FACT AND FICTION.

Evening Star, Issue 8771, 11 March 1892, Page 4

FACT AND FICTION.

A PARALLEL TO THE GREAT PEARL CASE. A VERY QUEER STORY. (From Our London Correspondent.] London, January 1. ! During tho progress of tho action for j slander brought by Captain Osborne on behalf of his wife against the ITargreaves, one met many men about town who averred fchey had read an exactly similar story. In no case, howover, can they state when and where tlicy had come upon the coincident to tho " great paarl case." Tho mystery is now elearcd up, for the • Hawk' reproduces a short story which appeared in its columns in May, IS9O, called 'Mrs Wingfield s Diamonds.' This court is in every particular a fic-shnile of tho pearl ewe, and one winders if the author is ouo of tlose uncanny beings gifted with what n known as "second sight." Maybe, however, tee editor of the « U»wk ' is a familiar ot the dwellers in distaufcGobi, who " precipitate him in advance the outlines of sensational cases, for this is not the first time the journal in qu eaticm haa P» Dlished a ver y a P ro P OS story long before the cairn eckbre to which it had affinity became public property. Here id the story :—• . " Hey, "Kingdon ! Jaet stop in here a minute please." When hia manager entered the little otiice where Mr Nathan, tho well-known jeweller c: Gold3pur street, City, was seated, that gentleman w*3 examining a police notice with bent brows, " Say, Kingdon," he went on, " does this recall anything to your mind?" and hurryin > over "Stolen, from Lea Lodge, Reading, tho residence of Captain Wingfield," etc., p.'c, he proceeded slowly: "A tiara of diamonds composed of elevon butterflies, the largest in tho oontre, and diminishing in size towards the ends. The stone forming the l,ody of the largest butterfly haa a slight ihw at tho bark. Any information, etc, etc. Plainly drawn up by a country policeman, but it i 3 clear enough. What da you thnk?" , , . " Oh, these are the stones wc hough 1 ; from that young lady—Miss Vance, I think—on Tuosday morning.' "No doubt of'it, Kingdon, and now the tj'.umion ia, what are we to do?" After a moment silence, the manager *ud: •''lis a lot of money to lose, L 420,

"Yes," hid employer replisd, jumping off hi3stool, "only I haven't lost it yet. Meanwhile I shall just ruu over to the Commissioner's office." When Mr Nathan expressed a doubt as to his future course, he only meant that ho wondered how the affair would turn out. lie had no hesitation in deciding to comma;'ietto with the police—that washw duty as aliw-abiding citizen ; bat ai he walked tosvardi Old Jewry ho resolved to cling to his } .urc!iaa. wmio he hail * shred of legality on in 3 side. The dote- M .i.--:! superintendent put the dlYir into the run.'.a'of a subordinate, and .tu.iuy the afternoon this man called on Mr Nathan and informed him that no such person as Miss Vance lived at Regent Mansions, which the tody who had sold the diamonds had given aa hor town address, «nd that her i'ountry residence, Ham Hall, Chippenham, •! >.d no existence, ■'' Well," said Mr Nathan, displaying what w.u to him a quito uuusiul confidence in human nature, " though there's c'cr.rly something wrong, I don't believe the girl I dealt with was a thief; her face was too hraeat, ai:d she displayed juat the bashful-a-ss that oco would expect from a young i uly whom a dunning dressmaker had put into a tight comer, and who saw no other way cf getting out of the scrape. Look here, eonsUble, if it wasn't; Mrs Wiuglield herself, it wan some friend who did the job for her. Now, see if I'm .uot right." The next day the detective rsuirued with Captain Wmgfield. That i-eutleinan, when niuwn tho tiara, at once recognised it, and, niter some little conversation, he said, drawins; a batch of photographs out of his pocket, "My wife is satisfied, Mr Nathan, that ..nnp nf tho Hsrvayja knew where these iewala were kept. 1 was under tue imprso nion until after thia atfiir that only she and myself were acquainted wir.h the secret drawer, but she now telh me thai tho j-ho-acd i 1; a< z tri-imph of ingenuity to soaio young hui-js who inve bee-.i with U3. ijt cur.r..e we don't like to su.peet any of i.e»p, but nobedy eke could havs got at it, JurgUry is out of the question, as no damage was" done, and the kay itself—a peculiar one, by the way—must have been used." He laid four portraits, all of pretty girls, on the desk, and the jeweller, putting on his spectacles, glanced over iheni oac by one. On taking up the last he atouce said: "'lint u she; that is Miss Vance. Kjt u doubt of it."

" For Heaven's sake take care," replied Captain Wiugfield. "That is Miaa Ella Johnstone, a particular friend of my wife's, and belonging to an old and wealthy family living near us, Arc you quiU sure, Mr Nathan 1"

*' Kingdon, come here a moment, pleaae." When the manager entered the otlico Mr Nathan carefully closed the door behind him, aud, handiLi; him the photographs, ;.'*ked " Have you cvei Ht<u any of these ladies before ?"

" Yes," was the answer, given without a moment's hesitation ; " this is Alias Vance, the lady who sold us the tiara." " That'll do, Kir-gdon, thunk you. And now, sir, if you want further corroboration, I don't mind walking with you to my bank, and it is quite possible that the clerk who paid the lady the money may recollect her." The same formality was gone through with the bank clerk, and wish the same result. He remembered the circumstance, Giving to the unusual request for gold for L-t-20, and to the fact that the transaction occurred early in the day; and he had no difficulty in identifying one of the photographs a3 that of the person who cashed the cneq'io. " Weil, sir," remarked tho detective, as all three loft the bank, " it seems a clear .?ase enough," "I am afraid it does," the Captain replied, shaking his head. "It will bo a great shock t) my wife; but it will aho be some consolation to her to get back her diamonds. Of bourne, Air Nathan, Alias Johnstone's father will pay you what you have lost." 11 Very well, I shall give them up when I get my money." " Money or no n.cncy, Mr Nathan, I intend to have my wifs'e diamonds now. You are the receiver of stolen property, I suppose you know." " Buying in the City, air, is buying in the open market, and I stick to my purchase •jntii you have prosecuted the thief to conviction."

"That's ao, sir," said the detective. "Aad may I ask you, Captain, if your My knew you wero bringing up these photos?" the jeweller continued. "No, she did not, for she did not believe that any of her friends were so to bring them up was an idea of my own," " Well, sir, I'd recommend you to tell her what has occurred beforo you let the police do any mot-e. It was Miss Johnstone billed on me, but if I now anything of faces &he is no thief." " But what about the falsa name? And how could she have got the diamonduout of a. secret drawer without stealing '! 13fa, Mr Nathan ?" , . . iv - "The falsa name «a nothing, sir, ire re accustomed to that. And, as to the other, I have a notion of my own. Well, sir, good morning. Do as you like, but take my advice and leave the police alone until you've ■jilted the affair a little more."

Captain Wingfield was surprised by the way in which his wife received the news. At first she was sceptical, then as he related the evidence he had obtained belief gained upon her, and before he had finished she >;emed assured of her friend's guilt. " Now I remember," she said, " how c -.fully curious that girl was about the tk.iwer, and where I kept my keys, asking U I ware quite sure none cf the servants know of my cache, and so on. What & .'uiux ! And what earthly objeot could Ella liAve, since she always has plenty of money ? Walter, we can never prosecute." " I suppose not, but I must tell Mr Johnatouv.-, and let him get you back your diamonds."

" Oh, isn't it Bhocking, Walter ! It will break her mother's heart, and if Charlie Hare hears of it their marriage will never come off."

41 Hare will know nothing of it, dear; I shall have a quiet ohat with the parents and Ella, and she will own up, I daresay, and the thing be finished with. " Don't," Mrs Wingfield begged. " There will be a lot of unpleasantness. Buy back the things yourself, and wo Bhall out Ella in future. Perhaps tho poor girl is a kleptomaniac, or had Eomo very urgent need of money. Let us hußh it up." " Don't bo a fool, Lucy," her husband said rudely. " Shall we lose L4OO in order to avoid wounding tho susceptibilities of a person who has robbed ua ? Nonsense !" " It is not nonsense," she roplied, sharply. "The diamonds were mine, And I should prefer to loae them rathor than cause a lot of pain to the Johnstones, who have been so kind to us."

Hot wordß followed, and at length the husband protended to give way, while inwardly resolviug to follow the matter up. Tho truth was that ho was then ahorter of money than ho cared to let his wife think, and he hoped that tho Johnstones would be more anxious than he to hush the story up; and remembering, too, the air of conviction with which the jeweller had hinted at a mystery, he wanted to unravel it if it were there.

Ho was, however, disappointed in the attitude of tho Johnstones, As soon as thoy had gathered the purport of their visitor's story, the mother paled and then reddened, and was about to reply angrily, when she was interrupted by her husband with " By God, Wingfield, if it were anybody but you who said such a thing, 1 Bhould kick him out of the house."

lui3hi!ig to tho bell-rope he rang a tremendous poal, and, while waiting for a servant, kept muttering: "My Ella a common robber ! Someone will get a flogging for this. A thief; a robber ! Send Miss Ella up at once—at once, do you hear!"

A tall, dark, handsome girl entered, and was walking towards Wingfield with extended hand, when Mr Johnstone cried : "Stop, Ella; that gentleman haa come to tell us that you are a robber." She stopped as if shot, staggered, and only saved herself from falling by grasping the back of a chair and guiding herself to a seat. Then the stared, first at one and again at another, while her lips moved, but without uttering a sound. Wingfield again hastily ran over the information he had obtained, laying stress on the identification of the photograph by three persons, and he requested Mr Johnstone before thinking him unjust to see the jeweller himself. "I never did it, father, never !" was all that Ella could ejaculate, but her silent distresc, nay, horror, was more eloquent than any flow of words, and it drove the father to fury. " Leave my hou3o, sir," he cried, " while I can keep my hands off you, and if I have to go to tho House of Lords for redress, I shall find some moans of punishing your infamous libel."

Mr Johnstono's first impulse was to bririg his daughter face to face with Mr Nathan, and while they were making preparations for the jouriiey to London, Charlie Hare, Ella's betrothed, called. Mr Johnstone told him the story in half a dozsn wrathful eeutcnce3, and he svaa as indignant as the father, and easily accedtd to a proposal that he should aocompany them. It was a curious group that assembled that afternoon in tho office in Goldspur street. The father and lover stood towards tho back of tho little room, ia the middle of which, under the gas-jet that flared constantly for about eleven months in every year, Ella stood with pale lace and frightened eyes. Apparently undisturbed by the threatening tones in which tho father had asked hirn if he had ever seen that young lady before, Nathan calmly wiped his spec taeies, surveyed her, and then said with a smile: "You sold me a diamond tiara the other i(i;/rnir»« ; you are Misi Vance," "Ylu lie 1" Mr Johnstone said fiercely, " she is MiiJ Johnstone."

The jeweller raised his eyebrows, "She told ma her name was Vance, and fur address 3 Regent Mansions, and Ham Hall, near Chippenham. Here, Kingdon !" "Kingdon, have you seen thin young lady before ? Just so—Miss Vance, to lrhom v/o po.i<l Ll2O /nr_ diamonds on Tuerday last. That'll do, Kingdon, tbank you. Now, sir, if you like I shall send for the bank clerk."

"No, eir, you need not. There is somo d irnued c< nspirocy of which you aud that precious Wiuj.;fiold are at the bottom, and. my daughter >a the victim, I shall get my lawyer to ierrofc into it, a plain man has no chance among you. Come away, Ella; come, Charlie."

Silently they filed out of the little office and through the 3hop into tho cab which waited for them at Die door, Nathan watching them thoughtfully.

"I wonder what the truth of the affair id ; I ahouhl like to hear tho end of it. However, I shan't part with the stones until conviction, and 1 doubt if that'll ever jome."

"I say, Eda," her suddenly said, soon after the train had left Paddington, " what's become of that maid of Mrs VVicgficid's ? You told me, I think, that she was leaving, and you tried to persuade he;' to come to you." "Ithiukshe has gone abroad, Charlie," the giil repiid wearily. "She talked of getting married, but I'm sure I don't know."

" Where did she belong to ? " " Somo part of Yorkshire, but when I saw her she wa3 in lodgings over at.Summerford, preparing to get married. Why do you ask ?"

"I hardly know, Ella, only an idea occurred to me. she not a rather ladylike girl?"

"Yes, very. Mrs Wingfield has told me that Studdy was very respectably born." A rather warm correspondence passed between the VVingfields and Johnstones, aud some rtporfcs reached the latter which showed that the was being talked about in the neighborhood. Thereupon Air Johnstone, on behalf of his daughter, entered an action for slander against Captain and Mr 3 Wingfield; aud at the same time the latter served notice on Mr Nathan prohibiting him from parting with the diamonds. Ella remained at homo, rarely going out of door?, overwhelmed naturally by the accusation against her character; and her grief wa3 not diminished by the fact that she had not seen or heard anything of Charlie Hare since the day of their visit to Mr Nathan. A week had passed when Ella, looking from her window, saw a horseman, whom she recognised aa one of Captain Wingfield's servants, rido hastily up to the house and deliver a letter. Guessing that the communication had some reference to her trouble, ahe was about to go downstairs, when her mothor rushed into the room breathless, and throwing her arms about Ella burst into tears, saying amid her sobs : " It is all right; you arc cleared, my child.'' The girl started, and almost thrusting her mother aside, snatched tho open letter from her hand, and while the blood mounted to her forehead, and her bosom heaved, she read:—

Dear Mrs Johnstone, —Just a hurried line to say that we have this raomoat had an explanation of this wretched affair, and, though there v.'n every excuse for our wrongful suspicions, we cinnot tell you how grieved we feel at the pnio caused to your family. My wife and I will call in an hoar or so to tell you the rest, Believe me, dear Mrs Johnstone, Very truly yours, WALJ'ES WINOFIEtD. Mrs Johnstone cet off to find her husband, who was sonic where about the utables, while Ella sat as in a stupor holding the letter in her hand, Presently Charlie Hare was announced, and when Ella saw him her eyes brightened, and she held out the letter with a Bmile, which, however, faded when she saw the cold, hard expression of his face. "I don't understand that note," she faltered.

"I suppose not," he replied, "but this may help you. I have brought it from Mrs WiDgCsld." He handed her a letter which ran thus:—

Dear Madam,—l take the liberty of writing to you because I hear an innocent young lady is acoused of something she never done. Dear madam, the morning yon were showing Miss Johnstone and the other young ladles your secret drawer, and tailing the way to open It, I was in your dressing room and heard every word. Me and my young man were wanting to get married, but hadn't the money, and then I thought of it, and ponldn't get It out 9! rcy head, though I tried. Well, the very next evening you went out with the master to dine, and left your keys In your tea-

gown, and before yon came'back I had the diamonds. That same evening me and my young man arranged to get married at once and cross the set, as we shall be doing when yon get this. The way I sold them was like this: One evening, just for fun, I dreued myself in a hat and costume of Miss Johnstone's and I met Mr Purkia in the avenue, and ho touched hla hat to me ; and my young man told me that with these clothes anybody would mistake me for Miss Johnstone, Is'est morning I started early, pretending I was going to Snmmerford, but I went to London, and 1 had <>u under my disk the grey dress that Miss Johnstone ia to fond of, aud her favorite brooch with the big ruby In it. Nobody suspected I wjsu't a lady, aud I was bick again and In my own clothes by two o'clock, with L 420 in sovereigns ia my bag. I am downright sorry, though, that Miss Johr. stone should bo suspected ; but only for the money I conld never have got manied-so please, dear madam, forgive your humble servant, Emily (late) Studdy.

When Ella had finished reading this curious epistle she looked up at her lover's f ice, but her eyes at once fell, Id Bpite of an obvious effort to steady his voice it trembled as he said, holding out his hand : " Good-bye, I am going on a shooting expedition to Africa, and shall not be back for two or three years. For no other soul—certainly not for myself—would I have bribed a servant into making a false confession. And, Ella, I may now claim to givo you a word of advice. Don't gamble any more at the Calypso, and if you do, don't give lOU'ti that you can't meet, Circumstances may not always be so auspicious as in this case,"

" Better go tip to yoiii* mistress," Hare said to a servant whom he met on the stairs ; u I think she has fainted."