The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-01-18

From thr first, or, more correctly,
from the second day | entered old
Frick's house, this young girl had struck
me as being strange There was some-
thing mysterious about her, perhaps on
account Of her reserved and even sulky
manners.
Sigrid also considered her unusually
.ras ..s.sore so by nature than most
fsss ''...sss are. She thought that she
allied Crean-l of strong character, and
Sn IS score spite Of her reticent ways.
.,...-..S
During the latter days she had been
still more reserved than before, ana had
not give one the impression Of being %
good health, although there was little
change noticeable in her appearance on
accouAt Of her naturaliy pale COM
plexion.
The afternoon of the disappearance
of the diamond, Eyelina had spent in the
following manner Cher explanation tai
lied exactly with that of others She
had, soon after dinner, when the fam
lily had retired to the museum, served
the coffee there. When that was fin
jshed she had left Villa Ballarat TO visit
her sick mother, just before the time
Jurgens had left the house. At six
o'clock she had returned to the villa
again to fetch something she had forgot
ten, and had, at the same time, put on
another dress on account of change
in the weather; but she had been scarce
ly half an hour in the house.
1t struck me as strange that Evelina
/ had suddenly become more lively than /
had ever seen her, and Sigrid also
thought that she looked better and more
/ cheerful since the day when the dia
mond disappeared
As regards Evelina's mother, Ma
! dame Reierson, found out that she
| made her living by washing and ironing.
and by letting a couple Of her rooms;
but it was said that she was fond of
drink, and that her principal income evil
IDENTITY consisted in what her daughter
allowed her Miss Tricks generosity
no doubt enabled Evelina to give her
/ mother considerable help.
Madame Reierson's speciality lay in
talking of times gone by, when Reierson
was alive and was well-to-do turner
in Gr0nland; She, too, had had her own
I house and horse and trap.
AS you see, ! had not gained much by
i my Investigations, but my opinion re-
+ garding the loss of the diamond had,
however, begun TIC take shape, which
made it desirable that / should make
Madame Reierson's acquaintance
At half-past nine the next morning,
when the May sun was shining warmly,
a gentleman entered the courtyard OF
a Russelok Street
The gentleman was not very elegantly
I dressed his coat was somewhat shabby,
! and his trouser-bottoms little the
/ worse for wear, but still he might pass
as quite a respectable person; for in
stance, as a poor theological student OF
middle age.
| hoped at least, that my appearance
was something ike this for this was the
! role ! intended to play
In the courtyard woman was stand
i ing rinsing clothes under a pump. 1
! asked for Madame Reierson, and learned
! that She was living in the fourth story
on the right hand side Of the stair
case.
q mean the woman who takes in
| washing"
well | don't think there's much
I washing done, but there's only one
i Madame Reierson in this house at any
! II IL.
q think you're right about the wash
ing. In any case, the clothes last
/ got home were only half washed" |
remarked
Ny depreciatory remark about her
neighbor's work evidently appealed to
the woman; she deigned to let go the
wei clothes She had in her hand, and
turned round to me.
@Ah. indeed Really So she has been
washing for you, has she, and you don't
/ like her washing? Well, you're not the
first as says that It's shame that
such drunken wretch should take the
bread out of other peoples mouths, and
live in grand style, and enjoy herself Z
/ "Well, /, for my part, have been think
ing OF giving her up as my washer
woman
'Ha ha you give. her up7" said the
worthy woman. with a, scornful laugh
"a lot she'll care about that AS long
as she's got that fine daughter Of hers
| in. service at old Tricks in the Dram
men Road, she can live in grand style,
! and enjoy herself without washing a
rag. But should say it'll all come to
terrible end some day; when people
begin to run after them actors | wouldn't
give you thank you for emf"
And with that our short but pleasant
conversation ended
| tried to find out little more about
the actor who had suddenly been in
troduced upon the scene, but was
sharply sent about my business by the
woman, who did not go about telling
tales, let alone to strangers
There was nothing more to be done,
so / mounted up to the fourth story
~rr