The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-02
TheStolen
Diamond
A Case of Double Detective
Work.
By DONALD CHAMBERLIN


capital to spend week with my
friend Jim Treusdail In company with
others, forming very pleasant house
party. Jim had not been long mar
ried, and l was bachelor. have
always thought that his wife got up
the affair especially for my benefit and
that of Miss Mildred Sweet, Mrs. Jim
desiring to make a match between U.S.
If she did she had no trouble, so far
as | was concerned, for l had not
been acquainted with Miss Sweet ten
minutes before l remarked to myself,
That's the girl l am looking for"
l have a theory that good way to
win a girl is to conjure up something
in which you and she may have a mu-
tual interest. Fortune favored me in
this wise:
One evening at dinner Mrs Jim show
ed plainly that something had hap
pened. She said nothing to any of the
guests and when they spoke to her
replied in monosylables. Treusdail
labored hard to keep certain amount
of life in the party, but was not sue
ceSsful
After dinner Jim took me up to a
little den he used to hide away In
and told me what was the matter
His wife had lost diamond as big
as hickory nut. 1t had been handed
down to her from five generations and
been turned over to her on her we'd
ding day. She had taken 1t out of
it's receptacle to wear it that evening
at a reception that was to occur at
the White House and had left it on
her bureau while giving some direc-
tions about the dinner.
He had no sooner told me this than
it gecurred to me t0 make Q 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.
l asked Jim a good many questions,
but only elected the information that
every servant IN the house during his
wifc's absence from her room was
downstairs and quite busy, most of
them with the Preparations for the
elmer The men guests were all in
~le billiarl room: Twq Of the women
guests were dressing In their rooms
for dinner and after that the function
at the White House. A third, a wild
Ow, Mrs. Jernegan, with little daugh-
ter. five years old, had finished her
toilet and was assisting her nurse to
put the child to bed
Mrs, Jernegan was my first choice
for the thief. Women who are no,
dressed don't run about in another
persons house, and Mrs. Jernegan was
the only person on the floor at the
the White House reception with Miss
Sweet and during the evening told hel
about the loss and began to excite hel
curiosity as to who could have beer
the thief.
1T would be nice thing" l said
IF you and l. working together, coult
recover the stone and turn it back I,
the rightful owner"
"Indeed. it would" she said. "bu,
how can We do that q
II don't know that We can. but W,
can try.
l conlided to her that | suspected
| Mrs. Jernegan. She did not especial,
| fancy the widow, but could harll,
| bring herself to feel that she ha,
stolen the diamond. | told Miss Swee
| that she, being woman, could keel
an eye on the suspect better than
| and she agreed to do so.
| ! had a little scheme up my sleev
to compel Mrs. Jcrnegan to show he
color II she were guilty. OF cours
that was not proving her guilty o
getting back the stone, but It woul,
serve for clew. | invited party
including Mrs, Jernegan. to visit tn
capitol. Miss Sweet was, of course
with us. After showing the part
through the building | took them u
into the dome. There is whisperin
gallery in this dome in which a voic
speaking on one side can be heard q
the other. Leaving the widow ON on
side of the dome, | took Miss Swee
halfway round the semicircle, ant
watching till Mrs. Jernegan was sci
arated from the others. suggested I
Miss Sweet to put her mouth near th
wall and whisper the words. What di
| you do with it?"
II She did SO. and the effect was ii
Simultaneous and unmiStakable. TIL
widow staggered, turned pale and lool
ed hurriedly about her. When ST
y turned her eyes upon us we We're lool
ing down on to the marble floor ia
below.
Ny companion was delighted wit
the success Of my device. She SCENE
TO be struck with surprise and admir-;
ton at what she was pleased to ca
my ingenuity. l was more intereste
in Miss Sweet than In the thief. l di
claimed any great shrewdness-indee
thus far l was simply lucky. But
must keep up the illusion. / must fin
some method of learning from the wi