The Argosy — page 77: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

64 THE DIAMOND BRACELET. By the Author of “East LYNNE.” I. LITTLE man was striding about his library with impatient steps. He wore a wadded dressing-gown, handsome once, but re- markably shabby now, and he wrapped it closely round him, though the heat of the weather was intense. But Colonel Hope, large as were his coffers, never spent upon himself a superfluous farthing, especially in the way of personal adornment ; and Colonel Hope would not have felt too warm, cased in sheepskins, for he had spent the best part of his life in India, and was, besides, of a chilly nature. The colonel had that afternoon been made acquainted with an un- pleasant transaction which had occurred in his house. The household termed it a mystery; he, a scandalous robbery: and he had written forthwith to the nearest chief police-station, demanding that an officer might be despatched back with the messenger, to investigate it. So there he was, waiting for their return in impatient expectation, and occasionally halting before the window, to look out on the busy London world. The officer at length came, and was introduced. The colonel’s wife, Lady Sarah, had joined him then; and they proceeded to give him the outline of the case. A valuable diamond bracelet, recently pre- sented to Lady Sarah by her husband, had disappeared in a singular manner. Miss Seaton, the companion to Lady Sarah, had temporary charge of the jewel-box. She had brought it down the previous evening, Thursday, this being Friday, to the back drawing-room, and laid several pairs of bracelets out on a 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 upstairs. In the few minutes that the bracelets lay on. the table, the most valuable one of all, a diamond, disappeared from it. ‘‘T 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, explaining to the officer, ‘* Miss Seaton is a young lady of extremely good family. She is not a common companion ; a friend of mine, I may rather say. She is of feeble constitution, and this affair has so completely upset her, that I fear she will be laid on a sick-bed.” - Gomicbooks.co