The Affair at the Novelty Theatre
"The Affair at the Novelty Theatre" by Baroness Emmuska Orczy is a mystery involving the theft of a valuable pearl necklace belonging to the actress Miss Phyllis Morgan. The pearls, valued at £10,000, were entrusted to Mr. Kidd, a reputable jeweller, for restringing. After being returned to Miss Morgan at the theatre, the necklace was stolen during a performance. The stage door-keeper, George Finch, discovered the theft but managed to recover the necklace, which was later found to be a fake. Suspicion initially fell on Mr. Kidd and Miss Morgan's fiancé, Mr. Howard Dennis, but both were exonerated. The true culprit was James Rumford, a skilled craftsman who had the opportunity to create a perfect imitation of the necklace. Disguised as a loafer, Rumford drugged Finch and executed the theft, leaving the fake necklace behind to mislead investigators. The real pearls were never recovered, and Mr. Kidd compensated Miss Morgan for the loss.
By Baroness Emmuska Orczy · First published 1909 · Genre: Mystery, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction · 3 chapters · 5,756 words
First lines
"Talking of mysteries," said the man in the corner, rather irrelevantly, for he had not opened his mouth since he sat down and ordered his lunch, "talking of mysteries, it is always a puzzle to me how few thefts are committed in the dressing-rooms of fashionable actresses during a performance."
"There have been one or two," I suggested, "but nothing of any value was stolen."
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Genres
- Mystery — The plot revolves around an intricate theft and an unexplained substitution that propels the investigation.
- Crime Fiction — The narrative involves criminal activities such as fraud and theft, central to the storyline.
- Historical Fiction — The setting in a period-specific theatrical world with detailed social context underscores its historical narrative.
- Detective Fiction — The unfolding of clues and the methodical investigation by characters are key features that align with detective fiction.
Tags
mystery · detective · theatre · historical setting · thriller · drama · intrigue · suspense · crime · scandal · puzzle · deception
What this Textopian page supports
The Affair at the Novelty Theatre is listed on Textopian as a short story by Baroness Emmuska Orczy, dated 1909 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Short story
- Author: Baroness Emmuska Orczy
- Date: 1909 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Mystery, Crime Fiction, Historical Fiction, Detective Fiction
- Length: 5,756 words
- Structure: 3 chapters, 101 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Affair at the Novelty Theatre by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Contents
More by Baroness Emmuska Orczy
- The Emperor's Candlesticks (1899)
- Lady Molly of Scotland Yard (1910)
- The Case of Miss Elliott (1909)
- The Hocussing of Cigarette (1909)
- The Tragedy in Dartmoor Terrace (1909)
- Who Stole the Black Diamonds? (1909)
- The Murder of Miss Pebmarsh (1909)
- The Lisson Grove Mystery (1909)
- All works by Baroness Emmuska Orczy