Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-10-02
By Fred M. &)hhe
CHAPTER XLNIII.
Where Is Rawlins:


dinner Over his coffee on the ter
race he offered many shrewd sugges-
ions.
There is one thing wherein you
have made e mistake ne said. And
thai IS the idea that Henson changed
tbos= ciga--cases after Miss Gates laid
your vo-ive offering OF Steels door
step"
How else could i, be doae:" Chris
said
Ny dear, the thing is quite obvious.
fcu have already told NE that Hen
son was quite aware What you were
going 10 do-ar least that he knew you
wee going 10 consult Steel. Also, he
llLew that you we're going TO make
Steel present. and by a little Judi
cious eavesdropping he contrived 10
CLEAN all about the c:gar-case. The
fellow has already admitted 10 your
sister that he listened. How long was
that before you bought the cigar
case"
Il should say it might have been
week. We had Inquiries 10 make. you
know. In Ihe first instance. We never
dreamed Of Offering Mr.. Steel money.
blush 10 thin: OF that folly"
We'll. blush little later on, when
:ou have more time. Then Henson
had q week TO work out his little
scheme. He knows all about the cigar
case; he knows where it is going 10 be
bought Then he goes to LocEshart's
and purchases some urife in the shape
of a cigar-case: he has it packed up.
yellow string and all. TLis is his
dummy. BY keeping his eyes open he
gets tie chance he is waiting for. Ruth
Gates hadn't the fainlesl idea that he
knew anything when she lett that case,
the day she bought it. within reach OF
Henson. He gets her out of the way
for minute or two: he unries the par,
eel and places the Van Sneck case in
it. No, by Jove. he needn't have pur-
chased anything at Lockharl's at all
only thought OF that to account Tor
the yellow string and the stamped pa
per that Lockharts people use. He
first takes enc case out OF the parcel
and replaces il with another, and there
you are. You may depend upon it that
vas the way in which it was done"
The more Chris thought over the
matter the more certain she felt that
such was the case. Like most appar-
entity wonderful things the e1piana-
ton was absurdly simple A conjur-
ar's most marvellous tricks are gener-
ally the easiest.
thought OF this before" Chris said.
r,,if
all about ii now And we know who
bought the cigar-case SO promptly re-
turned 10 Lockhart's by Henson.
sllouid like TO see this Rawlins."
You have got to find him first" said
Lir1iner.
I'm going TO Moreton Wells to-mor-
CO." to make Inquiries said Chris.
But she was saved the trouble Once
more the ever-blessed telephone stood
her in good stead. She was just on
the point Of starting for Moretcn Wells
when Steel called her up. Chris re-
cognized him with a thrill OF eager
pleasure.
You need lot be afraid she said.
Hfou can speak cutie freely. How is
Van Sneck?''
VERY queer" David responded.
BELL hoped TO have operated upon him
before this, but such a course has not
been deemed quite prudent. The day
after Tomorrow it will be, l expect.
Henson has found out where Van Scecll
is"
Indeed. Has he been to see you?"
He has been here more than once,
on all kinds of ingenious pretences
But | didn't call YOU up TO tell you this
We have been making inquiries at Wa
lens. Marley and myself. The time
has now come to let Marley behind the
scenes a bit"
Did Walen's people know anything
about the tall American"
"Oh, yes. A. tall American with a
thin beard and a faint suggestion of
smallpox called about a week before
some gun-metal diamond CT
gar-case S-like the one in Lockhart's
window"
Did he really volunteer that re-
mark?"
HE did. saying, also, that Lock
harris was too dear. Walen's hadn't
got what he wanted, but they promised
to get some cases out of stock, which
meant that they would go to the same
wholesale house as Lockhart and get
some similar cases. AS matter of
fact, one Of Walen's assistants was
sent round to study the case in Lock-
harris window. The cases were pro-
cured on the chance of sale, but the
American never turned up again. No
notice was taken of this, because such
things often happen to shopkeepers."
And this was about week before
the night of the great adventureo"
Yes. Wait bit. have not quite
finished yet. Now. once l had ascer-
tanned this. an important fact became
obvious. The American didn't want
cigar-case al ALL
But he subsequently purchased the
one returned to Lockharts shop"
That remark does not suggest your
usual acumen. The American was pre-
pairing the ground for Van Snech to
purchase, with view to subsequent
exchange. You have not fully graspcd
the vileness Of this plot yet | went
TIC lockhart's and succeeded in discoy-
ering that the purchaser OF the re-
turned case was tall American. quite
of the pattern expected. Then man
aged TO get on to the trail at the Metro
polls here. They recollected, when
could describe the man: they also re-
collected the largeness of his tips.