om, denouncing him as a coward and a liar, and
threatening to turn him out of the house if he dared harbor such a
suspicion against Harold Hastings.

'I'll turn you all into the street,' he continued, 'if you are not
careful, and bring Harold and Jerry here to live; then see if I can have
peace. Diamonds, indeed! what has a poor man's wife to do with
diamonds? Gretchen's diamonds, too! If they are lost, search the house,
but never accuse Harold again.'

At this paint Arthur wandered off into German, which no one could
understand except Jerry, who stood, holding fast to his arm, her face
flushed and triumphant at Harold's victory and Tom's defeat; but as the
tirade in German went on, she started suddenly forward, and with clasped
hands and staring eyes stood confronting Arthur until he had ceased
speaking, and with a wave of his hand signified that he was through and
his audience dismissed. Jerry, however, did not move, but stood
regarding him with a frightened, questioning expression in her face,
which was lost upon the spectators, who were too much interested in the
all-absorbing topic to notice anyone particularly.

Tom was the first to go away, and his example was followed by all the
servants, except Charles, who succeeded in getting his master back to
his room and quieting him somewhat, though he kept talking to himself of
diamonds, and Paris, and Gretchen, who, he said, should not he wronged.

'I am sorry, Harold, that this thing has happened. I have no idea that
you know anything of the matter. I would as soon suspect my own son,'
Frank said to Harold, as he was leaving the house.

With this grain of comfort, the boy went slowly home, humiliated and cut
to the heart with the indignity put upon him; while Jerry walked
silently at his side, never speaking a word until they were nearly home,
when she said, suddenly:

'I know where the diamonds are, but I shan't tell now while there is
such a fuss;' but Harold was too much absorbed in his own thoughts to
pay much attention to the remark, although it recurred to him years
after, when the diamonds came up to confront him again.

It did not take long for the whole town to know of Mrs. Tracy's loss.
The papers were full of it. The neighbors talked of it constantly, and
two detectives were employed to work the matter up and discover the
thief, if possible. A thorough search was also made at the park house.
Every servant was examined and cross-examined, and all their