The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-03-11

all making merry during the evening
in the drawing room Ed was consult
ing with the detective in the basement
and the detective proposed a plan
which Ed reluctantly accepted. l say
reluctantly. for detectives are demo
cratic persons, just as liable to look for
a perpetrator of crime among those of
high as we'll as low degree.
Considering what was hanging over
me 1 slept soundly. The first thing /
did in the morning was to go to the
vest that had hung on the back Of
chair the night before and put my
hand in the pocket to be sure the ring
was there. was thunderstruck to
find it gone. Though I knew just
where | had placed it felt in all the
pockets of the vest and in all the peck
cts in the suit | had worn the night
before. The ring was in none Of them.
The stupidity Of my action in taking
the ring and not producing it at once
now rushed upon me, filling me with .
wonder. /, a man twenty-six years
old, in full possession of all my facul- .
ties, a lawyer familiar with the dan .
gers of placing oneself in a position .
of suspicion of having violated the law, {
to have deliberately appropriated a
valuable diamond ring and kept it in .
my possession all night, made me doubt
but that | had been suddenly trans .
formed into some one else and that
person had been born a fool.
But what should do? What could
| do? | should have gone to the host
at once and made a clean breast of it
all. Had | known what had occurred l
would have done so, but, though l ap-
preciated the position l was in Of liza
bllity to be accused of stealing, my
mind was largely occupied with my
responsibility for the lost property and
having to spend a large sum to replace
It. We lawyers learn not to give away
sur cases by precipitate action, and /
went down to breakfast determined to
keep my own counsel till the proper
moment
Ed Darby was on hand, and instead
of greeting me cheerily he barely
spoke to me. Marjorie, who sat OPP
posite to me, tried to greet me as usual,
+ but seemed constrained and looked
troubled. The meal passed with very
little said by any one. Darby appear
ed to be striving to be CHEEKY to the
others. but took no notice of me. ]
don't know how I appeared, but have
no doubt that | made a splendid pic
ture of a convicted thief, though any
bracing up on my part under a clear
conscience was doubtless taken by
those who knew what happened for
callousness in crime
l made up my mind that as soon as
breakfast was over | would go to Oar
by and have a talk with him in order
to find out what had developed, but he
forestalled me as soon as we left the
dining room and were alone together,
reckoning me to follow him. He took
me to his bedroom, shut the door and
locked ii. Then for the first time he
gave way to his feelings. He opened
on me by saying that he had been con-
founded by proving conclusively that
man he had considered his friend was
a common thief. Then he told me that
during the night a detective had enter
ed mine and other rooms and had
found a valuable ring that belonged to
one Of his guests in my vest pocket
Ny professional habit led me, now
that the worst was known, to proceed
deliberately. | asked him how many
of the party knew what had occurred,
and he said most of them had heard
of it and the rest would learn about
1t at once from those who knew. ]
assured him that l was innocent. but
would like a little time to prepare my
defense. TO this he replied that
could have as long as | wanted, for in
= any event ! would not be prosecuted
under the law. ! would only suffer in
the opinion of those present, since be
would exact a promise from all to re
frain from speaking of it.
Realizing that my only defense was
the story of nv taking and keeping
the ring as have told it here, l asked
Darby to assemble his guests in the
= drawing room and would make my
explanation. He did so. and l made as
good an effort as l am capable of
= making. Indeed, doubt If l could have
made as good one in favor of client
under the same circumstances. The
, effect on my hearers was like playing
= on different musical observation-disclosures
will give out harmonious strains; 9th
ers are irresponsible to the touch, send
ing back discords But the response
. that burst upon me like the tones Of
: an organ on an Easter morning was
given me by Marjorie. When | con-
0 cluded with the words. with this
: must leave each and all of you still to
believe me an honorable man or q
: thief" she advanced from the far end
of the room, where she had taken posi-
ton screened by others, moved direct
{ ly toward me and put out her hand.
From the moment decided upon my
course till this action of Marjorie's
/, had felt hardened to bear what was
: in store for me. When | felt the pres