The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1913-03-15

publishing the fact had taken steps to
detect the thief. have never since
ceased TO wonder why ! did not go at
once TO Darby's room. hand him the
ring and tell him how | had found It
! would surely have done so. hut
didn't know where his room was
What has since surprised me is why
didn't rouse the whole household rath-
er than go 10 sleep with piece OF
property in my possession that | was
liable TO he accused OF having stolen.
Had known what had occurred
would have been in terror Miss Ash
ton. the owner of the ring. remember
ed while at the table of having taken
IL off her finger in the lavatory while
she washed her hands. and il occurred
to her that she had not put II on again.
Feeling for ii. she found II not IN its
place ell her finger: but. being one of
those girls who are timid about doing
anything unusual she refraned from
leaving the table to go for her property
Till after dinner. when she did so and
found il gone
After thinking the matter over She
reported th,. loss Ia Darby He. sus-
pecting that the ring had been appro
priated by n servant and not caring 10
give the thief time ia get away with
the property, tpl"phop"d for Il detec-
tive 10 come ut once. While we were
all making merry during the evening
In the drawing room Ed was consult.
10, In,
and the detective proposed a plan
which Ed reluctantly accepted. | say
reluctantly. for detectives are demo
cratic persons, just as liable to look for
perpetratOr OF crime among those or
high as well us low degree.
Considering what was hanging over
me | slept soundly. The first thing |
did in the morning was TO go to the
vest that had hung on the back OF a
chair the night before and put my
hand in the pocket TO he sure the ring
was there. | was thundcrstruck to
find il gone. Though | knew just
where had placed it felt in all the
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, u lawyer familiar with the dan
gers of placing oneself in 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 n fool.
But what should do? What could
| do? | should have gone TO the host
at once and made a clean breast OF II
all Had | known what had occurred |
would have done so. but, though ap-
preciated the position ! was in OF liza.
bility TO be accused of stealing, my
mind was largely occupied with my
responsibility for the lost property and
having to spend large sum to replace
Il. We lawyers learn not to give away
cur cases by precipitate action. and
went down to breakfast determined ia
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 op'
poste IN 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 he CHEEKY to the
others. but took no notice OF me.
don't know how | appeared, but have
no doubt that made a splendid pic.
ture OF convicted thief, though any
bracing up on my part under clear
conscience was doubtless taken by
those who knew what happened FOL
callousness In crime
made up my mind that as soon as
breakfast was over | would go to Oar
by and have 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
beckoning me to follow him. He took