The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-02-16

among themselves, and if the firm broke
up. the outgoing members, knowing the
secrets of the old concern, might under
take to reveal the presence of my Jewels
win only one person in the secret, the
risk is reduced threefold' .
Good" said /. You want me then
to conceive OF a ferret-proof robbery from
which you may profit, a kind of crime
which would BATTLE the most astute of de-
tective minds"
Even your own he interrupted, wish
Ing to clinch me with a compliment.
Let me see the jewels first said l.,
taking the package from his hands.
cut the string and dazzling array Of
priceless gems fell out upon the table-all
uncut, diamonds, rubes, sapphires with
out number; emeralds, turquoises anu
pearls in hardfuls, and other species of
precious stones. to enumerate which
merely by name would take too much of
my time and space. Suffice it to say. that
here Il fortune beyond the widest
dreams of avarce. and was tempted.
for | had entered the Shady land with
nothing but my talents and my good name
to back me up.
Its a tempting treasure" said I.
Yes. replied Lohengrin. looking at NC
with sQuint that revealed his identity
on the instant. 1t was LIE Cog. And his
nefarious plan was made clear in the
twinklins of an eve. Two birds were to
be killed with one stone. Somewhere a
great robbery had been, perpetrated; the
thief had employed LIE Coz to. cover up
his tracks. a portion of the swas was to
be found in my possession. and a possible
rival in the science of detection was to
be removed from the scene.
It was an internally clever scheme.
viii you leave these with me over
night. Herr Lohengrin?' said T. knowing
that this was precisely what he wished
me to do
Certainty" said he, land l shall hear
from you whsn?' he queried, picking up
"To-morrow morning." said 1. ta
He rose up and departed with a grim
look of triumph in his eye. ,.., -.
That night, when all was still and
Iade. was sleeping. I put the jewels in
the coal scuttle which. before retiring,
hid in plain view eff everybody by leav-
Ing 1t where it had always stood by the
. open CRATE. taking the precaution. how
ever, to gather up. the paper which had
covered LIE Coos package, and to make
another package of it. precisely similar 10
the original. differing from the original
however in that there lay within not I,
priceless fund of glittering gems but a
copy Of my memoirs. which I happened to
have with me. This,.I left on the table.
Three hours after, bordering upon mid
night there came loud knocking upon
my door-as l had expected l Immediate
1y opened 1t. and there entered a squad of
police headed by LIE Coz himself
Seize him. he cried.
What have I done?' I asked calmly.
Let this tell the story he cried again
triumphantly. as he literally grabbed the
tell-tale package from the table. Here
gentlemen, are the stolen jewels
Run. to earth at last I moaned. ir
mock grief, as l submitted to the indig-
nifty OF arrest
you're a great detective,' 'sneered L.
Coo. as marched out OF the room.
Yes, think I am" said I. wait un-
til Tomorrow and maybe you'll think 81
too
The next day I was arraigned in court
1 declared my innocence. The package
was produced. / acknowledged its pos
session. The court ordered it opened anC
lie COD tainted when the contents O.
the package stood revealed. 49,
Another scheme to advertise a book
eh?' roared the JUSTICE as my Memoir!
We're passed up to the bench rappins
loudly, meanwhile. for order. for the au
dience in the courtroom laughed unmerci
fully. Z fine you. sir, $500 for contemp
Of court 1t is time the dignity of tn,
bench asserted Itself against you yellow
persons of the press" ...S -
L cheerfully paid the amount of my fine
and left the court a free man. hastily re
turning to my rooms at the hotel where
found the contents of my coal-scuttle un
disturbed. -
Nj. LeCoq has called upon me severa
times SINCE. in a vain endeavor to re.
cover the jewels. but while have received
him always with an unvarying courtesy
L nave never seemed able to understand
what he was driving at -,
You have never called upon me- M. r,
Coo. | have repeatedly said to him. IS
how can you have left jewels in my pos
session."
But, MI. Sherlock Homes he ha
answered. you must remember A visi
trom .Lohengra in-he drove up in an op
cratic vehicle. drawn by swans. and
Ah-but you are M. lie Co.. If Her
Iohengrln returns to reclaim any prop
ertN he may have left with me-
And LIE Coo has retired in confusion.
Even the helmet. which once ma rke
with my own pen-knfe for identi6catio
fIter. mas failed to convince me that
should make restoration. and, as for III
morals Of it.-well, if the actual owner a
the jewels calls for them I shall, of course
surrender them Until then 1 shall kee
1hem. for ] find them very convenient i
convincing my creditors that I am wort h
OF their confidence --, ..--.
NEXT MONDAY-Mr. Homes Reache
an Unhistorical Conclusion.
$3.50 Mankato and Return.
1Pa Inc All,