The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1913-12-14

Your diamondsT' The manager looked
at her and then at me. II trust. madam.
you are Mistaken
I'm not mistaken" She sank on to a
chair. She was big woman OF about
fifty. and. at the best Of times, was scant
of breath. Such was her agitation that
Just them she could scarcely breathe at
all. ''As II I could be mistaken about
thing like that! / went up to my bed
room-to dress for dinner-and I I'M
locked my trunk I always keep II
locked: took out my jewel-case-and IN
locked that-and my diamonds were gone.
They've been Observation-Disclosures
She repeated the word stolen three
times over, as IL the Nervousness Of the
fact required TO be emphasized by repeti-
ton. The manager was evidently I'M
This is a very serious matter. Mrs.
Anstruther-"
She cut him short.
Serious? Do you think I need you to
tell me that it's serious? You don't know
how serious. Those diamonds are worth
thousands and thousands of pounds
more than the whole of your twopenny-
helfpenny hotel-and they've been stolen.
From my trunk, In my bedroom, in your
hotel, they've been stolenr'
Inc way INC a.
He looked at me, and he asked:
What do you know about this?'
What did I know? In the midst OF
my confusion and distress 1 was asking
myself what I did know. Before could
speak the door was opened again and
Mrs. Newhall came in. And not Mrs.
Newhall only, but six or seven other
women, some of them accompanied oy
men-their husbands and their brothers-
Ar they all told the same tale. Some
thing had been stolen from each: from
Mrs. Newhall her i've strings Of pearls.
from Mrs. This and Miss That
the article of jewelry which was
valued most. I am convinced that
that manager. or his room, or probably
his hotel, had never witnessed such a
scene before. They were all as excited
as could be. and they were all taking
at once, and every second or two some
one else kept coming in with some fresh
tale OF a dreadful loss. How that man
kept his head at all was, and Is, mys-
terry to me. At last he reduced them TO
something like silence, and In the pres
eL- = Of them all he said to me-poinuns
at me with his finger, as II ! were a thing
to be pointed at:
ct is you who have done this! Your
The manager spoke to an understrap-
per.
Have this young woman's luggage
searched at once, In the presence OF Wit
nesses. and let me know the result As
soon as you possibly can"
As the under-strapper went out 1 no
ticed for the first time that Mr.. stern
dale was present with the rest ana al
most at the same instant his sister came
in. She looked about her as II wondering
what was the cause Of all the fuss. Then
she went up to her brother, ana ne
whispered something to he-, ana sne
whispered something to him. Only three
or four words In each case, but my neart
gave a leap In my bosom-l mean mat
really because 1t did feel as II II actuaI-
ly had iumped-courage came into me, ana
strength, and something better than nope
certainty; because they had oeh'ereo
themselves into my hands. l was never
more thankful that had the power Oh
eavesdropping-you can cal u eaEesuIop
ping, II you like!-than I was at that
moment. L knew had only to walt TIL
the proper moment came, and the tolls
In which they thought they had caught
me would prove to be mere nothings;
they would be caught and l should De
free.
That uuder-strapper came back In a
surprisingly short space OF time win
handbags brown bag. wnich recos-
nized to be my own
The agitated guests CROWDED around
him like a swarm OF bees he nad GIN
Guilty in forcing his way through them.
The manager aid his best to keep them
In something like order-frst with show
OF mildness.
Ladies', gentlemen-gently. gently, II
you please" Then. with sudden ferocity:
''Stand back, there! II you will not stand
back, IL you will not make room, how
can anything be done? Keep these people
saokr'