The Mount Holly news. [volume] (Mount Holly, Burlington Co., N.J.) 1891-1942, 1917-07-03

that it wouldn't do to keep the little
girl In the house. l proposed to Miss
sweet that we walk out, follow the
nurse to the park and see If 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 TOW
balloon. We measured our pace to
suit theirs, and they entered the park
without knowing that we were near
them. A moment later the nurse turn
ed and, suddenly seeing us, gave an
involuntary start.
1.-The plot thickens," l remarked to
my companion. ''Ill bet that this
nurse, being permitted to leave the
house, viii get rid Of the diamond"
Suppose she has it with her nowT'
said Miss Sweet.
"It's possible"
Il have never seen her so agitated
as when she turned and saw us be-
hind her."
i 4Ou dI0 Ol lA0 lEdCh- LOU
the discovery that she was in league
with her mistress. Suppose we let her
see by our acts and the expressions of
our faces that we are watching her.
It may drive her into doing something
that Will expose her."
By this time the nurse had taken a
seat on bench, while the child played
about with her balloon. On several oc-
casions she let go the string, the bal
loon rose, and the nurse caught it only
In time to save 1t. We walked by the
woman and as we did 80 stared at her
ominously. She trembled like leaf.
We walked on a short distance and
turned. The child's balloon had es-
capped and was caught in the branches
Of tree overhanging the seat where
the nurse sat. The child was crying
for her toy, and the nurse was trying
to quiet her.
"I'll buy you another, dearie," she
said. THAT one has gone where one
can't get It."
The nurse spoke the truth. Only q
long ladder would enable any one to
reach the toy. It had lodged some
thirty feet from the ground AS
walked past the tree / looked up at It.
noticed that the string attached to it
hung straight. suggested nothing at
first, but presently asked my COM
panion:
do you notice how straight that
string hangs? Is 1t caught on branch,
and does the balloon keep it tautT
"No; the balloon is against bough
But there Is something small
tied to the end Of the string"
$50 there is"
glanced at the nurse, who knew
we were talking about the balloon, and
saw she was holding her breath from
suspense. called some boys who
were playing near and offered any Of
them a quarter who would climb the
tree and bring down the balloon. One
Of the boys took my offer, and in a
few minutes was In possession Of the
toy. At the end Of the string was o
bit of tissue paper In the paper was
the diamond.
I looked around for the nurse She
had vanished.
The delight both Of myself and Miss
Sweet may be imagined. We started
to the house with the little girl Ear
down the street we saw the nurse run
ming ahead Of us. 1t did not occur to
US what she was going to the house for
till we got there, when we discovered
that she had warned her mistress and
gone on. Before saying word to any
one took the stone to Treusdail, and
we had long consultation. We had
no proof against the widow, and since
she was a connection Of Jims be de-
cided to tell her that her maid had
stolen the diamond and not intimate
to her that she herself was supposed
to have been an accomplish This
would avoid any unpleasantness.
When the matter was given out to
the guests told them all that the find
was entirely due to Miss Sweets In
Genuity and foresight She was the
noness of the party from that moment
till we broke up and generally became
convinced that she had done 1t all her.
self.
That gave me a good start, and In
time ] won-not stone, but woman