The Argosy — page 80: what you’re looking at

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

Lady Ennerdale’s Fewels. 67 quietly chuckling to myself over your discomfiture when Piper found me in the library and told me that you wanted me.” “What an adventure! What a capital professional burglar you would make! You must have been changed at nurse, dear,” said the Countess. The Earl laughed. ‘It is my turn to be angry at having such a trick played off upon me, and I am not quite sure yet that I shall forgive you,” continued her ladyship. “Wait till you have heard all.” ‘¢ How absurd of you to lock the doorsand give yourself the trouble of forcing an entrance.” “Tt was not I who locked the doors. It was not I who forced open the Indian casket, or the writing-table, or who tried to break into my travelling-trunk. I left no chisel on the floor, nor was that the mark of my boot on the chintz covering of the chair near the window.” The Countess was staring at him with parted lips and’ frightened eyes. ‘If you did not do these things, who was it that did them P” ‘A man, a professional burglar, who found his way into the room a few minutes after I had left it, with the full intention of stealing your diamond necklace. He was baulked in the attempt, but had I not fortunately been first in the field, and taken possession of the case, you would certainly never have set eyes on it again.” ‘ But how did you find out this ?” “On one of the men who was taken up on suspicion was found a bunch of skeleton keys. This of itself was very suspicious, but nothing further could be traced to connect him with the supposed burglary. Had I not interfered in his behalf, Colonel Rawson would have given him a month’s imprisonment as a rogue and vagabond ; but knowing well he was not the thief, I saw no reason why he should be thus punished. Meeting him accidentally afterwards, I gave him a sovereign. It would seem that the fellow did not forget what I had done for him. About three months ago he got into some more serious difficulty, and then he wrote me a rude sort of epistle in which he told me that he had followed us down from London to Fairmead fully intending to steal the necklace. That he had obtained access to your dressing-room by means of the ladder so conveniently placed there, but that, to his intense disgust, no jewel-case was to be found. ‘It seems to me that some one had been there afore me,’ added my friend in conclusion. That ‘some one,’ as you know already, was myself.” “James,” said Lady Ennerdale, humbly, “you have indeed rendered me a service and taught me a lesson. If ever I am careless again, I shall deserve a greater punishment than this has been to me?’ ‘““} am not afraid, my love,” replied the Earl, kissing his wife. ‘As you say, it has been a lesson to you, and I see that you have learnt it well.” COMIC OOO SS (C(O)