!. -. . .- ' :
. .
EYE
TWELVE DETECTIVE STORIES
1QI
By ARTHUR STRINGER
II i II M
M ft-
CtwprVM, Jf 11, H IM MoCMrd yepsr Syadloets.
D
A
VIIL
WHAT HAS GONE BEFORE
' Balmy Jtyouki. tpetMl an jMraNv or IM faMtsrV FreeR
AOiakc. M JPo trk, iftwtf storte or IM mems!. of 1fihts, '
tlr. Winkren fate, to front It kin IMI elfMngh appear Mrs
S0Mv M ld Um. Bsletg WS IMlttM ff
ftSspUoL wMrc M hW trehittip, because M Id A?ele Forento. yeans
fftliaa tcM M4 killed SU Sttewthearl end Mounded Mattel, escape. M
later learnt IM M M0SM (M lalcf. it st leseo ff grew
gem tJWettte, llfttr flea, or IM AlHonce. pecs Balmy IM e
tUoMn tM third Wppest AMmI m Asuwte. CM etc the Ic M r
fitted, triad end tent I i ImmwUsfWy MsMed. a IM tfrinpt
I (hit UM Misery M etooroftwmi IM ovmirr 0 IM diamond, M it
Infer found 444, (M IM en b 0ow from IM eM M gees f
MM U. TM MMI M letST rmvared from Curat flam, a eMB-ftaoire
M tk4f. TM ft Mill of wit i etvt IM feet thieves m4
M rprmtatMt of W Sna" order, coca one Mee stories tsfta
M foreefut aMftaer IM eatooM o IMs laterestmp eweewnl
Vs. Tocsep AIM it sool-pS or IM Alliance
w SAT on ft llt-oler4 chftlr. In
I Mac-colored room, waiting (or the
fifth wlthlet omS In America.
AM I Md t their eweillng Mr.
Obdeh-Belpont for melir thlrty-flv
mintltM. : t WU attll wftttlflf with my
witelk In mr Mho, Ilk tlmehMpcr
at 4 trftok aid, Mn a QuIcK ruitlr
ol ltk mad m look up.
I aaw myattf Mink lnit by
thin aad'erVUi MH narro
etiaakboan and an Iron Duka nM.
EM waa at laaat fifty. And I kaw at
net that I u faa la fa with Mra
oWn-BIpont
Tau'ra tha yuh 14y frm tk
Tim tpartmhtt thf demanded.
6M toM brlakly, paoelm only a mo
Beat, apparently to d'fMt her eheck
at flhdltif a klrailn of lha law la a
Duffodofdoa rrMk and a Tpp hat
i -itaroaty,'' 1 amended teienint my
real (aellnri behind a rather lantnid
antU. ' .
. "Than who TP the betan fllfhtiy
elevating her thinly penciled eyebrow.
tfc Mill Rymal,- I aald. "And I
wil aent her from the Protective
Alllanea offle.
"But yW wart to aom on the two
flftf.flve train a ad rtockln waa aent
to meet yaO aha announced with, a
aota o( latent reproot
"Taa," I amUlngty started. "Hut,
fell ,. It wa with' the aarvanU'
carryalL Aad t rather faaeled that
yoa't overlooked that I might be
crowdlnt IM Mw aaaand aaak and the
ear wiper."
I Bad th eatlafacUon of aealag her
tafCM t kad Intended ta make her
tart, at Ua none too muffled rebuke
of mlM.,
But In k mamant'a lime ah wa
completely mlitr of hereelf. "Mlu
Blanchaa attenda to those thing.- h
arpiaihed. "Ml Bltnoha I my M.
retafy."
"Thn h ought to be dtmUd," I
promptly announced.
1 Ml givt you prclly fifteen
m In tea," wa th unruffled ttmnt
of Mr. Obdn-Blpont.
.."That will be aufflclent, I think" I
told her, atm amiltng. lipving teored
polAt I eeuld afford to be magnanlm
aoa. .
. "Than how did you get from the
tatianr ttked the tut abetraoted
rd woman.
"A vary kind old gentleman In flan
nel oeemed to waken to tin humor at
tha altuatlon and brought m hr In a
tanolored eano-roadtar. That. 1
might add, WM exactly thr-qurtr
of an Boot ago."
"That mut hav been Ferrl," ihe
mdlutlviy oberved, and then -Ad
mira Trevor Ferrl. And crowding a
reradmlral muit hav aaomed more
of novelty than ccok In
watanett."
I had tha Qualified satisfaction of
knowing Fd feraod th claw through
th Velvet. '
"But tat lan't what were Mr ta
talk aver, I ttr uggted my h oaten.
"8o will pan h good eaough ta tell m
what you know of thl er ,
"I'd prefer that yen tell me," I
countered.
"Ill explain It very briefly. My
daughter Natalie I to be married here
at 'Mtramar nest Friday at high noon.
Eh ta to marry Captain XJoyd Bher
wtn. Th arrangement ar not, of
course, firapl. On robbery ha al
ready oceurrod.
"Then y ar antlolpating anetherr
' That la scarcely how I should
phraaa If earrteted tha .mdr. Td
prefer stating that I'm extremely
anxtoa to prevent any such occur
renoa. being repeated. I can't hav
Katali worried by knowing about thta.
Eh la an aitrmly deltcat girl and
Is already under what f eonalder quite
ufflcient atratn.
Thea who know about ttr
"kfy hustand. of cure. and Miss
rianrhan, and Admiral Trevor Feme
Bencmoy. my nuur. Th wd-i-g
glfU Jtav. of eouree. Men om
here. Earlier In tha week, rm
fraid, w war mor rare let than we
r houid hav boon, a number at thing
bad beea laid out on th top of a
eraad piano In the musia room. They
wr evea left alone tharv for a few
t omenta, When I want to ask
i -nctiiey and Mia B la no ha a to r
nr them to th waU.afth Madid
. mond waa maaetng."
TMiat wa It vaif'1-
STRANGER IN THE
"To a thief merely a" few hundred
dollar at th mot Bat Its historic
valu la quit anatMr matter. It was
an antique Florentine ring, once In the
possession Of Larsato d MedleL"
"Who discovered tha theft r
"I dld.-
"Wbom do you tuapeotr The que-
tlon seemed to ttartl her.
"I have nied my suspicion on no
particular person yet, M van-
nouaeed with qulta unnecessary dig
ally. .
"And you ar willing to let m go
about thl in my awn weyr
'Td prefer having sow slight Ink
ling of what that way la to be," she
Anally averted.
"II would make my work much
easier if no one in th house knew
whr I lul hero."
Thl seemed .to (tick In her craw.
"Then you already hav a suspicion as
to to who th guilty parses Mr'
1 hav concluded that II I what
w call ah meld lo I said. "How
many aervaata hav yen hrf
&h did a quick sura In mental
arithmetic.
"Seventeen of my own. Then there'
Owendotya d Haven's maid and Hallie
Ralelgh'e and Ferrle's man. That
make twenty, not counting the chauf
feur and th seven men Mr. Obden
Bolpont keep an th yacht But I
hav already told you that all of. my
servant ar above suspicion," asserted
th mietres of that manorial retinue.
I Wat tempted la remark, with a alKh.
that they alway were above suspicion
in a ease Ilk this.
"Then that leave only the guests."
I said In my most matter -of-faefman-nr.
'Tm afraid they, too, will haf to be
included In my list of exemptions." eh
aid with Icy yet forbearing patience
"If yoji ar willing to leave thl oat
entirely in my hand." I said, Td like
to M free to move about without em
barr earnest. So I'll telephen for my
maid to M her om tlm befoH din
ner." "And yoe mean ta any, you--"
1 mea to say that I propose (lay
ing at 'Miramat a your guest until
thta case is entirely cleared up If you
ehoo to kava it cleared up,"
I caul see her line old face harden.
"Realty, yau know
' But that wa a far a ah got.
Her speech was cut short by a atiddeh
Interruption.
"Mather, Unci O Wynne's emerald I
gone!" cam from a reedy young voice
fro the doorway. Th next mlnut a
girl of tweatv entered tM rosea.
- "Ooaer echoed th nother.
"I had Ml Blanrhan bring tM
emerald and 'th Morgan1 lavallwr
that Just cam thl morning out t th
lunrootn ta ahww owendoiyn. t put
tham Ml) on the round willow table
thr. And when w ram hick, In
two or three minute, there was only
th leveilicre left-
"Hav you spoken to the servant
about thlar asked Mra. Obdn-Blpont
a Mr aye met mla.
"I spake t Baaehley, mother, but
h been busy tlcphonln to th
caterer and know absolutely nothing
a soux it.
Th older woman tupped across th
room and touched an electric MIL
"Thl la my daugnur. Mla Rymal."
h said with a tmil which, rm afraid,
waa just a tittle faroed. "Mto Rymal
i i be our guest during the next few
ray. Natalie. whu rm aur ah'U
understand that w mnt five her a
treat deal of aur time, under tM lr
umctaneea, I do hop w make
aer viett a pleasant ,"
"And a successful one." I added.
That will M eMrming, of course,
sain tn abstracted hridetebe. Sh
wa already turning away when a maid
In a service cap and apron entered tM
room.
"Horten, Will yog pleas show Mis
Rymal to hat room, tM first room in
IM Lerlllard wing," eald th mistreat
or Miramar with her auav ami!
AM left le Mmg rvcd on th terrace. I
Mla Rymal, la half as Mar. I hope
von wUI M abU to Join u there. And
Hortenae." added Mm. Obden-Belpont
"connect th extension there so tMt
Ml Rrmal raa telaphoac Inu tM lty
for Mr maid." And M I smiled it was
not altogether la triumph, hut more at
the thought of Tooaey Attmt late of,
Chatham Bquare, Ming Installed un
der tMt stately end solemn roof,
A I tupped out on the terrac to
Join that gny-aalored group In duck
and flannel aad sMatung silk clus
tered about tM willow tower table and
tM green-trimmed garde canopy my
puis count wm juat aMut one hun
dred and twenty. For I really believe
t was mare afraid or that cluster of
amiable men aad women than I weuld
have Men at s eoneotloa of gangsters
awaiting m On tM darkest corner of
Heirs stltcMn. So I dissembled my
rvensneca by areppmg to net an of
IB deer-heundi which trotted eon
fldenuy up Maid m. I
."Fin animals, hr off-hinaedly re
marked man who promptly area
from on of tha eiub-ehalrt in front of
i.-1 at one taw .that it waa my .aw
friend, Admiral Trevor Ftrrta. It
Mmd natural enaugh that h should
tva ma hia ehalr and then explain that
a deer-hud wa mameatai hut sot
verly MUlllcent Then, a younger
man en my right Mgaa aniargmg an
th intelligenee of tM ZoWer polntera,
and a fat man furtMr around the tlr
l (poke af th elvrna at tM mm
view scout-dott, and that reminded ma
of what td aoen tM dog IS th New
Tork Folic Department da, and be
fore t knew It I had that tntlr circle
listening tsmy description t how a
polls do could M trained ta make an
amen by avsrtaking a prisoner and
holding him.
. i at there aulta at my tt rather
'altered because a brick-colored Apollo
wm all the while trying to talk to m
around tha corner of Ferrle't flannel
shoulder, at th same tlm that th
young man who liked Zelglsr pointers
kept forstalling tM roetman in nsjans.
Ing lumps of sugar an my sauocr Mm.
Thl seemed ta annoy a languid-eyed
vouna lady In ergandla who drifted
ever la aur direction and meltlngly. yet
polatedly asked me where I'd ever
oome to, know o much about police
eon.
It waa Ferrl whft pok befor I
had time tonwer the question my
tit
"Didn't you tell m. driving out from
town Ml. Rymal. that you one tried
your hand at aettltment work,"
blandly interposed.
"Only a an amatsur," t Just a glibly
fabricated. I had anly time to reals-
ter a vatru imprenslon that thl
woman, who ham I later found t be
Gwendolyn D Haven, wa in
way my enemy and Would M well
worth watching. For Just then
iad us aad saw another figure ad
vancing toward us across th cloee
erppd turf.
It wss a very dapper flgur, for All
It height, a flgur In soft gray Aannsl
with a comfortable looking cheviot
Ihlrt and whit buckskin shoes. What
mtd me -euddtniy lit up wa th taet
that th nwcomr wa Wlnkfrad
Baland hlmeelf.
There, Sot mor than ten steps away
from me. stood my Winkle. calmly
shaking hands with three summery
looking gin wM eoood about him ilk
waod-plgeon. Then he moved on and
tapped ahort though M Md Men
Wtnkic arid' I LoolcaA
ii a1) - ; aiwi'awii vkmiii aw a mm uw ms a j-a t mw
eacn ot her Long vnd,thou
that P'or his eye had most unmis
takably fallen en me.
I Wa Jutt wondering what to do ta
waMa my poor . bewildered Winkle
whoa Admiral Ferrl got up put of hit
rlubchalr and swung th nswoomtr
aMut by hi elbow. "Sit down here
and talk to hi lea RysaaL" ha said.
"whit I go aad gat my btrd-glae
Ton know Mla Rymal. af course
well, it you don't It tlm you did."
Mad Wlnkl very woodenly shook
hands with me and subsided trance
like Into the chair at my side with
sort of what-ln-the-name-of-Qod-t.
the-snoanlng-of-all-thl look on Alt
troubled face,
I waa rattling On ta Winkle and th
young man on my left when a rather
faded looking tplntter bore down on
Wlnkl and thanked him with any ef
fusion tor th copy of Tagor. Thlt
woman I found waa Mis BtanoMa.
tM aoelaj crury at Miramar, and
tM had a fam Ilka a horse. at,
liked Mr for casting demure, yet odor
Ing. glance at my Wlnkl even mar
than i disliked Mr tor th wagonette.
Aa -I eat there watching Winkle with
tM little shell t a teacup balanced oa
hi big brawn hand, I couldn't help re
calling that one hla Up kad whkrprefl
HOUSE
to tn through a vail bt athar: "Art
yo staying elaaa, yos girt with tn
gray eyes 7" And wha he waa eon
valMoing is th St Andrew's tun
room, befor hi married itr had
whliked him eft to Pasadena, h'd
van lifted my hand (Juat s little
bleached with bichloride) up ta hit
Hp and said: 1 den t see. Orey Byts.
how I ean vsr llv without ymn"
But that seemed a long tlm ago.
Aad many thing had hppMd tine
then. From tlm ta time, new, t no
ticed that ha looked at me with
troubled eye. I could sec th an
nks auet(on . en hit faa. My
Winkle. I oould tee, waa autptoleua of
me, He no longer Mlltved in s.
And J remembered that t waan't in a
esltlon to explain thing ta him. If
it hurt m a little ta feci that he
couldn't at least give st tM benefit of
a deubt, I still Wrung s tcrt at biaek
Joy out of hit bewilderment. -
I didn't tee Winkle again until that
night when t rushed down ra a fever
iihly altered Faqula dlnn-gew.
Then I taw Wlnkl at a llghtly Closer
rang than I had expected, for It so
happened that I wa aaatad tnat night
at dinner between him and Rear-Ad-
mlral Trevor Ferris, td thought far
ens foolish moment that Wlnkl might
Ilk m In my unexpected Queen-or
feheba get-up. But In that I made the
mistake of my life. Instead of malting
with, admiration, he looked m ovr
with a cool and scoriae eye, relapsing
Inta s morose and troubled ellenee
from which the fluffy debutante madt
reptaUd hut ineffectual attempts to
rouss him.
That dinner wa far from being all
play t ms, far I kept going up and
down that doubi Una af prattling
grand, pondering whloh on of them
ouid be a gem-thief and what reason
that partisular person oould hav for
purloining a poor llttl Drssdsn-chln
heiress's wedding gift. Again and
aTIT
till again my attention wont back to
the self-obliteraUng Miae Blanchaa.
aad I decided, at I mi there, ta find
out n little mere about that long-jawed
maiden lady. I aleo feu rather Inter
etted In Owendoiyn De Haven. And
I also decided, as I sat there, to tele
phone la to Sloan' omo tMt night
for two or three d lota phone and a
neld-bridg for He ten Ing In on the
house wire.
It waan't until dinner was almost
Over that Winkle awung aMut and
faced me.
"Whit are you doing heref he skid
quietly, yet with a note, of finality tMt
waa anything but pleasant
Tm deing what everybody els here
teems ta M doing enjoying myself,"
waa all tha satisfaction I would give
"So It seems!" ho said. With what
couldn't possibly M , called knightly
TM nsxt two days ware anything
but Idle day tor Tooy end me. I
mad ft camera-Inspection for finger
prints, and attached my Mid bridge to
thS ho circuit and, using tM de
ratora a a creon. erafuiiy planted
three dictaphone where I thought
they'd do tM moat good. tlm moat
I n I
if., ":r-'C 0 ,
mA
a1 " ft .
lVtfl?CtM.
thoroughly looked over th waH-tafe,
which proved ft partly enough vault
for which a Tudor fireplace had Mas
aerlfieod. TM entrance to this, pro
tected by s four-tumbler combination
look, waa ratMr cleverly aaneeaUd.
But after I'd persuaded Mrs. Obdsa
Bclpast to stsw the Jewerty sway m
that safe t aoeretly wired ft anat In
front at tM sat door and hat It sea
nected with ft butxef beside my awn
bed. .
Bealdec all this. While t WM busy lit
my and el the line, Toaaty wm eorre
tpohdtngly occupied In ft urraptitlana
IntpVotlon and appraisal of tha foreet
below aulr. We had worked thor
oughly, but wa had worked fmRhitsly.
Kot a, thing out af the ordinary had
eoettmd. And sot h,clu hag bean
unearthed.
There at 'Miramar It has Mton
lshed me to And out Mw aomptt Uf
eculd beceme. how ruled by procedure
and avium, and ieonvnUon. Tha
thing wa tM hit for me. It tended
to Subjugate me, to leave me a bltt
erkted U Mis Blanchaa hsmlf.Md
become. And st tha tlma ter tha
much-talked about and much-written
aMut Serwln-oaden-Belpont wadding
draw nearer I mor knd mor ritd
X
how bsrbsrie the matlng-rite at a ht
and-she-thlna of tM human trib could
Mcomi once fOu looked at4t through
the cool light at reeeen.
Th making ready for theso rites was
still converting sertals part of "Mire
mar" Into ft eros between ft green
house and an oriental Maaar, and be
low atalrt wa a humming beehive of
aetlvlty. But the house Itself teemed
ratMr empty of guests tMt day. and
: f
luncheon proved an extremely dreary
affair. Ferrl, I found, had flitted off
to Newport tM night before, so It
wM with oonaidembl surprts that I
ma across him under a slump of
maple lata that afternoon. He was
dressed In knleherbocier, and Md a
fleldgtaai In hi hand, and m4 in
tent en a study of the aiur hvn
abov him when I Interrupted hie
aeanoa, Me stood for quite a long time
staring off. through tM heavy foliage.
That' moat remerMble." he paid
as h (lowly put down hi glatsca. Tm
bar Mt w a Canada Jay I saw
there periaereua canadanslt, you
know." .
"A blrdr I naked a I tat down en
a rustic bench past Which a tiny brook
gargled ahd danced. '
"Tea. a bird," he aald aa ha tt down
(n front of mo on a collfvpcible ramp
steol of steel aad caavaa. "Sometime
railed th WhUky-Jtek, or th Veptooa
Heron, or the MOoce Bird,, or evereJ
other name. 1 lev to atady Ood'a fa
nocent llttl featMred creatures. And
a place like 'Miramar gives them
auch splendid harborage. fomwMr
through the thicker cover here yea may
run across a Hungarian pheasant or
two I brought over myself for Mr.
Obdea-Belpont" ! .
TM aouad af that same MimieT to
cautt him to laps tftta alienee. Attar
a minute .or two he turned to me.
'"Who did Itr M abruptly demahdod.
Did whatf I ask4v "Carried oft
that De Medici HngP . f - A '
TM handsome, old tec grew tud
denly farrowed. ; TMs tMre have
been two thefur he aald.',
"I thought yea knew tMt Ar"any
feature of tM aeetet Mug withheld
from sm I asked him M I outlined M
htm wMt hM already bee told sm m
th oasa. - 1 " . .
-No; that- an w know irtrrery.
And t watat tout f tM son than.
TMt makes thlngt mora tartane .
Tatt ms aMut Owehdelyh tM
Haven," i ventured.
Tmpeaalbla,1' ho aald with tha K
moM decision.
Then Mis Blanchaa t ebatmoed.
Again he shook hh head. -
TM Mw SMui Bonehlayf
Re smiled almost oommlaerathrely.
TtB quit clear yon son t knew th
redoubtabw BenchUy an M We've
com to know htm. h would Mji bit
ahMrd to aacrtflce ft forty-four-yeaT
rooori for honesty, a life stats st nbM
rota inttgnty for a three or bur hus
drad dollar trinket
Thar what rve felt alt ahsg. i
skraacLNAa4 at th aam tlm thaf I
why R M impressed me M an lnaide
Jab, IV realty tM ami of snatch
patty Bhtakthwvlnt Mat a weakling
r ft mental defective might M guilty
at
"htra. Obdsn-Betpont :a he wank
Ung Is her retlsnet" ht SrMUlmed,
That's what tve Men at oonslder
ftbl pain to verify," I acknowledged.
Thcs tMt take ua back ta th
guest. srtr an.- h Sold with a
chuckle.
"But what- I that to wort on
there r . .
' Tvc hots wonder log about young
Balanfl." m Mstured. la a healuting
pwioiway. -Hasn't it struck yon tMt
ha1 rather worrmd-looking and lu-at-aetr
Then h looked at ma out of th
ar ar hi ahrewd eld eye, "How well
so y know himr .
"I dost think t know him at alf t
Isally MkMwhgad, Then I turned
sag asked point blank i t yea think
eten too jewels r
1 am aaiTW to have to say it" he
matured without looking at me. "bat
I knew Of aemetkmg he ha Stolen."
"Wfcatt I demanded, ii-.l Rear' Ad
miral Ferrl didat aaawef that ques
tion. Instead, ha caught u hie Beld-
gtae and Mveled them through th
tas-flltrtat leafage,
Nat long afterward aa I returned
aaroM th glowing green terrac I aaw
under tM eoot shadow of the carriage
entrance a big plutn-belortd sextan
ornamented by two human caryatids hi
plura-ooloted uniform. 6na of these
figure suddenly circled tba car and
awung opes tha plum -colored door. At
th ssme moment Mrs, Obden-Belpont
hereelf stepped eat to the sedan. SM
stopped short M ah Mught tight f
"ou haVMt succeeded vary well
Mv your sh remarked. Her tone
wm vary quiet it made ms think of
S bnlfe-biad bUMed is roe leave.
"Why hetr I Mkad. i
Beau ft diamond hftr-Mn. t Bnd.
hM juit been stoles from my daugh-J
ters room." quietly retorted tMt mag.
Ibtarlal flgur. And the plum-colored
factotum twunf shut tha pim-ciored
door and left ma tunng rather emptily
after that gllttening equipage aa It
wov It purring way out along th
winawg gravel snve.
AMut tha third jewel robbery at
"Miramar," I found, there waa little
that wa novel and still Us that was
known. The night brought nothing
new nor did the mbrhlnf, "Miramar."
Is tact, wm preoccupied with a bigger
movement than the on which had
ushered me Is through Its eobbie-aton
gete-piners. And an dty long . tM
sver-thtrtlng army of pfepatatton
cam and wtnt
"Bay, Balmy."' Tooaey remarked
after aft obeervaties of certain ot the!
eetlvitkM. "I wouldn't M that bride for
all tM Oath Juak that ever came out
of the Kim bet ley Mine."
Tceeey, what' tM matter with
yout"
"It bm't me. It' the hou."
"WMt't going to happen to thle
houotr .
Thsre's'golng to M ft death In It"
wm her eetomn-noted reply.
"What makes yoa Sfty absurd things
IIM tMtr wa my aoaa-too-paUcnt
Inquiry.
-"Balmy, when s hlrd flla Into a
house, that mean death! It never
talla. ASd ft bird flew 1st thl house.
And WMt' more, I saw It
Ther wr tlSM When Tooaey was
Impossible SSul t WM glad to slip
sway into the eonooltng quietness of
the leafy woodland Myond tM shim
mrlngroofd green hou sac and reet
gardena, I wm homesick for some
thing that I couldn't define even to my
own heart Aad I wanted te M alone.
Yet te be alone, appareatly, waa tM
one oomfort denied me. tor m I atruck
deeper Into tMt wooded, solltuds I
found mytelf confronted by at least
two unmistaMMe tight of human In
trusion. One wa a ateel-roddcd col
lapstbl rampsteei sad th other wm a
palp of Mld-glfttt. a I advancer
deeper mto tM woodland I spotted
walklhg.stick stsaBlnff Bprtghrm tM
ground. Os I. hung a brown Norfolk
jacket It plainly belonged to Bear
Admiral Trevor Ferris. But tMre was
ns jrerrte la eight
'I had takea tMt Jacket up. during
my intpectlon. and fully Intended to
hang It Mck ever the walking atlok
juat aa I Md found It TM oaa. stuck
la the ground by It .'errule, went
lowly, over with tM weight of cloth.
Then I gatMred up the coat shook th
duet and leaf-mold from It, and stooped
te pick up ft linen handkerchief which
Md felieft from n of It pockets dur
ing the activities, t disco v4 three
thlngt oarefulty wrapped up in It On
waa ft. diamond bar-pin. Th other
waa an emerald la platinum netting.
And tM third waa aa antique Floren
tine ring.
I tucked that handkerchief back la
It pocket took possession ot tM three
bits ot Jewelry, aad looked carefully
Shout Then I started tor tM gray
green gabtta of "Miramar." I Md
crossed the empty golf oours and
turned mto ft long pergola when I
tame faoe to fe with tM one man I
should Mva preferred ftvoldlng. It was
Wlnhfrtd gJeVr",
Hla morose 1 questioning eye em
barrassed m almost a much aa tM
marnory bt wMt i waa earylBg ta toy
right hand. And la trying rtneeal
tMt embarrassment t exaggerated It ' ,
rWhat m kr Be tartng l,te
pointedly st my tightly (closed Bat.
TM black Joy of hurijng him ewrged
threuah ma at that hrutk command, I
opened my hand and dlseloetd tM
three ttolea pie af JeWsiry. ng i
knew by hla face that hundrstd
exactly what they Were. ,
"Where did yen get tMalT ft aaked
after ft fuU moment ot sCenoa,
1 stole them," I said, looking aha
tralght la th eye.
"Hadn't I Mttar take thece?" he
asked attar ft long aliesoe. "It would
sum It Mtier tor you. wouldn't itr '
and t sotioeg that the note ot iron,
Md gon4utet hie vole, -f
ttughi rA llttlel , bttf pHIOrWlHfcl
eeuldat ad thj humor ot th altuatlon.
I watched him la alienee aa hla big
brews hand took possession of them,
It WM IS alienee, too, that I want aln
at hla aide a he emergtd from tM
pergola and start sd acre the taws.
AMut tM tan-duck garden I no
tleed tea wa Ming etrvtd. i eoult
Wlnkl crost over to Natalie and
draw Mr te one aid, There wa won
der In her pallid little- face, and th
three stolen Jewels In the cup of hot
hand, aa she turned hack M th eenopj
and It company. - -
"Mohtr," th cried. "They've Mel
found!"
They Mve .been returned," an
nounced Wlnkl with S fee Ilk i
mask, "strictly oft tha undftaridlS
that so questions are to b Mked."
I fwna watching Wlnkl4 tac M
el1 that I failed t notice Ferric ad
b JolMd tta. I . '
'We've found ihe tBIot explained
Owtndolyn De Haven. .
"And Jost Who wkt the thieff tM
merited the russet-faced did Admiral,
"Tea can aay I waa Winkle, as
seunced.
-Not By a loni shot," promptly tn
tcrrupted my old friend. . was aa
accomplice of mm.
"What aeOtaplle1" flemanded
Winkle, perpleaed by tM tranquility of
usy face. ' '
"A gunutmsn who bear th name
at Whisky John." retorted Ferrl. "But
known to Adirondack lumbermen a
the Canada Jay. sad eometlmea aa th
Camp Robber, the boldest maraudeH
tlr, of ail the Jay family, whom I've
Sftsft enough aeen ttcallng front canoe
knd wigwams la the North Woods."
"Ton mean ft was S blrdf demanded
the empty-headed Owendoiyn De
Haven.
"Kxaefly," replied Rear-Admiral
Trevor Ferric, browning me with hla
kindly old smQe M complete under
Standing.
And for th second t':ne that day
Wlnkl and I looked kt each other
long and thoughtfully.
A BOGUS HALF-DOLLAR.
A Stan wh looked seedy sad bunged
up boarded, ft trofJoy ear and laid hla
Mad oa the arm of tM conductor and
aid: i
"Old chap, let me give yoa ft tip. It
little eld woman with ah iron jaw
tries to board your car today ring the
Mil and leave Mr behind."
"But why chould IT" was queried la
reply. v
"Beoaus she was Hdlng oh thta
route yesterday and torn conductor
passed a bogua Mlf-dollar oa her.
fehe wu m mad about It that aha
didn't tlsep ftny last night and an
hour ago the put en her hat and
walked cut She I going to .board
very ear OS tha Ntte. She will take
you by the keckUe end giv yuf head
tnd neck a twist and demand a good
haif-dtUar of you, tmt yea look
guilty and gasp for breath and try to
stammer out tone excuse. It you do
shs will think yoa u the man, and
yoa will go to th hospital fop two
weeka before She tU -through with
you."
TM conductor Mtured the man tMt
he would spend the rest of th day
looking for'tM Mttl old woman, and
tMt it he aaw one ht would ring the
Mil for the motormas to start up. at
a gait twenty milet as hoar. . k -
WHAT AN ABMIrriC It.
Utt Joneo waa reading hla heweV
paper and Mra. Jones waa reeding th
ether, whan aha suddsniy looked up
and atked: - ' '
"My dear, what It aa armistice r
"An armliUo la is " slowly re
plied Mr. Jenea, hut came to Mlt -
"Is wMtr demandsd Mrs. Jonsc
"Well, I dunno at I quite understand
hut tt la thle way: when two na
tkna get tired mt fle-htln mm kini,
ky:krbas about what It called aa
anniiuo. - i -., . . . .-. ,
We. I know, hut wMt la Itr per
sist a Mr, one. -
."Why they etep fighting tAd knilng
and go to Jawing and differing. On
is aa Md a the ether, end one lattt
aMut M long -a ihe other, and one
disturb th world aMut as much aa
Ihe other. It I about aa evea thing
wMtMr they fight oa or Mve aa
armistice." ti
Mr. Jonss read oa for a few minute
aMut tM Paris armurtlo and then re
piled ...... o ,
"Mr. ioaea, X agree with you!" -
VALUE OF tALVAQC IN A. K. f,
Th vslu of matsrlal salvaged by
tM A. X. F. Salvage Sarvte for thN
thirteen months ending with January
amounted to M.:si.0"4, ot which
!,l0.e wa material collected ea
tatUefleldl. Doring-". January battle
field collection covtred material hav
ing an original east of m o.oo aad
ft aalvage value of U.ftOfl.OOft.