“Hillsborough, December 21st.  The fourth in a series of daring robberies which have been taking place in this neighbourhood during the past month occurred last night when the residence of C.B.  Vaughan of New York was entered and valuable wines and bric-a-brac removed.  The robbery was not discovered until this morning when a shutter was observed unfastened on the second story.  On entering the watchman found the house had been carefully gone over, and although only a few objects seem to be missing, these are of the greatest value.  The thief apparently had plenty of time, and probably occupied the whole night in his search.  This is the more remarkable because the watchman asserts that he spent at least an hour on the piazza during the night.  How the thief effected an entrance by the second story is not clear.  During the past five weeks the houses of L.G.  Innes, T. Wilson and Abraham Marheim have been entered in a manner almost precisely similar.  There was a report yesterday that some of the Marheim silver had been discovered with a dealer in Boston, but that he could not identify the person from whom he bought them further than that she was a young lady to whom they might very well have belonged.  The fact that it was a young lady who disposed of them to him suggests that the goods must have changed hands several times.  The Marheim family is abroad, and the servants....”

Here a waiter touched his elbow.

“Mr. and Mrs. Vaughan have come, sir,” he said.

“Send up to my apartment and tell Mrs. May we are sitting down to dinner,” returned Holland promptly, and advanced to meet the prosperous looking couple approaching.

“I’m afraid we are late,” said the lady, “but can you blame us?  Have you heard?  We have been telegraphing to Hillsborough all the afternoon to find out what has gone.”

“You are not late.  My sister has not come down yet.  I was just reading about your robbery.  Have you lost anything of value?”

“Oh, I suppose so,” said Mrs. Vaughan cheerfully, sitting down and beginning to draw off her gloves.  “We had a Van Dyke etching, and some enamels that have gone certainly, and Charlie feels awfully about his wine.”

“Yes,” said Mr. Vaughan gloomily.  “I tell you he is going to have a happy time with that champagne.  It is the best I ever tasted.”

“Upon my word,” said Geoffrey, “they are a nice lot of countrymen up there.  Four robberies and not so much as a clue.”

“You need not be afraid,” said Mrs. Vaughan rather spitefully.  “In spite of all your treasures, I don’t believe any thief would take the trouble to climb to the top of your mountain.”

Holland’s selection of a distant hilltop for his large place pleased no true Hillsboroughite.  As an eligible bachelor he was inaccessible, and as a property-holder he was too far away to increase the value of Hillsborough real-estate by his wonderful lawns and gardens.