The Washington herald., 1915-10-10

!
refrained from reporting it to the po.
lice until I had tried all other means
| Meantime, ! engaged the services OF
more than a dozen private detectives
They have discovered nothing"
TO be sure. When you want to
catch trout. Sir Purdon, it is a waste
of time to bait your hook with worms
But, pardon me. You didn't come here
for a sermon. of course: so, if you
will give me the details of the af-
fairs while 1 am putting few nec-
essary finishing touches to my toilet
l. Thanks very much. Now. if you
| please. how did this melancholy busi-
ness begin" Tell me all about it. I'm
listening.'
| Well to tell you the truth, Mr.
| Cleek. there is not very much to tell
1t may be said to begin. however. with
the arrival of the ring at our estab-
| lishment yesterday-at which period
We returned to their custodian such
! other part of the regalia, ct cetera
as we had already finished working
upon. II was unfortunate that IL
| should have arrived on that particular
day, for. you are no doubt aware,
Yesterday was early-closing day in
our section of the West End: added to
which l had an important engagement
! for that afternoon. So, too, had my
}
and l. quite fair-sized house party
at my place in Bickley-a number of
! American friends who are over for
| the corouat tion-and yesterday after
| noon Lady Mace was giving a garden
party, at which. of course. both my
| son and I aimed to be present. So,
as l have said. the arrival of the
! ring was most inopportune.
Il had just about made up my mind
I n ral- hnn Wit nd
on my person until we should re-
sumo business on the morrow. when
Starbolt came to the rescue with a
very happy suggestion"
! "Starbolt? Who's her"
= AT present foreman of the gem
setting department. Roger Starbolt is
his name. He is young man of eight
and twenty: single. and living with
his aged mother al Buckley and about
own residence. He has been with me
ever since he was a boy: indeed. his
| father was with my father up to the
! time I inherited the business and l
trust him in every way. I tell you
! this. Mr.. Cleek. so you may under
stand why. when he made the PROPOSE
| tion of which l am about to tell you.
| l so readily yielded to his suggestion
and delivered the ring over TO his
charge"
! Ono, He suggested that. did he? l
see. | seet''
No you don't. really: for he did not
intend TO take it off the premises even
for an instant AS he understands
every particle of the manufacture of
jewelry from start TO finish. his prop
osition was this: Let me relieve you
of all anxiety. sir'-to put the matter
into his own words-'by attending to
.ha h,,r eI ar-I a. Of he
setting myself. It won't take more
than two or three hours to do it,
and as my mother is off visiting for
the day and won't be expecting me
home until night. why not let me re-
main here and do the work then at
say five or six o'clock. let Mr.. Avery
here'-Avery is my son. and junior
partner. Mr.. Cleek-'motor up to
town and get the ring from me. take
il with his own hands to the custodian
and deliver 1t over to him in person.
and by that means you will not only
have the work over and done with.
but will be rid of all anxiety and
all trouble of guarding it until to-
morrow"
You accepted the proposition. Of
course"
AT once. 1t certainly offered an
easy way out OF the difficulty: and
had to return to town and absent him
self from our guests in any case. as
he was taking part in Lady Flavia
Hampshire's private theatricals last
night"
'In-ahem, I see. I see. So then
Mr.. Avery Mace is on terms of friend
ly intimacy with Lady F'lavia Hamp-
shire. is he. Sir Purdon? HIM. Do you
-er-approvs of that acquaintance.
may l ask?"
TO the fullest degree. Mr.. Cleek,
assume the remark is due to those
abominable those atrocious. those-er
-damnable ISLANDERS which are being
uttered broadcast with regard TO the
lady. Let me tell you, sir, that there
is not one word of truth in them
not one, That she no longer appears
in what is vulgarly termed The Smart
Set is due not to any social ostra-
cism. but TO the fact that in these
days her ladyship is devoting herself
wholly to rescue work among the
unfortunates of her own sex: and my
son. ! am proud to say. is one of her
most devoted allies"
Ohio, That's il. is it? Then perhaps
that accounts for-no matter. Go on
with the story. please. You concluded
70 accept Roger Starbolt's proposition
with regard to the ring and-then
what? You and your son leave him
there and go off to Lady MaCes garden
party"
Not Immediately. We were on the
point of doing so. to be sure, but our
plans were interfered with by the
sudden arrival of our guest, Capt
Nickerby- -Melch. accompanied by Fes-
sender. our butler. They came"
One moment. please. Capt Mic
kerby -Melch-the name has an attrac-
tion of its own Will the gentleman
be. by any chance. that Capt Nicker-
by-Melch. once Major Tottenham's
heir-who was disinherited for his
wild extravagancies and who passed
through the bankruptcy court last
year."
The very same. He and my son
were at Oxford together. They are
great good friends"
HIN, Yes And he arrived I think
you said. in company with your but
ler?"
"Ah. but We must not misjudge the
captain there. Mr.. Cleek. The circum
stance is very easily explained The
captain came to pay me and my son
this most unexpected visit because he
had Just received a wire from Ma jor
Tottenham calling him to his side
with the promise of reinstating him.
and as he was our guest. he felt that
he could not go away without saying
goodbye to US, and we would not re-
turn to Buckley before he was obliged
to leave. AS he did not know the
way to our place of business and had
but little time in which TO catch his
train. and as Fessenden was obliged