The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-24


held long deliberations with Miss
o"eet, who was now profoundly IN.
terested In the case. These de,ihara
tlons, besides giving us something in
common, enabled ME to be a good deal
with her. | hoped, If l made.anv fur.
ther progress, to lead my assistant 70
think that it was her Ingenuity or
perceptive faculty that was doing the
work and not mine.
nave made discovery" said
Miss Sweet to me one day. with great
glee.
You don't mean it," replied
Have you found where the gem is
concealed"
mo. | have discovered that Mrs.
Jernegia's nursemaid shares her SO.
cret with her"
How so:'
"They know that we are watching
them. Whenever the nurse sees me
looking at her she quails."
Its two against two. isn't it?"
Yes, and We'll beat them yet"
mo doubt of It."
Have you anything to suggest?"
well, no; not just now.
| We saw the nurse go out with her
! charge and knew that every afternoon
she took the child to little park in
/ the neighborhood Treusdail should
not have permitted this, but he said
that it wouldn't do to keep the little
girl in the house. | proposed to Miss
Sweet that we walk out. follow the
nurse to the park and see IL we could
learn anything She consented, and.
getting her hat and wraps we sailed
forth.
We soon saw the nurse walking
slowly, the child trotting alone, either
beside or behind her, carrying a toy
balloon. We measured our pace to
suit theirs, and they entered the park
without knowing that We were neal
them. A moment later the nurse turn
ed and. suddenly seeing us, gave al
involuntary start.
"The plot thickens." remarked t
my companion. "lll bet that this
nurse, being permitted to leave th'
house, will get rid of the diamond l."
Suppose she has it with her now! !!
said Miss Sweet.
Its possible"
"I have never seen her so agitate
as when she turned and saw us be
hind her"
"You are on the track. You mao
y tho discovery that she was In leagu
i with her mistress. Suppose we let ile
see by our acts and the expressions
our faces that we are watching ne
Il 1t may drive her into doing somethir
Z that will expose her
4 By this time the nurse had taken
Il scat on a bench. while the child playt
10 about with her balloon. On seVeral
II casions she let go the string, the ID
: loon rose, and the nurse caught on
L IN time 10 save it. We walked BY u
II woman and as we did so stared at II
% om,nously. She trembled like leu
We walked on a short distance a.
,e .,,rnod The chllds balloon had
ot coned and was caught In the branch
er ~ free overhanging the seat Whe
as tho nurse sat The child was cryl
ie for her toy, and the nurse was trSi
to quiet her ,
S. .I,u buy you another. dearle'
er .o,d ..Tbat one has gone where o
g :. can't get It." al,
IN Tho nurse spoke the truth. ohiy
LONG ladder would enable any one
q, reach the toy. 1t had lodged Sol
ID thirty feet from the ground As
TO walked past the tree looked ul a. :.
noticed that the string attached u
ut hing straight. l suggested nothing
first but presently asked my $
paniOn; ,h. ;,
.Do YOU notice how straight U
ed -,.o hon0sf Isit caught on pran
,is and does the balloon keep II 'a'u -,
liy "No; the balloon is against a 'u pou
ad pr, tbere Is something very snh'
'es a tied to the end of the strhS'
80 there is. -.ho In
l. glanced at the nurse VINO ~
wa were talking about the oallop", .
we sow =" sbe was holding her breath i (,
Ter sam ,onse | called some boys '
rse mara nlaying near and offered any
or ,naw ~ ! quarter who would cnmO
iid ..aa and bring down the balloon, ,
o. y, ., the boys took my of'er' anu 80
.ne :" Few minutes was in possession p' - =,
..s se, tov. tov Al the end Of the string a.as W.
iw ,,n b,t Of tissue paper. In the pape'
Ing the diamond. .,so
ice looked around for the nurse
me 'r The delight both Of myself anu = .
,ne a., ,.s, me mas be imagined. We sta
nd. nd s".s :" ,se house with the little girl
an' 70 90 sn' the street we saw the nurse
TO uU u,Dy ahead Of US. 1t did not ,,,, or.1 :
the - m What She was going to tne ,,n,, nou,,
did did Us Us, Wra we cot there, when We cOa discos
,a ,5at '" sbe had warned her mistress .S ,o
IN lna. . on On before saying wora -
rhe song @ took the stone 10 TreuSuan, az
one tV'A .,,,Iratfon we