The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-09

you just one question, sir. Did you
mean to insinuate anything m respect to
me and Mrs. Harlow's rotten jewelry to-
hight on the beach,
Not In the least, colonel" said Raw
son. Not in the least, sir. never in
dulge in insinuation. Sometimes l &C
cuse, but innuendo is mean weap-
on"
well, then" retorted the colonel
did you mean to accuse me of knowing
anything more about this business than
you DOR
mo, colonel" said Rawson! II hon.
estly don't believe you do know any
thing more about it than / do"
Thank you" said the colonel, consid-
erably Modified. You won't mind my
speaking about it, old chap. IL felt
rather badly at what seemed to be a
pointed allusion to myself in your re-
marks, and / deemed It best"
Don't mention it, my dear colonel,
said Rawson. Il haven't meant to be
at all offensive, and l hope that TO show
you've no hard feelings you will join
! me in a little dinner / am giving on
Saturday night, in honor of Mrs. Som
ersby Hsrlow?"
Certainly, my dear Rawson-most
assuredly l will,
I shall never forget that dinner so
long as | shall live, not so much because
of the quality of the menu, which was
excellent, as for its tremendously
dramatic climax. We sat down sixteen
at table, and, the party being unusually
congenial, everything went of with
spirit. OF course, the subject of the
robbery at Esperanza-by-the-Sea was the
uppermost topic of conversation, and
in that particular line of table talk, of
course, Rawson shone brilliantly. He
gave us many interesting instances OF
parallel cases, and, considering Col. Bus
tards presence at the board, he ended
daringly
The high-water mark of genteel
burglary, however" he remarked as the
coffee was served, was the case OF that
poor devil Maj. SHELTON, OF the British
army, who was cashiered in India some
eight years ago for what they politely
called kleptomania. 1t was a peculiarly
battling sort OF affair, and it got terribly
on the nerves of the officers stationed at
Bombay. 1t seems that Maj. Shelton
was a-by the way, Bustard,' he inter
rupted himself, as if very casually, you
must have known Skelton-you were
stationed at Bombay yourself about
that time, weren't you:"
Bustard's face was a study. l watch
ed him narrowly and in spite OF his
ford complexion, which could neither
turn pale nor blush, could see his
color change, but he unquestionably had
nerve
Yves" he said, nervously lingering
his coffee spoon. "Yes-l was in India
! at the tine-though not attached to
/ Gen. Sir William Bennet's staff. was
-er-I was out there on special duty
never met Shelton, but-er-I heard a
good deal about his case. 1t was baf-
| fling, as you say, and | never was quite
able to convince myself Of his guilt
Really" said Rawson. 81 had always
supposed that that was evident. They
certainly found Lady Bennett Jewels
in his possession, didn't they
Surely they did" said Bastard, and
Shelton refused to say how he had come
by them. He simply refused to open his
mouth, and took his medicine-but one
or two people OF my acquaintance have
always firmly believed that Lady Bennett
had herself given them to him to raise
money on so that she could pay off some
pressing gambling debts she didn't want
Gen. Sir William to know about. True
or not. that's the way the story came to
me-"
Then you claim that. Shelton was a
hero instead OF a thief" said Rawson.
II really don't know anything
about it," said Bastard. "All l know is
that it is one OF the stories told quietly
in Bombay. If it's true, and SHELTON
held his tongue to save a woman's rep
utation-why, yes-he was something OF
a hero"
For once Rawson seemed to me to be
trife clustered.
But what's the use of raking up that
old scandal now?" said the colonel
Skeletons ruined man-down and out
and probably gone to the dogs long
ago
Poor devilp said Rawson. IF that
was the case he deserves our sympathy,
and in drinking his health my only re-
greet is that the only legal tipple here
abouts is grape juice or Jamaica ginger.
And now for pleasanter things" he
added, rising and addressing himself to
Mrs. Harlow.