceT
II cannot find that any one remem'
bers. / have questioned the servants,
and all are unanimous in the protest
that they had not entered the room
that evening"
"who brought the message from the
telephone?
"Pun Shah. my Hindu butler"
Rogers was silent for long time,
and then he asked one more question.
did Pun Shah enter the room when
he called you and Mrs. Gibson outside,
or did he stand in the doorway"
"He merely stood in the doorway and
gave the message"
MAY / have the names OF the six
guests who were present that even
mgr
Mr.. Gibson nodded.
Rogers drew forth a pencil and note
book. please give brief description
OF each one as you mention the name,
not forgetting to give me the chief
characteristics that mark each indi-
vidual."
First. there was Rodney Stone, the
poet. dreamy young chap. with his
lovely wife. who Is quite content to
shine in the reflection Of his glory.
"Then came DR.. IAtimer. brilliant
physician, now driven to death with
an immense practice. II he keeps
on his present pace without cessation
from work he will end In madhouse.
Resides DR. Latimer. there was Nine.
Finelli, the prima donna. who. az
you no doubt have heard. possesses
IN emotional temperament as well
rs Il wonderful voice. Last Of all
were the Huxfords. father and son.
busy Wall street men. almost too
tagged out to recollect what the neck.
lace looked like five minutes after my
wife had displayed It,"
"Those were the six who were alone
with the jewels?"
Eyes"
"And they are all unanimous In say
Ing that not one person entered the
room during your absence"
Eyes, although 1t Is singular that
Nine. Finelli and Mrs. Rodney Stone
both declare that Pun Shah stood In
the doorway for moment and re-
garded the company rather strangely
for few seconds. Nine. Finelli resent
ed the lmpertinence and made ges
ture of dismissal After thHt the man
vanished. AS n matter of fact. Mr..
Rogers, not one Of my six guests can
recollect the topic they were Ills
cussing when l entered the roai1 and
discovered that the diamonds were
missing.
"Now, what am I to do? The case Is
q singular one, and / do not care to
call the police into the matter. al
though the loss is greater one than
I can afford to withstand. The Gift
to my wife was rather All important
matter financially" He smiled ruefully
Mr.. Rogers put up his notebook ana
donned his hat.
"Where is Pun Shah now, Mr.. Glib
BonT he asked.
"Down at Shorecliffe, presume. He
was there at noon when motored uE
10 town."
"Can you take me to shorecliffe al
oncer'
Certainly; my car Is at the door"
Rogers dictated brief message fol
his partner and left the Office with Mr.
Gibson. In five minutes they were
spinning toward the Thirty-fourtf
street ferry to Long Island City.
shorecliffe was a handsome estate
on the north shore Of the sound. an6
Mr.. Gibson. and the young lawyer
reached the gates within an hour after
leaving Rogers office.
A grave eyed Hindu in snowy tur
ban admitted them to the house, ant
Rogers WAS conscious Of peculia
sensation along his spinal column al
he met the mans piercing glance.
He felt IN that moment that Pul
Shah knew the reason for his coming
as well rs many other things that III
vould not diyulge.