The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-07-24
Stolen
| Diamond
|. Case Of Double Detective
Work.
Nv DONALD CHAMBERLIN

t><<<<><<>>~~~~~~~~~~"~
NO winter when congress was in
~, was invited to the national
j,,.l to spend a week with my
nd lin Treusdail in company with
=. forming a very pleasant house
- lin had not been long mar
and was a bachelor. I have
AVS thought that his wife got up
affair especially for my benefit and
Of Miss Mildred Sweet, Mrs. Jim
iring to make a match between us.
.be did she had no trouble, SO far !
was concerned, for l had not
n acquainted with Miss Sweet ten
mites before l remarked to myself,
hats the girl am looking for"
have theory that a good way to
a Girl is to conjure up something
which YOU and she may have mu
interest, Fortune favored me In
wise.
no evening at dinner Mrs. Jim show
plainly that something had hap
Ied She said nothing to any Of the
lsts and when they spoke to her
lied in monosyllables. Treusdail
ored hard to keep a certain amount
life in the party, but was not sue
Efu.
fter dinner Jim took me up to
q den he used to hide away in
told me what was the matter.
wife had lost a diamond as big
hickory nut. 1t had been handed
IN to her from five generations and
n turned over to her on her we'd
g 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 wh.e giving some direc-
Is about the dinner.
e had no sooner told me this than
ecurred to me to make detective
myself for the purpose Of discover
the thief and to take Miss Sweet
the business with me. By inter.
he her in the case I hoped eventu
to turn that interest from the
to myself.
asked Jim a good many questions
only elected the information tha'
ry servant in the house during hi
es absence from her room wa:
fnstairs and quite busy, most o
m with the preparations for th'
her, The men guests were all II
billiard room. Two Of the womel
sts were dressing In their room
dinner and after that the function
The White House. A third, wild
Mrs. Jernegan, with a little daugh
FIVE years old, had finished he
ct and was assisting her nurse t
the child to bed.
RS Jernegan was my first choic
the thief. Women who are nc
Bsed don't run about in anothe
son's house, and Mrs. Jernegan wa
only person on the floor at tn
E the stone was lost. went t
White House reception with Mis-
pet and during the evening told he
Ut the loss and began to excite he
|osity as to who could have bee
thief.
l would be nice thing" l sal
you and l, working together, coul
'ver the stone and turn it back
rightful owner"
indeed, it would" she said, "b,
can We do thatY
don't know that we can, but "
try"
b con1ded to her that 1 suspects
Jenegan. She did not especial
y the widow, but could hard
g herself to feel that she b,
eh the diamond. 1 told Miss Swe
! she being a woman. could ke'
eye on the suspect better than
she agreed to do so.
nad little scheme up my slee
ompel Mrs. Jernegan to show b
rs II she were guilty. OF cour
was not proving her guilty
'ug back the stone, but 1t wou
= ior clew. / invited part
. luhg Mrs. Jernegan, to visit t
3 "i Miss Sweet was, Of cour
= u.s. After showing the par
ign the building I took them
'ne dome. There is a whisperi
rs In this dome In which a vo
: nhg on one side can be heard
Olaer Leaving the widow on @
" VI the dome, I took Miss Sw'
i way round the semicircle, al
Jung till Mrs. Jernegan was s.
~ from the others, I suggested
sweet to put her mouth near
auu whisper the words, "What
% with itT'
uiu so, and the effect was
lc .aueous and unmistakable. .
IL staggered, turned pale and 10
ss'Iledly about her. When
81 ner eyes upon us we were 10
-O"n on to the marble fioor
"mpanion was delighted "
-Scess Of my device. She seen
|. suuck with surprise and adm
sl what she was nleased 70