The Republican., 1900-12-06
ASLEEP OR AWAKE
DETECTIvE KINCH was baffled.
And the manner of his baffiemen

was as IOllOWS:
Ia my official capacity as chief of
the detective department l had put
kinch on an important case of Lob.
Now, the detective department of
which | was chief was connected with
"A large manufacturing town in the
north of England. and the important
case of Lob. was Illicit diamond sell
ing rather. than illicit diamond buy
ing. man, not unknown to me (pro-
fessionally speaking), had attempted
ito dispose of a fine uncut stone to
the principal jewel merchant of the
town. This jewel merchant had sus
picions; these suspicious he COM
municated to me. However. before
sending to me, the dealer had ar
ranged with the would-be seller to
call again on the morrow. | sent De-
tective Kinch, with orders to be a con-
cealed witness of the bargaining.
Kinch went; Kinch heard Kinch
captured. But this last he did only
partially. The Lob. man proved his
guilt by escaping, and his bad luck
by leaving the diamond behind. When
Kinch recovered an upright posture
he put the stone in the lining of his
hat. Then he carefully set forth. He
did not return at once to the office
and to me. Instead. he watched the
temporary haunt of the Illicit dia
mond seller. This he did for IS hours.
At the end of that somewhat tire
some period he crawled back to where
/ was anxiously awaiting him. And
as he entered the sitting-room of the
office I rose to my feet with pleasant
greetings.
what luck, Kinch. my boy?"
He told me everything.
"Well, never mind said, soothing
1y, "you've already done enough to
make Howland yet more jealous;
you've got the stone; the man We'll
have later. Meanwhile, I'll put this
precious little pebble in my desk"
l did so. In addition I made to lock
the desk. l found that | had left my
keys in the front office; I went there.
Then / found that I had no matches.
Fumbling about in the dark. I at last
came upon my knees. By the time
had returned to the sitting-room some
minutes had elapsed. And Detective
Kinch was asleep.
1 was not surprised. The dutiful
man had been on his feet about one
and-twenty hours. 1t was now five
a. m. l determined not to awaken
him. He could sleep in that cozy arm
chair very well for the next hour or
two; and, as for myself, | could have
a pitch on the bed upstairs. | saw
Kinch's bowler hat lying on the floor.
] picked it up and put it on a peg be-
hind the door. Should l close and
fasten the window? Well, 1 am a man
of many suspicious; the nature of my
business and the disposition of my
wife have made me so. But there was
little danger, and on that sultry sum-
mer night the room was already too
hot. l turned down the gas. AS /
left the room-quietly, so as not to
disturb the slumbering man it
seemed to me that, even then, there
was something that 1 had forgotten
TO do; but not for my life could |
have determined the nature of that
something.
In the morning I was forcibly re-
minded. Entering the room l found
4hat Kinch was still asleep. / softly
moved to the desk. 1t was not locked
that, then, was what | had forgot
ten to do. lifted the lid, looked in,
j fumbled about-the diamond was
gone!
Well, we raked that desk as a starv-
ing man might rake his pockets for
money. and with just about as much
hope. And. look where we would, we
failed to find the diamond. And that
was how Detective Kinch came to tell
me that he was baffled.
-'No one entered the room?" l
asked.
mot to my knowledge"
-@'You were asleep all the time?"
~'All the time" he answered, stoutly.
After more searchings and more
questions and more answers-al equal
" fruitless, all equally baff1ing-I sug-
pested that Kinch had better go down
stairs into the wardroom and have
SOUle DEtdhldS liC lOoh lhn1
ton and his departure. But. first, he
made to take his hat. l pointed out,
quietly as l could. that such was not
necessary. He admitted as much, and
left his hat hanging on the peg where |
had placed it overnight. Evidently the
loss of the diamond had rather upset
him.
When he had gone from the room
pursued my search. Its result was
speedy. curious and astounding. | de-
tsrmined to communicate that result to
Detective Kinch. summoned him. He
entered. | requested him to be seated.
He sat. told him that l had learned
a little matter connected with the dia-
mond. / asked him a few questions.
defective Kinch, ] arrest you"
"Why?"
1.-The diamond has been found!"
@'Where?"
''In the lining of your hat!'
"It's plant!" clustered Kinch.
"I've no doubt" murmured.
-Done to put me away!"
L l. l., tl..,