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35
CHAPTER V Continued
I trust not but I am very unhap
py Who could have done it How
could it have gone I left the room
when you did but I only lingered on
the stairs watching if I may tell the
truth whether you go out safely
and then I returned to it Yet when
Lady Sarah came up from dinner it
was gone
And did no one else go into the
room he repeated I met a lady at
the door who asked for you I sent
her upstairs
She went in for a minute It was
jny sister Gerard
Oh indeed was that your sister
Then she counts as we do for nobody
in this It is strange The bracelot
was in the room when I left it
You are sure of it Interrupted
Alice drawing a long breath of sus
pense
I am When I reached the door I
lurned round to take a last look at
you and the diamonds of that partic
ular bracelet gleamed at me from its
place on the table
Oh Gerard is this the truth
It is the truth on my sacred word
-of honor he replied looking at her
agitated face and wondering at her
words Why else should I say it
Good by Alice I cant stay another
moment for heres somebody coming
I dont care to meet
He was off like a shot but his
words and manner like her sisters
had conveyed their conviction of inno
cence to the mind of Alice She stood
still looking after him in her dreamy
wonderment and was jostled by the
passers by Which of the two was the
real delinquent One of them must
have been
CHAPTER VI
A little man was striding about his
library with impatient steps He
wore a faded dressing gown hand
some once but remarkably shabby
now and he wrapped it closely around
him though the heat of the weather
was intense But Colonel Hope large
as were his coffers never spent upon
himself a superfluous farthing espe
cially in the way of personal adorn
ment and Colonel Hope would not
have felt too warm cased in sheep
skins for he had spent the best part
of his life in India and was of a
chilly nature
The Colonel had that afternoon been
made acquainted with an unpleasant
transaction which had occurred In his
louse The household termed it a
mystery he a scandalous robbery
and he had written forthwith to the
nearest chief police station demand
ing that an officer might be dispatched
back with the messenger to investi
gate it So there he was waiting for
Us return In impatient expectation
and occasionally halting before the
window to look out on the busy Lon
don world
The officer at length came and was
introduced The Colonels wife Lady
Sarah joined him then and they pro
ceeded to give him the outlines of the
case A valuable diamond bracelet
recently presented to Lady Sarah by
her husband had disappeared in a
singular manner Miss Seaton the
companion to Lady Sarah had tem
porary charge of the jewel box and
had brought it down the previous
evening Thursday this being Friday
to the back of the drawing room and
laid several pairs of bracelets out on
the table ready for Lady Sarah who
was going to the opera to choose
which she would wear when she came
up from dinner Lady Sarah chose a
pair and put herself the rest back
into the box which Miss Seaton then
locked and carried to its place up
stairs In the few minutes that the
bracelets lay on the table the most
valuable one a diamond disappeared
from it
I did not want this to be officially
investigated at least not so quickly
observed Lady Sarah to the officer
The Colonel wrote for you quite
against my wish
And so have let the thief get clear
off and put up with the loss cried
the Colonel Very fine my lady
You see added her ladyship ex
plaining to the officer Miss Seaton is
a young lady of good family not a
common companion a friend of mine
I may say She is of feeble constitu
tion and this affair has so completely
upset her that I fear she will be laid
on a sick bed
It wont be my fault if she is re
torted the Colonel The loss of a
diamond bracelet worth two or three
hundred guineas is not to be hushed
up They are not to be bought every
day Lady Sarah
The officer was taken to the room
whence the bracelet disappeared It
was a back drawing room the folding
doors between it and the front stand
ing open and the back window a
large one looking out upon some flat
leads as did all the row of houses
The officer seemed to take in the
points of the double room at a glance
the door of communication its two
doors opening to the corridor outside
and its windows He 1 oked at the
latches of the two entrance doors and
he leaned from the front windows and
he leaned from the one at the back
He next requested to see Miss Seaton
and Lady Sarah fetched her a deli
cate girl with transparent skin and
looking almost too weak to walk She
was in a visible tremor and shook as
she stood before the stranger
He was a man of pleasant manners
The Diamond Bracelet
By MRS HENRY WOOD
Author of Etxst Lynne Etc
and speech and he hastened to assure
her Theres nothing to be afraid of
young lady said he with a broad
smile Im not an ogre though I do
believe some timid folks look upon us
as such Just please to compose your
self and tell me as much as you can
recollect of this
I put the bracelets out here began
Alice Seaton laying hold of the table
underneath the window not more to
indicate it than to steady herself for
she was almost incapable of standing
The diamond bracelet the one lost
I placed here she added touching
the middle of the table at the back
and the rest I laid out round and
and before it
It was worth more than any of the
others I believe interrupted the offi
cial
Much more growled the Colonel
The officer nodded to himself and
Alice resumed
I left the bracelets and went and
sat down at one of the front win
dows
With the intervening doors open I
presume
Wide open as they are now said
Alice and the other two doors shut
Lady Sarah came up from dinner al
most directly and then the bracelet
was not there
Indeed You are quite certain of
that
I am quite certain interpohed
Lady Sarah I looked for that brace
let and not seeing it I supposed Miss
Seaton had not laid it out I put on
the pair I wished to wear and placed
the others in the box and saw Miss
Seaton lock it
Then you did not miss the bracelet
at that time questioned the officer
I did not miss it in one sense be
cause I did not know it had been put
out returned her ladyship I saw
it was not there
But did you not miss it he asked
I only reached the table as Lady
Sarah was closing the lid of the box
she answered Lady Frances Chene
vix had detained me in the front
room
My sister explained Lady Sarah
She is on a visit to me and had come
with me up from dinner
You say you went and sat in the
front room resumed the officer to
Alice in a quicker tone than he had
used previously Will you show
where
Alice did not stir she only turned
her head towards the front room and
pointed to a chair a little drawn away
from the window
In that chair she said It stood
as it stands now
The officer looked baffled
You must have had the back room
full in view from thence both the
door and the window
Quite so replied Alice If you
will sit down in it you will perceive
that I had an uninterrupted view and
faced the doors of both rooms
I perceive so from here And you
saw no one enter
No one did enter It was impossi
ble they could do so without my ob
serving it Had either of the doors
been only quietly unlatched I must
have seen
And yet the bracelet vanished
interposed Colonel Hope They must
have been confounded deep whoever
did it but thieves are said to possess
slight of hand
They are clever enough for it some
of them observed the officer
Rascally villains I should like to
know how they accomplished this
So should I significantly returned
the officer At present it appears to
me incomprehensible
There was a pause The officer
seemed to muse and Alice happen
ing to look up saw his eyes stealthily
studying her face It did not tend to
reassure her
Your servants are trustworthy they
have lived with you some time re
sumed the officer not apparently at
taching much importance to what the
answer might be
Were they all escaped convicts I
dont see that it would throw light on
this retorted Colonel Hope If they
came into the room to steal the brace
let Miss Seaton must have seen them
From the time you put out the
bracelets to that of the ladies coming
up from dinner how long was it in
quired the officer of Alice
I scarcely know panted she for
what with his close looks and his close
questions she was growing less able
to answer I did not take particular
notice of the lapse of time I was not
well yesterday evening
Was it half an hour
Yes I dare say nearly so
Miss Seaton he continued in a
brisk tone will you have any objec
tions to take an oath before a magis
trate in private you know that no
person whatever except yourself en
tered either of these rooms during that
period
CHAPTER VII
Had she been requested to go before
a magistrate and testify that she her
self was the guilty person it coxld
scarcely have affected her more Her
cheeks grew white her lips parted and
her eyes assumed a beseeching look of
terror Lady Hope hastily pushed a
chair behind her and drew her down
upon it
Really Alice you are very foolish
to allow yourself to be excited about
nothing she remonstrated you
would have fallen on the floor in an
other minute What harm is there in
taking an oath and in a private
room You are not a Chartist or a
Mormon or whatever the people call
themselves who profess to object to
oaths on principle
The officers eyes were still keenly
fixed on Alice Seatons and she cow
ered visibly beneath his gaze
Will you assure me on your sacred
word that no person did enter the
room he repeated in a low firm
tone which somehow carried her to
the terrible belief that he believed that
she was trifling with him
She looked at him gasped and
looked again and then she raised her
handkerchief in her hand and wiped
her damp and ashy face
I think some one did come in
whispered the officer in her ear try
and recollect And Alice fell back in
hysterics
Lady Sarah led her from the room
herself speedily returning to it
You see how weak and nervous Miss
Seaton is was her remark to the offi
cer but glancing at her husband She
has been an invalid for years and is
not strong like other people I felt
sure we should have a scene of some
kind that is why I wished the investi
gation not to be gone into hurriedly
Dont you think there are good
grounds for an investigation sir tes
tily asked Colonel Hope of the officer
I must confess I do think so was
the reply
Of course you hear my lady The
difficulty is how can we obtain the first
clue to the mystery
I do not suppose there will be an
insurmountable difficulty observed
the officer I believe I have obtained
one
You are a clever fellow then
cried the Colonel if you have ob
tained it here What is it
Will Lady Sarah allow me to men
tion it whatever it may be without
taking offense continued the officer
looking at her ladyship
She bowed her head wondering
much
Whats the good of standing upon
ceremony peevishly put in Colonel
Hope Her ladyship will be as glad
as we shall be to get back her brace
let more glad one would think A
clue to the thief Who can it have
been
The detective smiled When men
are as high in the police force as he
they have learned to give every word
its due significance I did not say a
clue to the thief Colonel I said a clue
to the mystery
Wheres the difference
Pardon me it is indisputably per
ceptible That the bracelet is gone is
a papable fact but by whose hands it
went is as yet a mystery
What do you suspect
I suspect returned the officer low
ering his voice that Miss Seaton
knows how it went
There was a silence of surprise on
Lady Sarahs part of indignation
Is it possible that you suspect
her uttered Colonel Hope
No said the officer I do not sus
pect herself she appears not to be a
suspicious person in any way but I
believe she knows who the delinquent
is and that fear or some other motive
keeps her silent Is she on familiar
terms with any of the servants
But you cannot know what you are
saying interrupted Lady Sarah Fa
miliar with the servants Miss Seat
on is a gentlewoman and has always
moved in high society Her family is
little inferior to mine and better
better than the Colonels concluded
her ladyship determined to speak out
To be continued
WOMAN WHO RIDES HORSEBACK
St Loui3 for some time past has
been greatly exercised regarding a fair
equestrienne who has appeared daily
on the fashionable drives around La
fayette park riding her steed bareback
and astride Her identity was known
to few and the majority marveled
greatly at her skill in managing her
spirited steed and at her temerity in
setting at defiance the accepted cus
toms of her sex With her blonde
hair dressed pompadour and her blue
eyes flashing with exhilaration clad
in a clinging wrapper wearing neither
hat nor gloves she goes forth daily for
an equestrian stunt that astonishes
the avenue The identity of the fair
horsewoman has finally become known
to the public at large She is Miss
Jessie Goodpasture and belongs to an
excellent family She knows a good
horse when she sees one but she never
refuses a ride on any animal that is
offered no matter how sorry a plug
he may be She prefers a horse with
much spirit and plenty of speed and
she does not object at all to one that
tries to throw her I have never been
thrown she says and I dont fear
being thrown I guess I can stay on
any horse that comes along I never
rode a bucking broncho though I
have heard of Miss Bessie Mulhall of
Oklahoma and the way she rides horses
and ropes cattle Well I suppose she
is a pretty good rider but I can ride a
little myself When Buffalo Bill was
here two years ago I rode in his par
ade I also rode in his show with the
general turnout of riders But I likes
riding astride better than on a side
saddle Miss Jessie went from
Springfield 111 to St Louis eight years
ago She has never owned a horse
but depends upon acquaintances for
her mounts Whenever a boy rides
past the alley in the rear of her home
she craves the privilege of riding his
horse Then the neighbors witness a
daring exhibition I dont know why
I am so fond of riding she said I
guess I was just born that way Id
rather ride than do anything else on
earth I just must ride Chicago
Chronicle
- Christian science is said to be popu
lar among art students in the Latin
quarter of Paris
A QUESTION OP TIME
TARIFF REVISION WILL COME WHEN
NECESSARY
So Undue Haste Will Be Taken That
Might Injure American Industries
Great Care Vf 111 lie Taken to See That
Our Smallor Capitalists Are Protected
From American Economist The
Schenectady Star exhibits astonish
ment at the statement of the American
Economist that the time will come
when it will be necessary to revise the
tariff It thinks that
When sane folks read the admis
sion in the Economist that there ever
will arrive a time when it will not be
sacrilege to tinker the blessed Dingley
bill they will pinch themselves to sec
if they are awake and will surely con
clude that the millenium is in sight
Every one agrees that the tariff will
have to be revised in time What
time Babcock says Now is the ap
pointed time now is the day of sal
vation and invites sinners to repent
ance The Economist admits that it
must be done in time but belabors
poor Bab for setting the time prema
turely
This shows how difficult it is for the
average free trade Intellect to correct
ly grasp the true principle of protec
tion It is in fact impossible for the
free trader to understand that there
is a wide gulf between the rash and
reckless ripping up of a tariff in the
interest of free trade and the conserv
ative level headed adherence to a tar
iff that has thus far produced a pros
perity unequaled in the worlds history
until such time as experience and the
development of events shall show the
wisdom of changing that tariff The
Star is right in one thing It is in
deed a question of time Unlike Mr
Babcock and his revisionary brethren
who would tear open the tariff sched
ules as a means of attacking real or
imaginary evils which did not grow out
of the tariff do not flourish because of
the tariff and would not be remedied
by the removal of the tariff the Amer
ican Economist says Go slow let the
tariff alone give business a chance
and when it becomes clear that the
greatest good of the greatest number
will be conserved by revision then the
work of revision will be undertaken by
the only party to which tariff legisla
tion can be safely intrusted the party
of patriotism progress and protection
But not until then
WHY THE MILLS RESUMED
The Washington Times says editori
ally referring to the Dingley law
We may concede that there was
not a general reopening of the mills
until after that measure was passed
but that was merely because the man
ufacturing interests were desirous of
pointing to the idle mills as an argu
ment in favor of the tariff which they
wanted
When so rabid a free trade organ as
the Washington Times is willing to
concede even such a self evident fact
as that the mills were closed under the
operation of the Wilson law and did
not reopen until the Dingley law was
enacted there is hope The only thing
which can account for the free trade
delusion is the failure to recognize in
dustrial facts The second part of the
sentence quoted is so manifestly ridic
ulous as almost not to call for com
ment Men are in business for the
purpose of making money They are
not so blindly loyal to any economic
theory as to let good business oppor
tunities go by for the sane of bolster
ing up their theories If the mills were
idle as they were it was because it
would not have paid to run them The
pleasure of being able to point to the
Dingley law as a restorer of prosper
ity would hardly have been sufficient
to make up for the lost dollars When
the free traders are driven to take ref
uge in such absurd statements as this
in order to support the claims of the
policy they advocate they but make
more evident the weakness of their
position
BABCOCK MAY NOT PUSH HIS BILL
Mr Babcock of Wisconsin author of
the bill to put iron and steel products
and some other things on the free list
which he introduced in the last Con
gress and which he has said he would
introduce in the next house seems to
be changing his mind Asked today
as to whether or not he intends to
push the bill at the coming session he
replied
I wont develop my plans until I
confer with my colleagues but I may
say that this is recognized in the
Northwest as a principle that will go
on regardless of whether it is pushed
by me or not The people of the North
west are with me on this question
and I would not have the least fear of
stumping my district on this question
alone
Some of Mr BabcocKs discreet
friends have been saying all along that
he would when he had fuller informa
tion on the subject abandon his prop
osition to destroy the protective tariff
as that would be the result of the pas
sage of his bill and they now assert
that he has secured that knowledge
and will drop the subject
If senators and representatives from
the West are any guide to public sen
timent there the Babcock bill has no
support In the Republican party in the
West The Senators from Wisconsin
Michigan Illinois Indiana Ohio and
other states have declared that the
Republicans of their respective states
would not support any measure de
signed to destroy the protective tariff
as would be the result of the passage
of the Babcock bill Every Republican
member of the ways and means com
mittee of the last congress excepting
Mr Babcock and one other has de
clared against the proposed measure
Mr Babcock evidently begins to ap
preciate the mistake he has made and
will act accordingly Philadelphia
tress
SENATOR HOARS WISE WORDS
American manufacture as its friends
predicted has outgrown the American
market Now the manufacturers of tho
country are girding their loins for that
struggle I see it is proposed to begin
operations by making reciprocity trea
ties with leading manufacturing na
tions of the world especially with our
manufacturing rivals
Now I do not wish to be understood
as opposing altogether and In all cases
such commercial arrangements when
made carefully and wisely and in a
constitutional way I shall pay the
highest respect and deference to tho
conclusion whch the president a great
authority perhaps the greatest living
authority on that class of questions
may deliberately form
But I am bound to caution the man
ufacturers of the country not to enter
upon this great struggle with all man
kind for an antagonist by placing any
fetters upon their own limbs
The possession of your own market
is what has gained for you the power
and the opportunities to enter upon
foreign markets Be careful that you
do not throw away that vantage
ground Remember that nearly every
considerable reciprocity treaty we have
ever made especially our old reciproc
ity treaty with Canada has been a
source of unmarked vexation and you
were eager to get rid of it as soon as
its term expired If you make a mis
take in this matter the mistake is ir
reparable The national faith becomes
pledged
A FREE TRADE STAR GAZER
An astronomer used to walk out
every night to gaze upon the staffs It
happened one night that as he was
wandering in the outskirts of the city
with his whole thoughts wrapt up in
the skieshe fell into a well On halloo
ing and calling out one who heard his
cries ran up to him and when he had
listened to his story said My good
man while you are trying to pry into
the mysteries of heaven you overlook
the common objects that are under
your feet
THE FARMERS HOME MARKET
If there are any farmers who im
agine that their branch of industry is
not benefited by the tariff on steel and
in fact by all tariffs that tend to pro
mote the establishment of manufactur
ing industries in this country let them
reflect what would happen if all the
workmen now engaged in turning out
domestic manufactures were removed
from this country and set to work say
in England Would not the home mar
ket for foodstuffs and other agricultur
al producers be curtailed by such de
portation Instead of selling such a
large percentage of farm products to
home consumers the farmer would be
obliged to sell them abroad and would
be mulcted for the freight and charges
The home market is the most profit
able market for the farmer and any
thing that tends to increase the home
consumption of products is of benefit
to the men on the farms as well as to
the men in the workshops and the
stores Minneapolis Tribune
FREE TRADE AND SAVINGS
There is no better way to judge the
future than by the past From their
experience the people of this country
especially the middle class and the
workingmen can readily foresee that
the abolition of protection which has
enabled them to increase their savings
a billion dollars in the past four years
and the adoption of free trade with
the idleness and want which followed
that policy before would not present
any necessity for postal savings banks
During free trade in this country the
middle class and the workingmen
were more interested in and had more
use for free soup houses than savings
banks and the same conditions would
obtain if free trade were again inaugu
rated Helena Mont Record
HOME FIRST
Some men most all free traders are
fools enough to argue that because
Germany and a few other countries dc
not like our tariff we must materially
modify if not replace it Well it
makes no difference whether Germany
likes it or not as long as Protection
enriches our country develops our re
sources builds up manufactories gives
more employment and better wages tc
our people and furnishes us the besf
market in the world right here at
home for our products we will main
tain Protection We are legislating
for the United States not Germany
England or any other foreign country
London Ky Echo
Out of 156000 houses or flats in
Glasgow 36000 were found to have bui
one room and 70000 but two rooms
ABOUT GrIBEALTAB
DENIED THAT IT IS AN IMPREG
NABLE FORTRESS
Trench Critics Declaro the World si
Larso 1VI11 No Lorrrer Regard Gibral
tar as the Stronghold the English
Claim It to lie
French technical Journals Hko the
Revue dArmee et de Marine and oth
ers are expressing the views that Gib
raltar is not such a formidable defense
of British Interests on tho shortest
road to India as is usually believed
The Revue dArmee et de Marine haa
just given a detailed history of the
works undertaken by Great Britain at
Gibraltar since 1895 Tho Tour de
Moudo and other journals also are
having much to say on the subject
Their criticisms are based In part upon
the pamphlet which Mr Gibson Bowles
printed a while ago under the title
Gibraltar a National Danger in
which he maintains that the prevail
ing faith in the impregnability of the
famous rock is a delusion The French
writers declare that there is nothing
new In this view They quote older
British authorities in support of this
idea among them Gen Codrington
formerly governor of Gibraltar who
maintained that tho place was noth
ing but a scarecrow to frighten people
who did not know the real facts about
it The French journals say that the
works begun by the British govern
ment in 1895 are to be completed in
1905 and 1906 They consist of a largo
torpedo station a great dry dock and
two new piers all strongly fortified
The critics declare that the particular
ly weak point in the enterprise is that
all these works are to be erected on
the west side of Gibraltar and now
when nearly 6000000 have been ex
pended experts come forward and de
clare that it is most unwise to build
the improvements on the west side of
Gibraltar They say the works will
be exposed there to a ruinous fire from
Spanish batteries on the opposito side
of Algeclras bay about four miles dis
tant should Spain take it into her
head to erect batteries on her side of
the coast The fact is that the Spanish
have already studied the question of
batteries and other military works near
Gibraltar A part of their army is
now kept in the neighborhood and a
series of fortifications has been reared
all around the north and west side of
Gibraltar The works extend from tho
Sierra Carbonara which is just north
of the neutral strip separating the
rock from the Spanish territory north
of it all along the shore of the bay to
the west terminating at Carnero
Point which ends the shore line on
the west side of the bay The author
of this Spanish military idea is Major
Garcia Roure who estimates that 70
pieces of large caliber placed at equal
Intervals along one third of this line
might at one and the same time direct
their projectiles on Gibraltar from a
distance of 7300 to 9000 meters and
ould easily reduce the works now
ouilding and also the much vaunted
fortress Mr Bowles obtained the
plans of these projected Spanish works
which ho published to the world with
the warning that no military authority
ould advise the carrying out of the
jndertaking already far advanced on
he west side of the fortress In his
opinion the British should be content
o lose the money they have put Into
these uncompleted structures and
should begin the work all over again
on the east side of Gibraltar There
would certainly be little or no danger
from the fire of Spanish batteries on
the east side of the rock but unfor
tunately for Mr Bowles proposition
the rock on that side is almost precip
itous and the base of it is not well
adapted for the carrying out of the de
sired improvements Although the
French critics declare that the trans
ference of the work to the east side
3eems almost impracticable a British
commission appointed to investigate
the matter has agreed with Mr Bowles
view and submitted a plan for con
structing the works on the east side
It remains to be seen whether the plan
is really feasible In any event the
French critics declare the world at
large will no longer regard Gibraltar as
the impregnable fortress of inestimable
Importance to British interests which
the English jingoes have always held
it to be New York Sun
His First Business Venture
An American capitalist who has
made a fortune running far into the
millions likes to tell a story of his
first business venture and how he
saddened the local grocer At this
time he was fond of frequenting a
public salesroom near his home where
all sorts of bargains were offered
One day I noticed several boxes ol
soap of a certain brand which I had
often been sent to buy at the corner
grocery I thought to myself That
will go cheap so I ran to the grocery
and received a promise from the man
in charge to buy as much of the soap
at a ceAain figure as I could furnish
Of course he never suspected that 1
could furnish any of it I returned tc
the salesroom and when the soap wsc
put up I bid it in and it was knocked
down to me My name was demanded
and when I gave it in a shrill voice
everybody laughed for I was then
only eleven years of age Amused as
they were at the sale the bystanders
were amazed when I bid in the whole
lot of twenty two boxes I had them
carried over to the grocery and re
ceived the price agreed upon Tin
grocer wore a weary look when he
heard how I had obtained the soap
He said Well I guess I could have
done that myself I replied that 1
guessed he could too but he hadnt
Youths Companion
M
i