The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-21

Diamond
A Case of Double Detective
Work.
By DONALD CHAMBERLIN

One winter when congress was in
.ss,on I was invited to the national
.n,tal to spend a week with my
Hend Jim Treusdail in company with
kbers forming very pleasant house
lery Jim had not been long mar |
ID and ] was a bachelor. l have
|lvays thought that his wife got up
ke affair especially for my benefit and
hat of Miss Mildred Sweet, Mrs. Jim
osiring to make a match between us
she did she had no trouble, SO far
I was concerned, for 1 had not
.en acquainted with Miss Sweet ten
(inutes before 1 remarked to myself,
That's the girl am looking for"
have theory that good way to
In A Girl is to conjure up something
which you and she may have mu-
Al interest. Fortune favored me in
lis wise;
One evening at dinner Mrs. Jim show
plainly that something had hap
med She said nothing to any Of the
nests and when they spoke to her
|plied in monosyllables. Treusdail
bored hard to keep certain amount
life in the party, but was not sue
ssful.
After dinner Jim took me up to a
Ne den he used to hide away In
d told me what was the matter
wife had lost a diamond as big
hickory nut. 1t had been handed
wn to her from FIVE generations and
en- turned over to her on her we'd
BIZ day. She had taken 1t out of
receptacle to wear it that evening
reception that was to occur at
White House and had left it on
bureau while giving some direc
bs about the dinner.
BE had no sooner told me this than
ecurred to me to make a detective
myself for the purpose Of discover
the thief and to take Miss Sweet
the business with me. BY inter
bng her in the case hoped eventu-
to turn that interest from the
to myself.
asked Jim good many questions,
only elected the information that
ry servant in the house during his
es absence from her room was
rnstairs and quite busy, most OF
with the preparations for the
per, The men guests were all III
billiard room. Two Of the women
Ets were dressing In their rooms
dinner and after that the function
n he White House. A third, wild
Mrs. Jernegan. with a little daugh
FIVE years old, had finished hel
y and was assisting her nurse t.
the child to bed.
rs, Jemegan was my first choice
the thief. Women who are no
sed don't run about in anothe
|ons house, and Mrs. Jernegan wa
only person on the floor at tn
the stone was lost. I went t.
White House reception with Mis-
ct and during the evening told he
NJ { the loss and began to excite he
ri slty as to who could have beel
. thief.
would be a nice thing" said
'Ou and /, working together. coul
. YER the stone and turn 1t back t
Hghtful owner"
deed, 1t would" she said, "bu
a can We do thatY
- oOnt know that we can, but W
y"
Olnded to her that 1 suspecte
'ernegan. She did not especial
An the widow, but could hardl
herself to feel that she ha
tne diamond. l told Miss Swet
sue being woman, could kee
NyE \ on the suspect better than
. We agreed to do so.
" q little scheme up my sleey
wei Mrs. Jernegan to show be
u she were guilty. OF cours
vas not proving her guilty {
~ Oack the stone, but 1t woul
Y O' clew. invited a part.
Ig Mrs. Jernegan, to visit II
Miss Sweet was, Of cours
IA After showing the part
Tue building 1 took them o
ae dome. Tbera ,s a -h,snor,u
- u this dome In which a vol,
NO = On one side can be heard ,
~ Leaving the widow on OF
q 'ne dome, took Miss Swe
lie round the semicircle, an
- = I'LL Mrs. Jernegan was Sc
- % aoa the others. 1 suggested
e, 10 put her mouth near Il
= Whisper the words, what d
W 50, and the effect was 1
- uS and unmistakable. IT
sssered, turned pale and loo
about her. When 81
h. Eyes upon US we were loo
VI 10 the marble floor 4
XIV ~. -psnion was delighted wi
D., VI my device. She seem
va "a with surprise and admir-
"a ,,n,. she was pleased to c,
1UEi l was more interest
~ ns than In the thief. / d
HylC great shrewdness-'nde<