Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1874-01-24

L suppose ought to have till Won then, bu, I
aiun I, and, by some strange fatality, you were
ggusy s'ery uay IN your once at the only time
could be there. As the matter wouldn't be
made any worse, l waited for my chance, and
got the diamonds back in the safe the evening
eetore you went away on your second journey.
again swear to you that took them only for
a Joke, aud for sught | know to the contrary,
put them back again just as / had found
GILES story was straightforward enough. but,
much as WAS inclined TO give him the heneft
OF my doubts, it was far from clearing him of
suspicion. Not very long after the robbery, |
bad heard that the new locks had been so read
lily opened on several occasions in the way de-
scribed by Giles, that the inventor h al al led
an attachment TO overcome the unlocked for
danger. Giles ad doubtless he ard of this also
and, knowing that l could scarcely forget the
talk we had had about the lock when first got
my safe, he would naturally suppose that he
might be suspected. Itwas Just from these two
things, in fact, that my suspicion of him had
been aroused And when charged him with
the robbery might he not have felt so sure that
/ had some positive evidence against him that
he chose this clever way of escaping? The case
looked very bad for him.
"Glles," said l, after / had resolved the mat
ter over and over in my mind, 'where did YOU
keep the diamonds all the time they we're in
your possession
lin a drawer in my desk, which kent locked
all the time, - he replied.
Did you ever look at them during that
tIme?"
eyes, nearly every day, to see if they were
SAFE
These answers were given so frankly that,
considering the very damaging character of the
admission they contained, they favored a belief
in my cousins innocence. But the stubborn
fact remained that, if he had watched the dia-
mopds as closely as he admitted, it would have
been next to impossible for any one to have had
them out without his knowledge. much less TO
have been able to keep them long enough to
have substituted cOunterfeits for the genuine.
We talked the matter over again aud again l.,
without any further result. | could only tell
Giles that did not know what to think, and
that hoped to be able to prove him innocent.
With that | left him, and, by the first train
atterward, returned to CIearpOrt.
| now determined TO do what perhaps ought
to have done at the first, namely, give my case
INTO the hands OF we'll practiced detective.
by little inquiry, | learned that one Fabius
hTah was considered the most skillful man in
this line TO be found in Clearport. and to him [
accordingly went. | found Mr. Kraft to be
singular compound OF yOuthtulnesS and eXDe-
rlence. He was small and thin, and not very
attractive in appearance, and, though ap-
parentiy not over twenty five years old, h sd
the manners OF man of forty. HIS gray ewes
were keen and penetrating, and he had such a
decided thief taking air about him that at
once felt sure he was proper person for my
task.
l told my story as briefly as possible, and he
listened with the closest attention. AS soon as
had finished, he expressed lively interest in
The case, and asked why had not come to him
at the first. explained my motives, and IN ade
CONDITION that any discoveries he might make
should be kept strictly between ourselves until
| should otherwise direct. Mr.. Kraft assented
but continued to lament the loss of time.
delays are dangerous, sir - he said; "ielays
spoil many good case, and it's mighty likely
yon've spoiled this one by waiting so long"
he was wiling enough, however, to under
take 1t, and said he would do his best After
Questioning me closely concerning all the par
tlculars, and making a few notes in his memo.
randum- book, Mr.. Kraft promised tn at he would
lgt mo hao
from him as soon as he had ANYTHING definite to
say. | then left him.
The day after this interview, | received a
note from the detective, which ran as follows:
Can you tell me the name of the party that
said the diamonds were not diamonds
could not, and replied to that effect. Mr..
hrah wrote again, saying that it was important
for hI IN to know, and he would like me to In
duire of Miss Whitelake. l wondered why he
asked me to do this, instead OF seeing or writing
her himself, and it was with urea. deal of re-
luctance that | undertook to comply. After
what had passed between Hattie and myself it
was hard task TO approach her again, and it
was only after spelling three or four sheets of
paper that got letter at all in shape to suit
me. | wrote thus:
- Miss WHITBLAKR-
% am still pursuing my inquiries regarding
the less OF your diamonds. The officer who is
assisting me wishes the address of the person
who pronounced your Jewels counterfeit. Will
you oblige me by forwarding it to
"leurs respectfully, ARTHUR BURCHE."
In due course / received the following an
" DEAR Mr.. BURCHg-
- have long wished to take back what |
once said to you. but both pride and shame
have kept me from it. My conscience would
have forced me to 1t sooner later | hope,
but am go glad you have helped me, by your
note, to do IL now. You know nv dreadful dis
position to doubt everybody. repent it bitter
y, and am heartily sorry ever doubted YOU
TOT feel sure now that you had nothing to do
With the loss OF the diamonds. Forgive me for
ever suspectiDg you.
90 AS nobody knows that accused you of
taking them and as [ am now perfectly satisfied
that you did not, there is no need to 20 to any
more trouble about them. Indeed / would
much rather YOU should not. l think now
really know the one that il to blame, and if
am right, it will be better for not TO see it
proved.
- Again l ask you to forget what has hap
Your trend. "l0 " oe oH.rr,ru
This letter gave me an entirely new suspicion.
After charging me with an infamous crime,
t forts TO clear myself? Might it not bs that
she herself had invented the whole story about
the falsihca,ion of the diamonds in order to
break of our engagement? Badly as l had
been treated by Hattie, 1 had never before sus-
pected her for instant of any greater fault
than the one which has already been repeatedly
and l was horror stricken at the
new turn the mystery of the diamonds had
taken in my mind.
] hurried to Mr.. Kraft and showed him the
letter. He smiled and said, in a confident way
that IL was just the kind of an answer he had
expected; and then understood why this willy
man had got me TO question NJ ISIS Wnitelake in
stead OF doing it himself.
You see little way into this?'' queried he
You suspect that Miss Whitelske's story is
not true" replied.
:" 1t may be true and it may not )" he answered,
with characteristic caution, 'sand our first busi-
ness is to find that out"
Z" The only reason know for inventing the
story" said 1, Z" would have been to get rid of
me. Is it possible she should do such a think
when there was no need of it; when she could
have accomplished her wishes without it?p
" Almost anything is possible" replied Mr..
Kraft, " but it won't do to be too sure of what
is and what isn't. There might have bsen a
need OF doing 1t according to her way of think
ing, and there might not. Had she a fancy to
any other young man besides yOu?'
s. Not that l know, unless it was my cou-in
Giles, and he says she never cared anything
about him.
Mr.. Kraft knitted his brows a little at this,
and then fell to rubbing his forehead gently, as
though that was his customary way of de-
veloping ideas. He soon rubbed out a conclu-
sion.
" 1t might have BEEN" said he, " that she
had some strong reason for wanting to marry
this gentleman You speak CT, and still liked YOU