Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1898-07-22
THE TEST CASE.

ouE teiHis ARE very HlSu' uen We
work regularly for man Of business
much of the work being the merest
routine--our charges are very moder.
ate, exceptionally moderate.
'My second objection is that am
by no means sure that you can take
care OF me as we'll as / can take care
OF myself. You might bungle. In a
case of real difllculty--I've one on my
mind at this moment-you might fail
altogether"
Really" said Mr.. Hayvers, "that
was an objection I had not expected.
In the last ten years we have not had
one failure-not one. It's in all our
advertisements- Mr.. Royual never
fails Now just let me have that
case you've got in your mind, and II
we do not succeed no charge shall be
made at all. Just let us show you
what we can do"
Mr.. Morton walked up and down
his room, meditating.
"Its not fair on you," he said !;
you couldn't do it,"
"Try us. What we can't do in that
way could be written on o threepenny
bit"
At last Mr.. Morton was persuaded
to put his case: "This morning 1 sent
my clerk to my bank in Lombard
street In his absence had out on
the table in my Office tray containing
20 opals. One Of these was curious
OF no particular size, but.of an even
green color. looking to the uninitiated
almost like an emerald. I happened
to go into the strong room for min
ute. I was not there more than
minute, and heard no sound in this
room to make me suspicious, yet when
I returned the green opal was gone.
''rhe other 10 remained intact. OF
course you see what happened. The
thief, whoever he or she was came in
from the street and into my clerks Of.
flee, probably with some pretext ready
IL the clerk had been there and really
intending to examine the place with a
view to burglary. Finding the clerks
room empty he peered into mine. That
was empty, and the opals were on the
table. 1t was the work Of moment
to snatch that opal and get out into
the street again. / want that opal
back--but am perfectly certain no
one will ever get II for me-"
'Is that your difficult case?" said
Mr.. Hayvers, smiling. at is the
merest childs play. You may con-
slider the opal back in that tray again.
Let me frs. of all dispose of your own
theory. A thief who was intending
to burglarize your place would not
spoil his chances by first committing
a comparatively triaing theft"
Sudden temptation" suggested
Morton.
"Then he would have taken 90
opals, not one. The fact that the
stone was not an ordinary opal makes
the case easy. The fact that only
just that particular opal was taken
shows that the thief was no ordinary
thief and makes the case still easier.
Don't you see that the field Of inquiry
is narrowed DOWN."
81 hadn't thought Of that" said
rather humbly.
Every natural. But in our profess
sion we have to think Of such things,
and we do think OF them"
81 felt so sure that the case was des-
perate," Morton owned, "that I had
quite decided not to apply to the po-
lice"
"well," said Mr.. Hayvers, genially,
"they might have found 1t for you.
They're very painstaking I'm by no
means one of those who sneer at the
police detectives. OF course, they
rannot get the best talent-that's
bought up. Mr.. Roynal can very
we'll afford to outbid anybody else for
The best men. But to come to bust
ness"-here Mr.. Hayvers produced
lis pocketbook-'qet me take down
The particulars.
Morton had no note OF the size and
weight OF the opal. However, he
made rough sketch and gave Mr.
Hayvers the weight approximately
md o minute descriptions; he also
handed him a piece of tinted glass to
guide him as TO the color THAT will
10 perfectly, said Hayvers. 81 should
know the stone now il saw it," He
obtained also q great deal Of informa-
ion about the clerk; Mr.. Hayvers
seemed particularly curious about the
,lerk.
"Now, them" SAID Hayvers, i've
will begin with little precautionary
measure. A man will come from US
his afternoon. ostensibly to examine
he electric lighting, in reality to make
Iurc that the stone is not still in the
,fiice."
Mr.. Morton objected. "My clerk
lnows something Of the electric bust
less; he will inl out that your mans
sham"
"But GU: man won't be a sham. He