Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-08-28

your telephone
Chris hurried back again. A whis-
pered word satisfied her tba' Steel was
still at the other end.
"Dr. Bell starts as early as possible
Tomorrow she said. "If you will
listen, carefully. I will give you a brief
outline of all that has happened since /
nave been here"
Chris proceeded TO tell her story,
briefly and succinctly. From little
sounds and signs she could tell that
Steel was greatly interested. The
story OF the man with the thumb fas-
cinated him. II appealed to his profess
sional instincts.
And what do you want to do with
him?" Steel asked.
Well, o see, / have him In my
power" Chris explained. I'VE can get
the other Rembrandt any time we like
now; but that is quite a minor consid-
Grafton, What ! want is for Merritt TO
know that I car have him arrested at
any time for stealing my star. It's
Ends star, as a matter of fact: but
that Is a detail"
IAN important one, surely" Steers
voice came thin and clear. Suppose
that u dear friend chances to recog-
nize IL. No; don't ring off yet"
I'm not. on, you are speaking to the
Exchange people. Yes, yes;
yes; we shall be q long time yet.
Are you there2 Enid bought II just be-
fore the great trouble came. and, af-
forwards. she never had the heart to
wear It."
"I understand. You want Merritt to
know this ?"
well, I do and I don't" Chris ex-
planned. "I am anxious NOT to frighten
the a I want to get him In my
power. and I want to prove to him that
1t would be to his advantage for him TO
come over 20 my side. Suppose Enid
gave IL out that the star had been stol-
emf And suppose that I could ave him
al the critical moment? 1 shouldn't
mind him thinking that I had stolen the
star I'm the first place. This IL why I am
asking you as a novelist, to help me"
you would have made an excellent
novelist yourself" David said, admir-
ingly. give me Ave minutes. :.
Are you there7 I fancy 1 have IL.
Can't you hear met That's better. I'll
see Miss Gates the first thing In the
morning, and get her to go over to
Longdean and see your sister. . .
Confound It, don't cut Us off yeti What
does Ii matter, so long as the messages
are paid for? Nobody else wants the
line. Well, I may for an Jour more.
Are you there? Very sorry;
it's the fault OF the p~ostoffice people.
Here is the plot in a nutshell: Four
sister has lost a diamond star. She
gives a minute description of II to the
police. and drops a hint that she be-
lieves Il was taken away by mistake
In other words. was stolen--from her
In London by a chance acquaintance
called C%hristabeI Lee"
"Ah," Christabel cried. "how clever
you arei"
"I have long suspected t." the thin
voice went on, drily. 1.-THE full descrip-
ton OF the star will be printed in the
Police Gazette, a copy of which every
respectable p~awnbroker gets regularly.
I suppose the people where the star was
pawned are re~spectable7"
Highly so. They have quite a Bond
Street establishment attached"
so much the better. They will see
the advertisement and they viii COM
municate with the police. The Rev.
James Merritt will be arrested"
ct don't quite like that" Chris sug-
gested.
"Oh, it's necessary. He will be ar
rested at the castle. Knowing his ante
cedents, the police win not stand upon
ceremony. You will be filed with re-
morse. You have plunged back into a
career OF crime again a being who was
slowly climbing into the straight psth
once more. You take the blame upon
yourseIf-it was at your in~stigation
that Merritt pawned the star"
"But, really, Mr.. Steel"
"oh, I know. But the end justifes
the means. You save Mr.. Merritt.
there Is a bond of sympathy between
you. he will regard you as a great light
In his interesting profession. You saved
him because you had appropriated the
star yourself"
And so to gaol instead of Mr.. Mer-
ritz"
"Not a BIT OF IL. The sta you
deemed 70 be yours. You had one very
like when you saw Miss Henson.
when you were staying TN London at
the same hotel. BY some means the
jewels got mixed. You are confident
that an exchange has been made. Also.
you are cOnluent Lndt II MISS k1eHsOH
will search her jewel case h will find
a valuable star that does not belong to
her. Miss Henson does so; she IL dis
tressed beyond measure; she offers all
kinds OF apologies. Exit the police.
You need not tell Merit how you got
out OF the dificuity. and thus you In
crease his respect for you. There. that
would make a very ingenius and plaus-
ibie magazine story. II should be more
convincing In real life."
"Capital!" Chris murmured. what
an advantage II Is TO have a novelist to
advise onel Many thanks for ell your
kindness, ~Good-night!"
Chris al on with a certain sense of
relief. 1t was some time before she
had a chance OF conveying to Bell what
had happened. He listened gravely to
I'll that Chris had to say.
"Just the sort OF feather-brained
idea that would occur TO a novelist"
ne said. For my part, Z should pre-
fer to confront Merritt with his theft.
and keep the upper hand OF him that
way"
And ne would Ynistrust me. and be-
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