The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-01-11

in the garden between the main building
and the Drammen Road.
when they have guests at Villa Bal
larat, it is often the custom to serve the
coffee in the museum, especially when
the guests wish to see the curiosities.
Jurgens, the lawyer, had then for the
twentieth time asked to see the black
tortoise, and was persistently pressing
Prick to sell it to him.
will pay fsoo cash for it r shout
ed the old man.
In the first place it is worth four
times as much, my dear Jurgens,' old
Prick had replied, and besides,
wouldn't sell it at any price
"Jurgens then had TO relinQuish all
hopes of obtaining the diamond; but he
continued asking to be allowed to buy
some of the other curiesities. He was
especially struck with little elephant
carved in ivory with clock in its fore
head The clock-worls lie in the ami
mails body, and the trunk acts as the
pendulum The swinging backward and
forward of the trunk has most comieal
effect
He had no better success with the
elephant than he had had with the tor
toise; and it was rather relief to the
family when the tiresome old man was
taken away by his servant You know
he has some difficulty in walking, and
has to be carried about in wheeled
chair, pushed by his servant
ea,d 1roo1 ~, NJ
and was just going to lock the cases,
after having put everything in its place,
when a cry was heard outside,
The clumsy servant, who had appar-
emily been drinking, had nearly upset
the old man onto one of the flower beds.
"All rushed out from the museum into
the garden.
after having got Nj. Jurgens right
ed again, and safely outside the gate,
they all went into the house. Thus it
came about that old Prick forgot to lock
both the cupboard with the iron shutters
and the door to the museum
1T was then exactly Ave o'clock Ia
the afternoon.
"Old Prick went up 10 his room and
took his after-dinner nap. Miss Sigrid
went out for a walk; she had been
suffering from headache the whole day.
AT six o'clock they met again; she
had been back quarter of an hour, and
awaited her uncle with Afternoon tea
in the sitting-room.
The two sat together till seven
o'clock drank tea, and went through
Sigrid's household accounts.
AT seven the young girl went again
for little walk, as her headache was
no better
when Prick had seen her to the
gate, he suddenly remembered that the
door of the museum was not locked,
and then he made the discovery that the
diamond was gone.
The gate-keeper, 1verson, had spent
the time between hye and half-past
seven in the little lodge; he had been
busy with some carpentering, and stood
at the windows, which looked out on
the gate and the road
Il asked him if any one had passed
! in or out during that time. The key
to the gate hung in the room where he
was working, and he had himself let
every one in and out.
Yes, first there was Miss Sigrid, who
went out at FIVE and came home in about
half an hour or three quarters
about six Evelina came home, but
went out again at about half-past six.
"About seven o'clock Mr. Howell went
out; he had gun and game-bag, and
took four-wheeier which was passing
at the time.
"Soon after, Miss Sigrid again went
out, accompanied to the door by Mr.
Prick.
"The cook and the housemaid had
been in the kitchen or their bedroom the
whole time"
81 must say yours is model of a
preliminary report, Mr.. Monk; you
seem to have got it all by heart, and
not even to have made any notes"
Il believe l have a special talent in
that respect, sir. | only get confused
if | take down anything except what is
absolutely necessary. | can see it much
clearer when I've got it in my head"
"Yes, oh yes, each one has his own
method 1t is at any rate a very use
full talent for detective But tell me
one thing; how can you be so sure that
the different times you mention are cor
rect? 1t is not always that the people
in house are so exact in regard to
time"
CAS- it happens, my statements have
been confirmed on that point. Old
Prick has a remarkably good pocket
chronometer, and he takes pride in
always keeping it correct to the minute.
Gust before Jurgens left, remark
was made how correctly the little watch
in the elephants head kept time. 1t
stands on a shelf just over the cup
board where the diamond had its place.
Although it had not been regulated for
long while, it showed the right time TO
a minute; which was verified by conn
pairing it with the ,chronometer.
"And thus we have safe starting
point; the time was five minutes past
FIVE
"Ther Mr. Prick takes his afternoon