Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1917-08-24

common, enabled me to DO a good deal
with her. hoped, II made any fur
Their progress, to lead my assistant to
think that 1t was her ingenuity or
perceptlve faculty that was doing the
work and not mine.
II have made q discovery" said
Miss Sweet to me one day, with great
glee.
"You don't mean itw l replied
Have you found where the gem is
concealed?"
"No. have discovered that Mrs.
Jernegan's nursemaid shares her Sc
cret with her."
"How SOP
"They know that we are watching
them. Whenever the nurse sees me
looking at her she QuaAls."
"It's two against two, Isn't it2"
Yes, and Wen beat them yet"
"No 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 a little park In
the neighborhood. Treusdal should
not have permitted this, but he said
that 1t 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 II 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 near
them. A moment later the nurse turn
ed and, suddenly seeing US. gave an
involuntary start.
"The plot thickens," remarked to
my companion. I'm bet that this
nurse, being permitted to leave the
house, will get rid OF the diamond"
Suppose she has 1t with her now"
said Miss Sweet.
'It's possible"
IT have never seen her so agitated
as when she turned and saw us be-
hind her"
"You are on the track. You made
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.
1t 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 30 stared at her
ominously. She trembled like leaf.
We walked on a short distance and
turned. The chlld's balloon had es-
capped and was caught In the branches
Of a tree overhanging the seat where
the nurse sat. The child was crying
for her toy, and the nurse was trying
to quiet her.
an buy you another, dearie," she
said. That one has gone where ono
can't get It."
The nurse spoke the truth. Only a
long ladder would enable any one TO
reach the toy. 1t had lodged some
thirty feet from the ground. As
walked past the tree looked up at 1t.
noticed that the string attached to 1t
hung straight. I suggested nothing at
first, but presently asked my COM
panion:
ado you notice how straight that
string hangs2 Is 1t caught on branch,
and does the balloon keep 1t tautT
"No; the balloon is against a 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 q quarter who would climb the
tree and bring down the balloon. One
Of the boys took my offer, and in
few minutes / was I'm possession Of the
toy. At the end OF the string was a
bit Of tissue paper. In the paper was
the diamond.
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. Far
down the street we saw the nurse run
ming ahead Of u.s. It 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 Trousdail, and
we had long consultation. We had
no proof against the widow, and since
she was a connection OF Jim's he 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 oil that the find
was entirely due to Miss Sweets In
genuity and foresight. She was the
lioness OF the party from that moment
till we broke up and generally became
convinced that she had done II all her
self.
That gave me good start, and in
time / wsn-not stone, but woman.
oH - n T. ="