The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1902-09-27

matter Of the ring out Of the question
Mr.. Merritt, I don't propose to tell yol
too much, but you can help me q 1tttlt
farther on the way. That cigar.casi
you saw in Van Sneck's possession
passed to Mr.. Henson. BY him, or b!
somebody In his employ, it was sub
stituted for a precisely similar case, In
tended for a present to Mr.. Steel. Thu
substitution has caused Mr.. Steel
great deal Of trouble"
Seeing as Van Sneck was found
half-dead, In Mr.. Steel's house, anl
seeing as he claimed the ~cigar-case
what could be proved to be Var
Sneck's, I'm not surprised" Merritt
grinned.
"Then you know all about it,"
Don't know anything about It,
he growled, doggedly. IL guessed that
When you said as the one case had
been substituted for the other, it DOM
want a regiment of schoolmasters tc
see where the pea .lies. What you've
got to do now is to find Mr.. Steel's
case"
ri have already found it, as / limited
to you. It is at Rutter's in Moreton
Wells. It was sold to them by the
gentleman who had given up smoking
I want you to 60 into Moreton Wells
with me today and see If you can get
at the gentleman's identity"
Mr.. Merritt demurred. It was all
very we'll for Chris, he pointed out in
his picturesque language. She had. her
little lot Of fish to fry, but, at the same
time, he had to draw his money and
be away before the police we're down
upon him. If Miss Lee liked to start
at once"
II am ready at any moment" Chris
said. "In any case, you will have to
e OTTO Moreton Wells, and I can give
you a little more information Of the
way" VIZ
"You had better go along, Frank"
Littimer suggested, under his breath.
81 fervently hope now that the day is
not far distant when you u return
together; but for the present your
presence is dangerous. We must give
that rascal, Henson, n cause for sus-
picion." /
"'You are quite right" Frank replied.
"And I'd like to shake hands now,
dad"
Littimer put out his hand without a
word. The cool, cynical man Of the
world would have found it dificult to
utter a syllable just then. When he
looked up he was smiling.
eco along" he said. you're a lucky
fellow. That girls n in a million"
The dog-cart, driven by Chris,
brought herself and her companion In
to Moreton Wells in an hour. Frank
had struck OFF across country in the
direction of the nearest station. The
appearance of himself in Moreton
Wells on the front of a dog-cart from
the castle would have caused q nine
days wonder. T.
"Now, what !. want to impress upon
you is this" said Chris. "Mr. Steel's
cigar-case was stolen, and n belong
ing to Van Sneck substituted for it.
The stolen one was returned to the
shop from which it was purchased al
most Immediately, SO soon, indeed,
that the transaction was never even
entered on the books. We r pretty
certain that Reginald Henson did that,
and we know that he is at the bottom
of the mystery. But, to prevent any
thing happening, and to prevent our
getting the cas- back again, Henson
had to go farther. The cas- must be
beyond our reach. Therefore, I de-
cline to believe that it was a mere Co
incidence that took a stranger into
Lockhart's directly after Henson had
been there to look at some gun-metal
cigar-cases set in diamonds. The
stranger purchased the case, and asked
for it to be sent to the Metropole to
John Smith With the hundreds Of
letters and visitors there, it would be
almost impossible to trace the case or
the man."
"Lockhart's might help you"
"They have, as tar as they can. The
was sold to a tall American.
Beyond that it is impossible to go"
A meaning smile dawned on Mer-
ritt's face.
"They might have taken more no.
tice of the gentleman at Rutter's," he
said, "being a smaller shop. I'm going
to admire that case and pretend it be-
longed to a friend of NINE"
Il want you to try and buy it for
me-" Chris said, quietly.
Rutter's was reached at length, and,
after some preliminaries, the cigar
was approached. Merritt took it
up, with a well-feigned air. OF astonish-
ment.
why, this must have belonged to
my old friend. B" he exclaimed.
cts not new?"
mo. SIR" the assistant explained.
Eve purchased 1t from a gentleman
who stayed for a day or two here at
the Lion, q friend of MI. Reginald Hen
SON."
A tall man?" said Merritt. tentat-
lively. Long, thin beard and slightly
marked with smallpox? Gave the
name of Rawlins?" ~
That's the gentleman, sir. Perhaps
you may like to purchase the case?"
The purchase was made in due
course, and together Chris and her
queer companion left the shop.
"Rawlins is an American swindler
Of the smartest type" said Merritt.
''If you get him In q corner ask him
what he and Henson were doing in
America, some two years ago. Raw
Inns Is In this little game for certain.
But you ought to trace him by means
Of the Lion people. Oh, lori"
Merritt slipped back into an entry az
little, cleanshavenam man passed along
the street, His eyes had 9 dark look
Of Gear In them. & rs. & \
They're after met" he said, huski,
II. THAT was one OF them3 Excuse
me-, miss" iasS
Merritt darted away and flung him
self into agpassing cab. His facfs was