The sun., 1901-09-15

Il
plexed and grieved when on explaining Ia
Mildred the secret and powerful agency
she had thus Set into Operation that it,.
comprehensible young woman. instead ~
Icing pleased. first went into violent hys.
terios and then relapscd into n settled
melancholy beyond the reach Of comfort
| III Big Jack Il really the thief. said
Abe Cronkite. after the Judge had 81.
planned Miss Tahitha's wishes to him,
there should le little difficulty In gettin :
the diamonds from him Ia exchange Tor a
reasonable sum Ia hand | had soma
/ acquaintance with him In my worse days
and know just how his fiighty, improvident,
| nature N Tar more concerned over obtain
| ing creature comforts for tho long term
ahead Of him than In consolinR Itself with
| dreams OF possible wealth. should he Inv"
| to get out He realizes air, thai such a
| string of diamonds. 80 well advertised
T. pretty precarious asset for man ~
| his sort. certain to H. shadowcd from th"
| day Of liberation and limited IN hi- deal
| ings To some fence who may give him u
| pittance for IL. just let M. present the
| situation To him In it, true light. h" VI listen
| 10 mo, never fear. when be- wouldn't TO
better and II he's got those stones under
| cover III land them for half the reward
| But. however pract cable all this sounded
In theory, Il utterly failed In practice. Big
| Jack. on being approached by Cronkiie,
whom he both remembercd and trusted.
| vowed that he would only be too glad %
| give up any sech dun hoodoo thing. and
| make himself solid with some ready, since
| he felt no was up against Il this time Tor
fair But strike him dead. Ahe. n he had
cracked EN- or knew an unutteralle ting
about EN-. eeder. So, In the end, tho dc
| tectlve was compelled to report back the
failure OF his mission, together with his
personal conviction that tho man had
spoken the truth.
At this point thu Judge fel. constrained
20 descrils the strange effect 81 the case
upon Mildred. He did 40 reluctantly, hc
said, for he knew her 10 be- "a good girl.
though somewhat exalted and romantic
The sort that might nourish some secrot
attachment" suggested Ate Cruukit"
and even consent 10 clande-tine meeting
with AN admirer TO bsmoan her aunt
cruelty or to plan a runaway marriage
i shouldn't IT, surprised at such CON
duct on her part. answered tie judge,
sadly but firmly.
Tho detective reflected decplv over this
new complication, shaking h'S heal ~"
while. j think We can safely leave t'le
girl out 81 our reckoning a. l"ngth b"
said Admitting that on the night ~
question she did hay" such a meeting, ]
believe II was nothing more than ooinc,-
dence. IL i- apparent. II this ba -, how
her mind may H. az tatsd with doubts Tor
her own reputation, with fears lesl perhaps
her lover had some completely in the theft
hut you see, Judge that even II We Cpncci'
that she told him all about the diamonds
and the secret drawer as any Conttng
D Nlhlutl NhlNlt NllsTt hfN Nf'Nf'I ~ ENHhl
reasons why this young man. whoever 10
Is did not steal the jewels, while on th"
other hand. the real thief stands out too
manifest for W. to waste further time with
/ him.
"A Young Romeo. remember. does not
| 60 20 a trys; armed with n bit and = Jimmy
and cotton waste for deadening blows
He isn't likely. either. To- have So trcincn-
dous a foot n that print calls for. which
the sergeant sAyS he measured on, on the
. ksaranAa NAvE Rff Iaek'a loot sNaHHIg
agrees with those measurements that is
I In proof and tho whole cas-" against him.
strong case. too, slnce YOU or ~ duv
rational man would u" 10th 90 b'li"'"
that there could have bcen another such
pair of feet In the vicinity a. mat tim"
Hence. the footprint cNculpaics Miss
Mildred's unknown admIrcr
] But wha, else does II do2 We'll. II YOU
remember, at the preliminary eNamna-
ton. the sergeant swore that he took the
3 measurements OF Big Jacks foot as n
/ precaution, when h" arrested him number
/ of years ago. and that tho memorandum
/ had never left his possession or even bs'en
shown to any one. The public applauded
such foresight on his part, / thtnk. You
may remember, too, that no ono besides
tn. sergeant ever saw the footprint pu
the veranda. II was his keen eve that
discerncd It In the gloom, Il Wa- his ready
Wit that perceived the Necessity ~ verify
ing IL before IL should fade away More
sstuts and exemplary conduct all thus,
wel-de-erving the praiS" Of hl- fellow
citizens BIT suppose that Big Jack wa-
never there. that he IL innoc.nt as ! am
convinced he -, what them The sergeant
has testified 10 IN. footprint which nu
ono else has seen He has identified o.
with the print Of Big Jacks foot hy memo
randum which cannot be disput.si which
Is absolutely correct, but which he. and
no other man, has had. In other words h.
has made mt strong case against an in
nocent man by the We" OF exclusive In
formation. DO you know, Judge, what
such use of such Information impllesf
Do YOU see the inevitable, tho only con-
Clusi n from such condltionst
why. my conclusion j. that tho sergeant
has lied, answered the Judge
And mine, that the sergeant Is tho thief.
returned Ahe Cronkite
When once the Judge comprehended
the cunning plot nv which suspicion had
h-scn cast ~ obviously on a notorious
offender he saw other indications 81 Rob
ert Ravens criminality III" man had
full knowledge of aud free access 20 tho
house and grounds He wa- informed
OF every current happening la ths family
through tho natural loquacitN Of fond
mother lie knew from experience just
what burglarlous acc,sSsoricS should 10
scattered about. and had them AZ hand
through his official position Tho mur'
the Judge reflected. the more ha Perceived
that the sergeant, lcarulng IN th" early
evening Of tbs. diamond, and their hiding
Of the exclusive Information On his pos
session, never dreaming that u might prove
Ia Ia a two-edged sword
The question OF identity being thus set-
tied the lawyer and his confidential man
deliberated on the proper course 90 pursue
"a recover the Jewels and bring the guilty
to justice The following afternoon, while
the Judge Was paving call. seemingly
moro social than professional, on Miss
Tabitha, Ahe Cronkite was usharcd into
tho drawing room.
According 20 orders, sir. said tho detec- |
tive. i have % inform you that search
warrant has bvcn issued aud will hc served
early this evening. when our man. hcing
on duty, IL sure TO he In his room
Miss Tahitha looked up inuuringlv.
sle- nv dear lady, explained he Judge 7
we are on the track of the diamonds and
the simon.pure thief know you will
pardon mo n. in the interests 81 Justice
! am not more explicit just nov. ana if |
bring NV very enjoyable little vislt with J
you TO "A premature close
sOld Anne herself ci the it, sir vhis- |
p..red Cronki'e ~ they pa~S.d ou. Of the I
house aud through the grounds. -aud .
I'm sure ! heard the rustic of her dr"S- .
IN the hall " hi. w were talking Trust
her err. To warn him when h" Ep'~ hy ~