When Thieves Break In.

THE WOMAN'S HOME COMPANION
September, 1899

By Lulu Judson

 When we began to get rich my wife and I determined that nothing should ever induce us to grow indifferent to our poor relations, of whom we had a large number.
"Let us always remember, dear," said my wife, who is an angel, " that we were once as poor as they, and that they are our own flesh and blood." I agreed with her. "The good Lord deliver us from getting the big-head," said I.
I must say, and with no intended disrespect to our various relatives, that our patience was sorely tried at times. Take, for instance, the six-weeks' sojourn of Cousin Sarah Jennings and her three daughters. Mrs. Jennings' claim to cousinship was distant. However, she was just a simple, unobjectionable little country woman, bowed down by the weight of years and the everlasting grind of farm life. But those girls still haunt my dreams. They made an effort to be "stylish." I confess I thought they would never go home. Cousin Sarah was pathetically anxious " the girls " should make the most of this, the only " chance " they had ever had. I think we made them have a good time; we tried to.
This is a fair example of our experience with country relatives, but it is by no means the most notable. One morning at breakfast my wife looked up from the perusal of her mail with an expression of real pleasure.
" Whom do you suppose I have received a letter from ? " she demanded. I guessed several improbable people, because that sort of thing always pleases a woman.
"You could never guess," she said. " It is from Aunt Rowena. I haven't heard from her before in months. She will pass through here on the fifteenth, on the way to visit her son at Russellville. Dear Aunt Rowena! You know she was dear mother's favorite sister," she added, with a tremulous note in her voice. My wife's mother is dead.
" Well," I said, cordially, as I arose to depart, " you must ask the old lady to stop and make us a visit." My wife came over to me and began to rumple up my hair in a little way she has.
" John," she said, " I do think you are the dearest fellow in the world!" This being a remark that called for no discussion, she continued, "Aunt Rowena says she will have to lay over here for twenty minutes, and as she is not used to traveling, she is anxious you or I should meet her and see her safely transferred to the other train. I shall do that." "Very well."
"And then I can invite her to stop over for a visit on her return. That is, if you don't mind, John?"
"Mind!" said I; "certainly not. You know I have a weakness for old ladies."
"Aunt Rowena must be seventy. I must not fail to meet her. Help me to remember that she passes through on the fifteenth. I will write to her at once."
Of course, we could not foresee how things were going to turn out. On the tenth of the month, that being her birthday, I gave my wife her diamond necklace. The stones were the finest I could find. As it happened, that very night we attended a reception, and the beautiful gems gleaming on her lovely neck created a sensation. The newspapers " got onto it," and I regret to say wrote a great deal of gush about the number and beauty of the stones, the price paid, and such other items as the  reportorial fancy suggested would prove of interest to the reading public. The rich are not without their trials. My wife declared indignantly that she should not wear it again for months, but when we started for the opera on the night of the fourteenth I observed that it had been added as the finishing touch to a perfect toilette. On our return, when we were preparing to retire, she said: " John, we must devise a safe place here at the house for this necklace. I can't keep it at the bank when I need it so often. I locked it in this small drawer in the dresser the other night. Do you suppose it is safe here?" " I should think so," I replied. I was very sleepy. I shall never forget the events of the following day. My wife awoke with a sick headache and the sensation of having passed a bad night. I was still sleeping soundly. She said her first thought was of her necklace,
" The necklace was gone '  and to satisfy herself that it was safe she arose and went to the dresser. The drawer had been opened and the necklace was gone. She woke me frantically.
" Oh, John," she cried, " my necklace is stolen, and I am so sick, so sick!"
Well, I rushed to the telephone and called a physician; then I notified the police. In a short time the house was in an uproar. Police officers were everywhere; the servants were bordering on hysteria, and in our room the doctor was attending my wife. The facts were that during the night we had been chloroformed and the necklace stolen. Nothing else was touched. Obviously some one familiar with the house had done the deed. The servants were suspected and placed under police surveillance. I was soon relieved of my first anxiety, which was for my wife. The doctor said she was ill from the effects of the drug, but would soon be all right. She was also inclined to be a little hysterical over the loss.
" Never mind about the gewgaws," I said, patting her hand.
"How could I be so careless?" she moaned. "I might have known better."
"You shall have another just as handsome." "John!" she exclaimed, fixing me with reproachful eyes. "Do you imagine for one moment that I could ever allow you to put that much money into another necklace after this ?" I had my own opinion on this point, but I only smiled and remained discreetly silent.
"And oh, John," she went on, tearfully, "this is the day Aunt Rowena is to pass through, and I am not able to meet her!"
"It is!" I exclaimed. "Sure enough, this is the fifteenth. Well, now, don't you worry about that. I will attend to Aunt Rowena."
" Oh, John, if you only would! I can't bear to think of the poor little woman arriving at that dreadful station with no one to look after her. But how will you know her? You have not seen her for so long." " Oh, I guess I can find her," I said. " What time does her train get in? " "About 3:05 this afternoon, and the other leaves at 3:25."
"And what is the old lady like? I am afraid I've forgotten."
" Very small and thin; at least she used to be, and she is the kind that would be apt to grow thinner rather than stouter with age. She always wore her hair parted in the middle and gathered smoothly into a little knob at the back. In the old days when she went any place she carried a small black bag."
I mentally noted these details. "I'll find her all right," said I, as I kissed my wife good-by. "Now don't you worry about the necklace. The thief will have considerable trouble disposing of it in this country. I think we will run him down without any trouble."
"Oh, I hope so," she sighed. "John," she added, "you must be especially nice and affectionate to Aunt Rowena, to make up for my absence. Explain to her why I could not come, and whatever you do, don't forget to meet her." "I won't," I promised. "I'll do my best."
In the hall below, as I was hurrying out, I came upon a police officer talking to the butler. He stopped me and took me aside.
" Mr. Sedley," he said, " I'm not sure, but I think I am on the right track."
"All right," said I; "I've got a lot of important business waiting for me, and can't stop now. Spare no money or pains to run down the scamp."
When I reached the office I found a dozen people waiting to see me. My desk was piled high with papers, and there was work enough to keep me busy the rest of the day. I spent what was left .of the morning talking business, opening mail and dictating to my stenographer. The luncheon hour came, but I let it pass. I had neither inclination nor time for food. I was still hard at it when the telephone-boy put his head in at the door. " You're wanted at the 'phone, sir," he said. "Don't come to me with a thing like that," said I, with some emphasis. "What are the clerks for?" "But it's Mrs. Sedley, sir."
I went at once. "Hello!" I called; "is that you, dear? How do you feel by this time?"
" Oh, John!" came back the answer in tones of distress, " are you there? "
"Am I here?" I asked myself. I certainly was. I
began to grow anxious and to wonder how long it took a
person to get out from under the influence of chloroform.
"Yes, dear," I said, soothingly; "certainly I am here.
Hadn't you better keep a little quiet to-day?"
" But, John ! " she wailed, " it is after three o'clock. Have you forgotten Aunt Rowena?"
Isn't this John ?
I gasped. I had forgotten the old lady completely. I pulled out my watch. It was 3:15.
"Don't worry," I said; "maybe the train is late. I'll see her, anyway."
I hung up the receiver, and grabbing my hat rushed out. Fortunately I had not far to go to the depot, but when I reached there breathless I found I had but four minutes to spare. I looked first to see if the train was in, and found that it was. Then I hurried into the waiting-room. At the door I passed two plainly dressed men who
tipped their hats and seemed to wish to speak to me. I hurried on, however, and began to search the room for some one answering my wife's description of her aunt. Time was passing, and I was growing more impatient every moment, when over in the darkest corner of the room I saw a little thin old lady wearing a black cape and carrying the kind of old ladies' bag my wife described;
Her hair was brushed smoothly back from a kind, benevolent face into a little knob behind.
"Surely this is Aunt Rowena?" I exclaimed, going up to her and holding out my hand.
At first she shrank back into her corner and looked up at me with frightened eyes.
"It is Aunt Rowena, isn't it?" I said, pleasantly. " Yes," she faltered; whereupon I gave her a hearty kiss and plunged at once into explanations and apologies. " Some scoundrel stole my wife's diamond necklace last night," I went on to say, " and we have all lost our heads. And now," I continued, briskly, "we haven't a moment to lose if you get your train."
As we started out I noticed the poor old lady was trembling violently, so I tucked her little hand reassuringly under my arm. Leaving the room, I was annoyed to run against the same men I had observed before. They stared at us with what seemed to me unpardonable rudeness.
I had just put her on the car and made her as comfortable as possible when the train began to move. She accepted my little attentions with a humility that touched me. My heart warmed to the old lady.
"Now, don't you forget," I said, as I bade her good-by, " about that visit you are to make us on your return."
" I won't," she promised, with a smile. Then I kissed her affectionately and left her.
I was hurrying through the waiting-room on my return to the office when I felt some one touch my sleeve. Looking down I was surprised to see a strange old lady, stout and well dressed, looking up at me with guileless blue eyes. "Isn't this John—John Sedley?" she asked. " That is my name, madam," I replied, much perplexed. She smiled. " I am Aunt Rowena," she said. I looked her over mechanically. She continued to gaze at me with a smile of perfect innocence and trust. I drew a long breath.
" Madam," I said, sternly, " it is impossible." "But, John," she persisted, "don't you know me? What made you so late? Has my train gone? Where is Ellen?"
I was still staring at her stupidly when I noticed standing at my elbow, and evidently listening to our conversation, the two men who had annoyed me before. As I looked up one of them stepped eagerly forward. " I believe the lady is right, sir," he said, in some excitement.
"Who are you?" I demanded. He opened his coat, and I was astonished to see the badge of a detective. "She can't be right," I declared, "because I have just put my wife's aunt on the train!"
"Are you positive?" he asked. Well, of course I couldn't say I was positive. "No," I replied; "I'm not positive, but—"
He turned to his companion. " Telegraph," he said, and the other rushed away.
"It's all right," said the officer to me, reassuringly; "we'll catch her. You see, it's like this, Mr. Sedley. We found that old woman had been visiting your housekeeper, and we traced the theft to her without any trouble. She's got your wife's necklace in that little bag." He chuckled. " We were just going to nab her when we saw you—er—ah—that is, when you seemed to know her, you know. Then we began to think we had made a mistake. But we'll catch her all right." I took Aunt Rowena's hand in mine and walked humbly to a cab. My wife was greatly astonished when we walked in a little later. After she had greeted her aunt and made her comfortable I threw myself into a chair and in as few words as possible told her what had happened.
"They think they will catch her and recover the jewels without any trouble," I concluded.
Women do absurd things sometimes—even my wife. She listened with deep interest until I had finished; then for a moment she sat absorbed in thought. Suddenly she looked up with sparkling eyes.
"Oh, John!" she exclaimed, "did you kiss her?"