Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1923-03-16

through quick J! CRIED kan
Lady Erythea descended the stairs,
q superb model for Boadicea among
the wreck of the Roman legions. Her
eyes flashed fire, her lips were com
pressed in a thin, tight line, her hand
gripped the brass shovel. She glared
at the d~isgruntled butler.
"Tarbeaux !" she cried sharply.
"Tarbeauxi !"
Mr.. Tarbeaux came forward, limp
ing. One hand pressed a crimsoned
handkerchief to his nose, which had
impacted rather violently upon the
good knights breastplate. His ether
hand graspec a yard Of torn blue
cloth. which he waved before him.
"Did you stop that womanf' cried
Lady Erythea.
Mr.. Tarbeaux' inarticulate answer
was in the negative.
"Why not, idiot!' said his mistress.
IA houseful of useless membranes
unable to stop a single The EN-
purpled handkerchief caught her eye.
oWhy. what is the matter, man? Are
you woundedT
eProud-shed M blood-ladyship's
seryice!' snufied Mr.. T~arbeaux.
Couldn't help skirt tearln'. M lady"
"What! !"
Mr.. Tarbeaux, with a silent but
splendid gesture, laid the piece OF
torn skirt upon the hall bench.
"Clue, M lady" he said, with the
air of a bankrupt making h most OF
his assets. with this 1t should not
be difficult to trace the thief"
"Trace her!" snorted Lady Erythea.
IF you had held on to her there would
would have been no need to trace any
thing!"
Mr.. Lambe Joined them; his mild
eye at once ~apprehended the signin-
canoe of the piece Of serge.
81 cannot see that Tarbeaux is to
blame" he said in his aunt's ear; he
did his best, and after all it is unim-
portant."
"Unimportant! The infamous crea-
ture has got clear away"
my dear aunt! That stupid girl
cannot have been the thief. You do
not really suppose this burglary was
committed by a woman!'
'Most certainly l do" cried Lady
Erythea. 81 can believe anything OK
the modern COMMUNICATING! She
hid when the alarm sounded, and
made a desperate dash for escape
when | discovered her. 1t is as clear
as daylight to anybody but a fool!
It is certain she had my emeralds
upon her at the time, and 1t is lucky
none of you are killed-though 1t
would be very little loss. Tarbeaux,
did you recognize the creature whom
O allowed so egregiously to escapeY
mo, my lady. 1t vas too dark.
And the incident was somewhat sud
den.' said Mr.. Tarbeaux APOLOGIZE.
cally. ut was a young person. am
unable to say more. But l am sure
she was not one of household"
II have te%lephoned the police at
Stanhoe," said Mr.. Lambe; they
are coming Immediately by car"
"a CLEAN of intelligence at last
Thank you, Alexander-and forgive
mel am overweight. My censure
does not apply to you. The whole at.
fair is appalling !" said Lady Erythea
clenching her hands. my pearls, the
diamond chaplet-these comparatively
are trifles-but the emeralds are gone
The Lambe emeraldsl"
The audience shrank before hei
wrath.
ut is %incrediblel Twelve years age
the abbey was broken into-this is the
second case. l had taken every pos
sible precaution, under skilled advice
, NV safe is modern; / considered l hac
made the house itself i~mpregnable al
night. SO it would have been, had J
been adequately served. What meas
ures did you take, Tarbeaux? l was
absurd enough to think / could rely
upon you, in an emergency like this!'
81 retired at the usual hour, my
lady, to my room in the passage" sale
Mr.. Tarbeaux unhappily, "as l have
done for years, by your instructions
In view of-er-er-an emergency like
this. One of the alarms reused me
1 rose Immediately, only waiting long
enough to don a garment"
go on, man, go on!"
"While putting them-while putting
it on, my lady, l sounded my bell
which connects with the other men.
servants rooms, and ran into the hall
At that moment l thought l heard fee
on the gravel outside, and unboltins
the front door l rushed out"
Leaving an exit for any thief IN
the house to escape by!" snorted Lady
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