Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1916-05-05
By JOHN Y. HARMED

One morning | went into a restau.
rant on Fifth avenue, New York, for
luncheon, IL since there was no one
near to show Lee u seat | took one I'm
hidden. | laid my hat and overcoat on
a chair beside me, a waiter presented
me with a menu, and l gave my order
While | was waiting a man came In
and took a seat at u table neal by. He
was ~fashionably dressed, but there
was something in his physiognomy
that | did not like. His clothes seem.
ed too good for his breeding. | pre-
sumo l noticed him especially because
l had nothing else to look at, he being
the only person near me.
After being served and having eat
en- l arose to depart. Taking up my
overcoat | heard something drop on
the floor. S%upposing some article had
fallen from one Of the pockets of the
coat stopped to see what it might be
1t was a Russian leather box, some
thing like a glove box, though much
smaller. Taking 1t up, | pressed q
spring with my thumb, raised the GOV
VI oho q 6oit = VIII
five diamonds, each as large as a pea.
When | raised my eyes from the box
they rested on the man | have mention
ed sitting near me. He was regarding
me with a curious expression. He had
seen me pick up the box, open it and
the look of surprise on my face when
] saw what 1t contained.
An explanation of my find occurred
to me at once. Some lady had been
lunching at the table | had used and
while doing so had laid the jewel box
on the chair beside her. She had gone
away, having forgotten that she had
placed it there. She may have laid 1t
down while eating or when she took
out her portemonnaie to pay the bill.
While | was wondering and DELHI
Grating what to do with my find the
man who was watching me arose from
his table and approached me.
"I1l trouble you for that. sir" he
said. referring to the box.
as it yoursT" l asked.
mo, but l have been employed by
the owner to find 1t. | am q detective
A lady has been robbed of it. Her
maid left her at the same time. | have
beer shadowing the maid and expected
to find her today and hoped to arrest
her. She has doubtless been here and
left the box by mistake"
This story did not hang together. A
lady's maid would not likely be lunch.
rant with a valuable property abe had
stolen and surely would not have for.
gotten it. A woman who was used to
such surroundings and possessions
might have done so. My opinion was
that the man who claimed to be a de.
tectiye WAS bent on getting the find
into his possession In order to get away
with 1t. However, this was only a
supposition of mine. and since l was
found with property that he claimed
had been stolen | did not like the pros
pect of becoming involved in a Grim.
inal matter. ! concluded to temporize
with him.
II Think" l said, that | had better
turn 1t in to the proprietor of the res
t%aurant."
"You had better turn 1t in to me-
he replied. regarding me sternly.
Suppose l refuse?"
SIN that case | shall consider 1t my
duty to run you n"
81 can then tell how l happened TO
find the property"
"And prove if you can hat you have
not stolen It,"
l WINGED. The fellow seemed to be
a bad one, and he might make me a
lot Of trouble. l was wondering what
l had better do when a lady, fashion
ably dressed, came h%urrying up to me,
looking as If something unusual had
occurred. 1t struck me at once that
she was the owner of the property, and
l was not mistaken.
~ left a box on that chair" she said,
pointing. Have you seen it?'
l looked at the detective as much as
to say: rs this your lady's maid? She
looks for oil the world like the lady
herself" Ignoring me In his reply, he
addressed himself to the young lady.
This gentleman has found what you
left l am a detective and have been
employed to trace this property which
has been stolen. l don't know who
you are or how you came into its pos
session. The owner desires to get
back her Jewel, and If it is placed In
my hands l will return it and no ques.
tons will lie asked; If not l shall be
obliged to arrest you and you will have
to prove your innocence"
The lady seemed very much trou-
bled. She looked from the speaker to
me and back from me to the speaker.
my friend" l said to him, there is
a question to be decided concerning
the ownership of this find. This young
oma is evidently a lady, and | am
a gentleman. We both shrink from
appearing in a police court. Let us
find some way by which we can settle
the matter among ourselves"
NXMhoh d. ro,, nnonono on L. .