re. So please retain them whatever
happens."

She paused, made a little gesture of deprecation.

"I would rather almost anything than be obliged to say what I must.

"One of us," she announced deliberately, "is a thief. These rooms were
entered some time last night, while I was asleep, and all my personal
jewelry was stolen. Please no one interrupt. I will answer all the
natural questions before I finish.

"The robbery was not difficult to accomplish."

"The Island is well-policed, there has not been a burglary in its
history, and I am a careless old woman. When I take my things off at
night I leave them on my dressing-table. Marie, my maid, puts them
away in the morning. I have three large jewel-cases, none of which is
ever locked except when I travel. I have never had a safe. The
jewel-cases are stored away in unlocked dresser-drawers. My bedroom
and boudoir doors are never locked. And I am a sound sleeper. There
is--and was--nothing to prevent the thief from entering after I had
turned out my light and, employing ordinary discretion, helping him or
her self. Which is precisely what happened last night. Every piece of
jewelry was taken from my dressing-table, and the three jewel-cases
from their drawers."

"I discovered my loss promptly after waking up this morning. I said
nothing, but after setting in motion the machinery for
to-night's amusement, which I have long had in mind, devoted the day
to a quiet investigation, as a result of which I am convinced that the
house servants had no part in the robbery. In short, I am persuaded
that the thief is now in this room. I do not, however, wish to know
his or her identity. And I am especially anxious to avoid the scandal
which must follow if this affair leaks out."

"Finally, I feel so sure you all share my horror of publicity and my
aversion to knowing positively who committed this crime that I ask you
all silently to pledge yourselves to secrecy--and then to humour my
plan for regaining my jewels and covering up the affair completely. I
have thought it might be accomplished this way:"

"Marie has given you each a card, an envelope, and a pencil. The cards
and envelopes have no distinguishing marks. The pencils are all alike.
The authorship of anything you may care to communicate cannot possibly
be traced, if you will be careful not to write but to print."

"Please take the cards away with you to your rooms, and please each of
you remain there at least five min