The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1920-04-03
CHAPTER Ili.-Continued.

dined in a little restaurant in one
of the side streets and walked home.
Immediately on entering the apart
ment l decided to put my money in
the wall safe. There would be less
temptation for me to spend it if |
carried only little in my pocket.
As | opened the safe by means of
the combination | made the astound-
ing discovery that one of the jewel
cases had disappeared.
And now | stood hesitating at the
telephone. Self-prOtection babe me
notify neither the superintendent nor
the police. Yet | must ic something.
The Jewels entrusted To my care had
been stolen. The thief must be found
and the pearls recovered.
Why should not | myself play the
detective? | had abundant leisure
now. My great-uncle bad informed
me that there was something wrong
i'm the house and had charged me to
discover what il was. Here was the
nnportunity for me to fulfill the trust
tie had imposed on me.
The thought flashed across my mind,
too, that perhaps the crafty old gen
tleman had deliberately planned the
disappparance of the gems. Perhaps
he had devised an elaborate test to
see if | was honest, if | was of the
right caliber to be his heir. Maybe he
and his wife had not gone TO Maine
nj all. They might even be quartered
in another apartment in this very
house. surreptitiOusly entering when
they knew | was absent. There real
" had been no necessity for them TO
give me the combination of the safe.
They need not have told me anything
about the pearls. | wondered If they
themselves might not have taken away
the Jewel box just to see If | would
discover the loss and TO ascertain
what | would do about ii.
Another theory suggested itself. My
aunt evidently priced her jewels high
iy. After they had started she might
have repented having left them behind
and have sent the old colored butler
hack to get them. He of course
would have key to admit him, and
they would have supplied him with
the safe combination. as they had me
Probably he had been told to leave
some message for me and had forgot
ten TO do so. More than likely in
day or two I would receive a letter
from old Rufus that would explain
everything.
was glad now | had not notified
the superintendent nor the police. Nj!
second theory surely was far more log
ical than the first. II seemed prepos
ferrous that they would risk hundred:
of thousands of dollars worth of gem:
Just to test my honesty.
Still. ] determined TO make thor
ough investigation. If they had beer
| stolen. I would set about In scien
tific way TO discover the method o
the theft and to bring about restora
ton. I would keep my investigation
secret, and II it turned out that tn
| pearls were safe. no one would know
Of my fright about the matter. / be
gan outlining my work as detective
First, / would examine the SAT-
knob for possible finger prints.
Second, would interrOgate Mrs
Burke. | would watch her CAREFUL,
for any appearance Of guilt. woul'
try. without arousing her suspicious
70 ascertain If she had let her Ike
out Of her possession.
Third, I would insert an advertise
ment offering a reward for the retur
of the jewels. so worded that only tn
thief and myself would understand
Fourth. | would try TO locate tn
Gastons and would question the hal
boys and telephone girl as to whethe
they had surreptitiously returned.
Fifth. | must try and discover wha
was in the mysterious letter that ha
led to my discharge. While this di
not seem to have any connection wit
the other affairs that were troublin
me, If | was to remain in New Yor
and become better acquainted wit
Barbara Bradford, as l fondly hOpet
meant to have nothing hanging owe
me.
was about to get into bed. ha
turned out the light, In fact, when
recalled the errand that had led me
open the we'll safe. had more tina
two hundred dollars in my trouser
pocket and l purposed putting
where IL would be safe. With III
feeling that If the jewels had disaI