Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1920-04-16
CHAPTER iIl.-Continued.

I dined in a little restaurant in one
of the side streets and walked home.
Immediately on entering the apart
ment decided to put my money in
the wall safe. There would be less
temptation for me to spend it if
carried only a little in my pocket.
AS I opened the safe by means of
the combination 1 made the astound-
ing discovery that one Of the jewel
cases had disappeared.
And now stood hesitating at the
telephone. Self-protection bade me
notify neither the superintendent nor
the police. Yet 1 must do something.
The jewels entrusted to my care had
been stolen. The thief must be found
and the pearls recovered.
Why should not I myself play the
detective? 1 had abundant leisure
now. My great-uncle had Informed
me that there was something wrong
in the house and had charged me to
discover what it was. Here was the
opportunity for me to fulfill the trust
he had imposed on me.
The thought flashed across my mind,
too, that perhaps the crafty old gen.
tleman had deliberately planned the
disappearance of the gems. Perhaps
he had devised an elaborate test to
see if I was honest, if I was of the
right caliber to be his heir. Maybe he
and his wife had not gone to Maine
at all. They might even be quartered
in another apartment in this very
house, surreptitiously entering when
they knew was absent. There real
ly had been no necessity for them to
give me the combination of the safe.
They need not have told me anything
about the pearls. I wondered if they
themselves might not have taken away
the jewel box just to see if 1 would
discover the loss and to ascertain
what I would do about it.
Another theory suggested itself. My
aunt evidently priced her jewels high
ly. After they had started she might
have repented having left them behind
and have sent the old colored butler
back to get them. He of course
would have a 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 a
day or two I would receive a letter
from old. Rufus that would explain
everything.
I was glad now I had not notified
the superintendent nor the police My
second theory surely was far more log
ical than the first. 1t seemed prepos-
ferrous that they would risk hundreds
Of thousands of dollars worth of gems
Just to test my honesty.
Still, I determined to make a thor
ough Investigation. If they had been
stolen, would set about in a scien-
tific way to discover the method of
the theft and to bring about restora-
ton. I would keep my investigation
secret, and if it turned out that the
pearls were safe, no one would know
of my fright about the matter. 1 be-
gan outlining my work as a detective
First, 1 would examine the safe
knob for possible finger prints.
Second, I would interrogate Mrs
Burke. would watch her carefully
for any appearance of guilt. I would
try, without arousing her suspicious
to ascertain if she had let her key
out of her possession.
Third, I would insert an advertise
ment offering reward for the return
Of the jewels, so worded that only the
thief and myself would understand
Fourth, I would try to locate the
Gastons and would question the hal
boys and telephone girl as to whether
they had surreptitiously returned.
Fifth, 1 must try and discover wha1
was in the mysterious letter that ha6
led to my discharge. While this die
not seem to have any connection witt
| the other affairs that were troubling
me, if | was to remain in New YorE
and become better acquainted will
| Barbara Bradford, as 1 fondly hoped
| meant to have nothing hanging ove]
| me.
| I was about to get into bed, ha(
turned out the light, in fact, when
recalled the errand that had led me t.
open the wall safe. I had more thar
two hundred dollars in my trousers
pocket and 1 purposed putting i
where it would be safe With tn,
feeling that if the jewels had disap
peared, so might my money, 1 pressed
the light button in the sitting room
and looked about for a hiding place
Recalling custom of my mothers,
stepped over to the bookcase and tax
ing a Macaulays History, Volum,
Three from the shelf, placed between
the leaves all of my money excep
fifteen dollars. No burglar was likel,
to find it there.
1 extinguished the light and in tn
darkness stepped back into my bed
room, and stopped stock still.
From somewhere in the room ther
came three distinct taps. Instructive
ly 1 crouched in an attitude of self
! defense and strained my ears TO listen