The Argosy — page 334: what you’re looking at

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

The Diamond Bracelets. 311 account of what had happened, accompanied by a somewhat osten- tatious display of the stranger’s card. ‘¢ Ah, Lansberg,” he said, after glancing at the address. ‘‘I know him; he is an honorary member of my club, and a capital old fellow into the bargain.” Not old,” corrected Mrs, Dewsbury. ‘ SAD Soe to forty at most, I should imagine.” “ He would be charmed to hear you say SO, Ae replied Percy. ‘Why, my dear Mrs. Dewsbury, Lansberg is sixty if he is a day. Besides, his English is a ‘caution !’” ‘¢ And this fellow, barring a touch of accent, spoke as well as you or I do,” said Morton, fidgeting angrily on his chair. ‘‘ But I should know him again among a thousand, and when I —— ” ‘‘ Stay,” suddenly interrupted the young man: ‘I will make sure of one thing, at all events.” And, without further explanation, he left the box, but re-appeared in a few minutes with an unusually serious air. “I’m afraid it is a bad business,” he said. ‘*I have been questioning the box-keeper round the corner, who positively declares that no one has come out of the stage-box since the performance began.” “That settles the matter,” said Dewsbury. ‘I shall go at once to Scotland Yard, and set the police at work. I suppose,” he added, addressing his wife, ‘‘ you have no wish to remain here any longer? ” “Oh, no,” answered poor Mrs. Dewsbury, whose spirits during the last quarter of an hour had sunk down to zero. ‘‘ But you forget that the carriage is only ordered at eleven.” “That needn’t hinder you in the least,” interposed the good- natured Percy Pearangton, ‘if for once in a way you will accept my escort in a modest ‘ four-wheeler.’ Shall I have one called?” ‘I shall be very glad,” she replied, taking her husband’s arm ; ‘for this annoying occurrence has quite upset me.” On returning home, Morton related to his wife his interview with the inspector on duty, who had held out some hope of recovering the stolen bracelet, but was clearly of opinion that the robbery had been premeditated, and that more than one person was concerned in it. “T told him the whole story, and gave him a full description of the stones and mounting,” pursued Mr. Dewsbury, ‘‘ and he noted down every particular, and promised that one of the cleverest detectives in the force should devote himself exclusively to the case. I instructed him, of course, to spare no expense, and it was agreed that he should let me know the result to-morrow evening.” They were still conversing, when a ring was heard at the door, and a servant presently announced ‘‘ Mr. Burtenshaw,” from Scotland Yard, followed by the entrance of a short, wiry-looking personage, with sharp peering eyes and a closely-cropped head. COMICOOOKS.c©