Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-07-04
Stolen
Diamond
A Case Of Double Detective
Work.
By DONALD cHAmBERLN

spsgiofl l was ih'iaeu :" auS tsAea"hai
.,n,,al 10 spend a week with my
,5snd Jim Treusdail In company with
otbers forming very pleasant house
Marty. Jim had not been long mar
.,os and was a bachelor. l have
always thought that his wife got up
me affair especially for my benefit and
,ba, Of Miss Mildred Sweet, Mrs. Jim
s.siring 20 make a match between us.
~ she aid she had no trouble, so far
a. was concerned, for ! had not
been acquainted with Miss Sweet ten
minutes before I remarked to myself,
That's the girl am looking for"
have theory that good way to
win A girl is to conjure up something
m which you and she may have mu-
tua, interest Fortune favored me In
this wise:
One evening at dinner Mrs, Jim show
cd plainly that something had hap
rened. She said nothing to any OF the
guests aud when they spoke to her
pplied In monosyllablcs. Treusdail
hbored hard to keep q certain amount
Of life in the party, but was not sue
cessful.
After dinner Jim took me up to q
little den he used to hide away In
and told me what was the matter.
His wife had lost q diamond as big
as hickory nut. IL had been handed
down to her from I'VE generations and
been turned over to her on her we'd
ding day. She had taken 1t out OF
its receptacle to wear It that evening
at reception that was to occur at
the White House and had left It on
her bureau while giving some dircc-
tons about the dinner.
Il REQUIRED to me to make detective
Of myself. for the purpose Of discover
Ing the thief and TO take Miss Sweet
into the business with me. BY inter
esting her in the case hoped eventu-
ally TO turn that interest from the
gem TO myself.
| asked Jim a good many questions.
but only ELECTED the Information that
every servant in the house during his
wife's absence from her room was
downstairs and quite busy. most Of
them with the preparations for the
dinner. The men guests were all In
the billiard room. Two OF the women
guests were dressing In their rooms
for dinner and after that the function
at the White House. A third. Wild
ow. Mrs. Jernegan, with little daugh-
ter, Ave years old. had finished her
toilet and was assisting her nurse to
put the child tn bed.
Mrs, Jeraegan was my first choice
for the thief. Women who are not
dressed don't run about in another
persons house. and Mrs. Jernegan was
the only person ON the floor at the
time the stone was lost. went to
the White House reception with Miss
Sweet and during the evening told her
about the loss and began to excite her
curiosity as to who could have been
the thief.
1t would be a nice thing" / said.
III you and !, working together. could
recover the stone and turn 1t back to
the rlghtful owner"
Indeed. 1t would" she said. -but
Row can We DO thatY'
4 don't know that we can, but we
can try"
| coniided to her that l suspected
AIRS. Jernegan. She did not especially
fancy the widow, but could hardly
bring herself to feel that she had
stolen the diamond. told Miss Sweet
mat she, being a woman. could keep
an eye on the suspect better than /.
and she agreed to do so.
bad little scheme up my sleeve
70 compel Mrs. Jernegan to show her
.oiors II she were guilty. OF course
mat was not proving her guilty or
setting back the stone, but 1t would
serve Tor clew. I invited a party,
including Mrs Jernegan. to visit the
capitol. Miss Sweet was. OF course,
Win US. After showing the party
through the building took them up
INTO the dome. There Is whispering
gallery in this dome In which voice
speaking ON one side can be heard at
ae other. Leaving the widow on one
siae OF the dome, / took Miss Sweet
aairway round the semicircle, and,
watching till Mrs. Jernegan was sep
grated from the others. suggested to
1iss Sweet to put her mouth near the
wan ana whisper the words. what did
You do with itY'
one did so. and the effect was In
stantaneous and unmistakable. The
wow staggered. turned pale and look
81 hurriedly about her. When she
.uined her eyes upon us we were lock-
down on to the marble floor far
below.
Ay companion was delighted with
me success Of my device. She seemed
" De struck with surprise and admira-
uon at what she was pleased to call
ny ingenuity. was more interested
y Miss Sweet than In the thief. l dis
s,aimed any great shrewdness--ind
eoas Tar was simply lucky. But /