imilar to this of yours, Miss Wardour, as I
understand it. Several times we have had a trace or clue, and have hoped
to find the robbers, but so far have been baffled. We must necessarily
have many ways of gathering up information, and I have some methods of
my own. This is one of them. I have access to the offices of our daily
papers. I have a friend or tool in each. When a special telegram, in the
line of criminal intelligence, comes to one of these papers, I am in
possession of its contents before it has reached the compositor's hands.
This morning a 'special' arrived at the office of the _Evening
Bulletin_. I have not with me a copy. It ran:

MONSTER DIAMOND ROBBERY.

[Special dispatch to the Evening Bulletin.]

Intelligence has this moment been received, that Wardour Place has
been burglarized; and the splendid Wardour diamonds, valued at more
than one hundred thousand dollars, stolen, besides money and papers
of value. No particulars as yet.

"This is what brought me here. I came to see if this burglary was the
handiwork of the thieves I have been trying to catch. I came solely on
my own responsibility, not intending to make myself known to the inmates
of this house, but to ferret out things quietly and go my way. While
lurking in that tree I was surprised to hear myself made the subject of
conversation; and then, impulse led me to respond to this lady's
expressed desire to see me, and--I presented myself."

All sit silent, all are astonished, and inclined to think this odd
complication out quietly.

Constance is the first to see the absurdity of the situation, and she
breaks into a peal of laughter, in which she is presently joined by the
others. Finally, she regains her composure and says:

"And so after all you are not our detective. Well, that shall not
prevent us from appropriating your services. And you want to identify
these robbers if possible? We are all at your disposal--tell us how we
can help you most."

"You came with scant information," says Doctor Heath, "and you can't
have been here long, but I'll wager you have picked up something."

"As to that," replies the detective, smiling slightly, "I left the city
by the early afternoon express, before your Mr. Lamotte had arrived,
you see. Twelve miles from W---- I left the train and boarded a freight;
about three miles out I abandoned the freight, quite unceremoniously,
while she was pulling up a heavy grade, and tr