Waterbury evening Democrat., 1894-02-17
THE RAJAH'S RUBY
By ]. G. BETHUNE
Copyright, lSg3, by American Press Associa-
 tiOn.l
CHAPTER XIX.

sNK, "Hhy don't vo,t gct it.''' rodrcd Simpson.
 The man who is ill furious hurry is sure 10 find the most cNasperating ob- stacles in his path.
 i It has been said that when the East | Indian seated in the New York Acad- elnv of Music turned his head so that i Detective Simpson for the first tune l gained a fair view of his face the officer 1 nearly fell from bis seat ill his excite ment.
 That view of the scpoys countenance was a revelation to him. The man was one of the couple that had come around the world from Cal cutta to recover the rajah's ruby, and that had made such deadly assault on the detective in the grounds of the Liv- ermOrc homestead.
 But he was not the one that had ac- companied Simpson and Arthur Fair child from Northampton that day. He was Wichman-this was Lugro.
 While the two reSembled each other in appearance, no one could have a fair view of the respective countenances and mistake their identity. This resemblance and the fact that they Were both dressed in the same fash ionablc costume led Detective Simpson to make natural error when he Ob- served one of them seated a short way in front of hilI: but, as We have shown, when this same subtle misCreant turned his face into full view he committed a fatal blund,r himself, for he instantly appraised the officer uf the truth, whereas had lc but rcfrainCd from this facial exposure Simpson would never have dreamed who he was until the dismissal of the audience from the building. and then all hope would have been gone.
 Thus il was that the whole astounding plot flashed upon the officer. Despite his certainty t!at his own identity was unsu>I, ctrd. Wichman knew him and his business. and had played a mortally clever trick upon him. He had substi- tutcd LugrO for himself. doing it with such skill that Simpsons suspicion was lullo,l until the moment named.
 Where was Wichman?
 Where else but at the Astor House, cngagr1l iii carrying out his astounding scheme to gain possession of the rajah's ruby:
 Ave. by means of the device named he had thrown the detective off the track and gained Two. three or more hours in which h work out his plot without fear of interference from detectives or police officers.
 While simpson was sitting i'll the place of amU~, mrnt. looking at the scenes on the stage and "bctween the acts" be- slowing some attention to two of the I,r>,na-,S in the assembly. the arch mover in the villainy was getting in the finest kind uf work
 I'll" precise nature of that work re mainrl tn be learned. but Detective ! Simpson was convinced that he knew what it was.
 At any rate he could not reach the ks- tor HuUS,' a moment too soon. He be lievcd that if he could be shot thither from d culumbiad he would not arrive in time. In other words, the irreparable mischief had already been done. But there remained the possibility that il had not.
 Hence the furious haste of the officer may be understood. It was rare that he became wild with excitement, but this Sas one of those rare occasions.
 He was fairly dancing when he shot out of the front of the building and fran ticallv called for a cab.
 A number were within hearing, and instantly furious strife took rlaco be- tween Q couple as to which should reach him first.
 In their haste their wheels became in- terlockcd et the moment Simpson yanked open the door and plunged inside.
 Finding that tho vehicle did not start, the single passenger jerkel open the door again and demanded in vigorous Ian l guage the reason why.
 The cabmen paid TO attention to him, but shook their whips at each other, called out bad names, seemed on the point of coming to blows and tried to proceed in opposite directions without unlocking the wheels of their hacks.
 Seeing the state of things, Folsom Simpson, despite the fact that he was a strictly moral and conscientious man, uttered swear word. but let us hope that the recording angel dropped a tear on it and plotted it out forever.
 The officer came within a hair of breaking his neck. owing to the abrupt ness with which he took header out of the cab. His derby rolled off He emade several dcs. crate efforts to catch it, dur ing which it bounded back and forth and up anl down between his hands as ball does when q juggler is giving ar exhibition, and then rolled under the | heels of one of the horses
 He was i'll the act of stepping over to recover 1t when an urchin standing near called out:
 Look out, mister! That hoss is an orful kicker and will knock the top of your head off. Give me quarter and I'll git your hat fur you"
 Get it quick, then! I don't under stand why he won't kick you as readily as me, but I don't care II he does if you will only get the i!:fernal thing for me. Why don't you get it?" roared Simpson, purple with rage.
 Yes, sir, I'm gettin of it. meekly re piled the lad, stopping down by the heels of the animal, who would not have stirred had a pack of firecrackers been exploded under him.
 But no created being ever equaled a New York boy for pure, unadulterated mischief. While wearing the appear ance of lamb being led to the slaughter, he is only awaiting chance to show his innate deviltry.
 It is inconceivable how it was done,