The Argosy — page 176: what you’re looking at

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

A Glove’s Evidence. I61 you had come to tell me. Well, then, it is for me to impart a con- fidence to you. After all your uncle, the Canon, said of her, after all the kindness and consideration I have shown her,—would you be- lieve it? she has turned out to be—a thief!” “No. I would zot believe it!” the young barrister said sternly, whie his face turned pale with passion, and his eyes gleamed ominously. Lady Jakes moved a little uneasily on her chair. ‘Of course it has distressed me terribly,” she continued, “‘ for I have made quite a companion—a friend—of Johnson. But when IJ missed my most valuable diamond ring to-day, sent for a policeman, had my servants’ boxes searched, and the ring was discoveredin er box— why then you see there could be no question of her guilt.” Mr. Bywell rose from his seat. ‘The hand resting on the table shook, but his voice was steady as he asked with studied calmness : ““You sent for a policeman? Suspected Aer? Had Aer things searched ?” “No, no. You do not understand. I did not suspect her. I told the man to search the other servants’ boxes, not hers. But she insisted. It was her own fault she was found out. I suppose she thought in such a hiding-place the ring would not be discovered.” “What-hiding place ?” “The finger of a glove. Clever idea, was it not? The policeman himself said so, and but for the fact that he was struck with the smartness of the gloves, he says it might never have been discovered.” “Good heavens! Where is she now ? ” “Oh, she is in her own room. She fainted dead off when she saw the case was so strong against her. I told the policeman I would not turn her out to-night. He is to call in the morning. In the mean time I shall have decided what I am to do.” While Lady Jakes was speaking, her hearer resumed his seat. He appeared to have been extraordinarily affected, she thought, by her disclosure ; but now he recovered his self-possession and looked quietly thoughtful, as though he were going over in his mind all she had told him. She wondered if she had told it well ? “That is the ring, those are the gloves,” she observed presently, handing both across the tab*e. Pushing the ring from him with a little scornful gesture, he took up the gloves, and, passing his hand across his forehead, fell to _ gazing at then with the greatest intentness. It almost seemed that he appealed to them mutely for a revelation of the truth, and that he waited expecting it might come to him. His next proceeding was to examine them closely. They were a pair of long, tan-coloured Suede gloves, of the make known as mousquetaires, and new. He noticed that the nght hand glove only had been tried on. He placed the ring in the third finger. Lady Jakes began to find the silence irksome. Presently he looked up. The expression of his face had so com- CORnDNICECLOO cS (SO