ded Perkins, as he forced her
down upon her chair and held her there so firmly that all she could do
was to spit, glare, and rail at him.

"Oh, my dear, good lady, do be quiet. You are in the hands of the law,
which I believe you to be as innersent as the dove unborn; but it will be
the best for you to submit quietly," said the housekeeper, who had
hitherto sat in appalled silence, taking note of the proceedings.

"I will na submit to ony sic indignity," screamed Rose, with an
additional torrent of very objectionable language.

Meantime officers Pryor and Thompson passed into the bedroom and began
the search. Bureau and bureau drawers, wardrobes, boxes, caskets, cases,
were opened, ransacked, and their contents turned out, but no sign of
the stolen property was discovered. Closets, wash-stands, and chair
cushions next underwent a thorough examination, with a similar result.
Then the bed was pulled to pieces, and the mattresses were closely
scrutinized, to detect any sign of a recent ripping and re-sewing of any
part of the seams through which the stolen jewels might have been pushed
in among the stuffing, but evidently the mattresses had not been tampered
with.

Then the two officers of the law stopped and looked at each other.

"Before proceeding further in our search, we must be sure as the stolen
goods are not in this room," said Pryor.

"I don't know where they can be concealed in this room," said Thompson.

"We must apply our infallible square inch rule, now. Take the inside of
this room from floor to ceiling, and search in succession _every square
inch of it_. No matter whether the part under review seems a likely or
an unlikely, or even a possible or an impossible place of concealment,
search it whether or no. Stolen goods are often found in impossible
places, or in what seems to be such," said Pryor.

The search was re-commenced on the new principle, and following the
square inch system into an impossible place, they at last came upon the
stolen treasure, hidden in the hollow of the cornice at the top of the
scarlet window curtains, near the bedstead.

"Here we are! all right! The jewel snuff box, and the solitaire
diamond ring. The watch and chain will be found upon her person. This
will be sufficient for to-day. We must close and seal these rooms, and
place a couple of men on guard here before we take the girl to the
station-house," said Pryor, as he carefully bestowed the recovered
jewels in the dee