Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-10-02
By Fred M. Ohite
XVIII.
where Is Rawlinse

Lord Littimcr was greatly interest
ed in all that Chris had to say. The
whole story was confided to him after
dinner. Over his coffee on the ter
race he offered many shrewd sugges.
tons.
There is one thing wherein you
have made a mistake" he said. @And
that is the idea that Henson changed
those cigar-cases after Miss Gates laid
your vo.ive offering on Steel's door
STEP"
How else could 1t be done?" Chris
said.
my dear, the thing is quite obvious.
You have already told me that Hen
son was quite aware what you were
going to do--at least that he knew you
were going to consult Steel. Also, he
knew that you were going to make
Steel a present, and by a little Judi
cious eavesdropping he contrlved to
CLEAN all about the cigar-case. The
fellow has already admitted to your
sister that he listened. How long was
that before you bought the cigar
case?"
Il should say IT might have been a
week. We had inquiries to make, you
know. In the first instance, we never
dreamed Of offering Mr.. Steel money.
! blush to think of that folly"
well blush a little later on, when
you have more time. Then Henson
had a week to work out his little
scheme. He knows all about the cigar
case; he knows where il is going TO be
bought Then he goes to Lockhart's
and purchases some trifle in the shape
of a c~igar-case; he has 1T packed up,
dummy. BY keeping his eyes open he
gets Il chance he is waiting for. Ruth
Gates hadn't the faintest idea that he
knew anything when she left that case,
the day she bought it. within reach Of
Henson. He gets her out OF the way
for a minute OF two; he unties the par.
eel and places the Van Sneck case In
1t. No, by Jove, he needn't have pur
chased anything at Lockhart's at all.
I cnly thought of that to account for
the yellow string and the stamped pa
per that Lockhart's people use. He
first takes n case out of the parcel
and replaces 1t with another, and there
you are. You may depend upon 1t that
was the way in which it was done"
The more Chris though. N:sf the
matter the more certain she felt that
such was the case. Like most appar-
entity wonderful things, the explana-
ton was absurdly simple. A conjur.
er's most marvellous tricks are gener-
ally the easiest.
"How foolish OF us not to have
thought of this before" Chris said,
thoughtfully. Sat any rate, we know
all about ii now. And we know who
bought the cigar-case so promptly re-
turned to Lockhart's by Henson. |
should like to see this Rawlins."
"You have got to find him first" said
Littimer.
I'm going to Moreton Wells to-mor-
row 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 Moreton Wells
when Steel called her up. Chris re-
cognized him with a thrill of eager
pleasure.
"You need not be afraid" she said,
you a speak quite freely. How is
Van Sneck?"
Every 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 1t will be, | expect.
Henson has found out where Van Sneck
Is"
Indeed Has he been to see you?"
she has been here more than once
on all kinds of ingenious pretences.
But I 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
a bit"
Did Walen's people know anything
about the tall American"
ooh, yes. A tall American with a
thin beard and a faint suggestion of
smallpox called about a week before
the great adventure, and asked to see
some gun-metal diainond-mounted CT
gar-cases-like the one in Loekhart's
window"
did he really volunteer that re-
MARK"
E1S diu, Saying, ALSO, ina LOCK
hart's was too dear. Walen's hadn't
got what he wanted, but they promised
to get some ase out Of stock, which
meant that they would go TO the same
wholesale house as Lockhart and get
some similar cases. AS a matter of
fact, one OF Walen's assistants was
sent round to study the case in Lock
hart's window. The cases were pro-
cured on the chsnca of a sale, but the
American never turned up again. No
notice was taken of this, because such
things often happen TO s~hopkeepers."
"And this was about a week before
the night OF the great adventure?"
Eyes. Wait a bit. I have not quite
finished yet. Now, once I had ascer-
tanned this, an important fact became
obvious. The American didn't want a
cigar-case at all"
But he subsequently purchased the
one returned to Lockhart's shop"
THAT remark does not suggest your
usual acumen. The American vas pre-
pairing the ground for Van Sneck to
purchase, with a view to a subsequent
exchange. You have not fully grasped
the ~vileuess of this plot yet, | went
to Lockhart's and succeeded In discov-
ering that the purchaser of the re-
t1rnad case was a tall American nuito