Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1913-08-07

my WaIcn. lt was quarter past g.
The sound had heard was not dis
tant chime. but one very near. and it
was in q watch. When the next time
for it to strike came around | was ~
ing on my back and did not hear it,
but when 1t struck 3:45 my ear was on
my pillow, and heard every stroke.
THAT" ! said. lis Il watch that may
he made to strike the hour. 1t is in
this house and possibly in this room"
In order to make it appear that
was investigating had requested
such change of rooms as was con-
venient had slept in this room two
nights before heard the chime. but
each night there had been strong
wind. Besides. had proved that I'M
less my ear was connected with the
| watch by solids the chime was in
audible. Believing the watch to be in
the room with me. a few minutes be
fore it should strike again l got up
and, pressing my ear against the WALL
heard 1t distinctly During the next
hour made several such experiments
| with view to locating the sound, but
without success.
Then it occurred to me that watch
must tick and if could get near enough
to it might hear It, I walked slowly
around the room, stopping at intervals
to listen, and. drawing near fireplace,
the ticking grew more distinct. Thrust
ing my head up the chimney, heard
watch tick near my ear. | was about
to reach up to grasp it when chime
put my hand upon narrow cop
ing and took down what could feel
to be a brooch. Then grasped other
articles and finally watch.
"Eurekaw exclaimed, delighted.
Leaving the articles where found
them. went back to bed, but not to
sleep. Day soon came. and, rising,
examined the fireplace and found quite
, lot of jewelry. compared the pieces
with list of the lost articles and
found that about two-thirds of them
were on the coping.
found the plunder-or most of it-but
not the thief And in this second part
of my work was as much at loss
how to proceed as had been in the
first place. But / felt comparatively
easy. I had evidence that l was not
another kind of thief in palming my
self off as an Investigator when was
really simply falling in love. called
Mr.. Ainsworth into the library after
breakfast and told him that had
| made important Roadway in the case.
having located a number of the miss
ing articles. intended to say no more;
but, fearing that if left where they
We're the thief would remove them.
added that during the morning would
turn them over.
| That morning when the postman de-
| livered the mail received letter
| from England that obviated the neces-
sity of my remaining in the detective
business. The missive had been fol-
lowing me for some time and was COW
cred with "Try this and try that
place." Endorsed by different postal Of
ficials. 1t announced that the cousin
mentioned earlier in my narrative
vigorous man of thirty. had broken his
neck following the hounds. and since
his wife had not presented him with
an heir was Earl of Barrowfield.
] called up my chief reported the
case so far as had followed it and Of
fered my resignation from his force on
the ground that had business of my
| own that demanded attention. Before
Mr.. Ainsworth went out for the day
der had discovered and made clean
breast of the fact that had learned
where it was, not by deep laid and
methodical process. but by accident.
and declined to receive any pay for my
services or to permit any charge to be
made by the bureau represented.
Mr. Ainsworth declined to accept my
services either as detective or as his
daughters music teacher After argyll
ing with him for awhile showed him
the letter l had received that morning
changing my condition from detec
tive to nobleman.
while am not the son of an old
AlltLu VI YOURS, l SulS, ulll UT Ut
least have been in forlorn circum-
stances. I am your debtor. not you
mine. since have received every kind
ness at the hands of your family"
1t was agreed between us that it
would be better to inform the mem
bers of his family that was not the
son of his old friend. but that in con-
sidering me gentleman they had not
been deceived. Mrs. Ainsworth was
informed first that the bulk of her lost
property had been recovered, that
had come into the house as detective
and was going out nobleman. From
her the news sS:ead to the other mem
bers of the family.
Miss Edith did not seem to know
whether to be glad or sorry at the turn
events had taken. I saw sincerity in
her eyes when she expressed her re-
greet that her music lessons must cease
and said that she supposed the episode
| of nv haino thora muSf nnd and Sha