The Topeka state journal., 1903-05-19
4 Gentleman Of Leisure.

4 GenLleInan OF Leisure.
/ felt an almost irresistible temptation
to drop the tiny Delft cup. and see into
how many fragments the fran Limoges
plate beneath would separate. I con-
trolled the impulse and lifted my brow
to show the polite interest I felt in Mrs
Shows remarks.
1t was such a dear." asserted my
hostess.
Indeed" I commented.
And really vaIuablel" She placed
her cup upon the taboret and turned
toward me, as with a fine contempt OS
etiquette I thrust my hand into the
Dresden sugar bowl and commenced
stractad.
7 wore it suspended from gold
chain the evening of the reception-au
exclusive affair, you must recall-and
when l retired the sunburst had disap~
peared, while the chain bore traces of
having been deliberately clipped And
thought I had invited all the bes4
people-and no othersts
You forget" objected. I was
there and abstracted another square
Of the sweets: they were really superior
Mrs. Snow smiled dazzlingIy. you'll
Rot 7rt. You2'' and she laughed.
cant have q, weakness for diamond
sunpursts?' p I pleaded.
you may! she assented. But
frankly, Robert. I'm told the detectives
are hot on the trail'
They must be. Things never go lIp
In smoke without first becoming hot
And the pawnshops ?''
Jim assured me that every shop in
the city had been posted and the prin-
elpal towns notified"
do they suspect2'' I continued lazily
These details are always interesting to
Not yet, believe; but you're not
going?"
7 must I murmured apologeticalIy.
I've made II calls, and swallowed ga
cups of tea-two at each house-so l
must hasten forth in search of an anti
dote. 1 hope you'll be successful in
your search for the jewelsl''
On the way down town I met jim;
Jlm's splendid fellow; always was,
though he failed to meet expectations
at Harvard, funked miserably in all
athletics and emerging with only a
paltry B. A.
ITS an age since I've seen YOU he
exclaimed. Fact, not since the. night
Of the reception
That reminds me. You wife was
telling me, not Is minutes ago, about
her loss. Any tracer"
Not one" said Jim irrftably. THE
police department are loggerheads;
every-but say. old man. as you were
hanging around Mrs. Snow consider
ably that evening. you might nave no.
ticed someone acting suspiciously2
4 Surveyed jim IN dttuSCilltHt- MY
proclivities do not tend in that direc-
toni wouldn't notice a train holdup
unless You pointed it Out-no, not even
with a gun at my headi'
Il suppose not" Jim replied testify
You're so confOundedly, stupidly hon
! est that you wouldn't suspect anyone,
and are practically useless in an
emergency of this kind Now l was
4 impressed by the actions of the Brazil
lian attache-"
Dark compIexioned man." Tadded
reminiscentIy. I couldn't be far off in
terming a South American dark com
very dark" corroborated Jim ex-
Black hair inevitably went with this
conplexion 50 T felt called upon to ex-
claim: BLACK hair-and eyes2"
Jim cavorted over the sidewalk with
/ joy we agree in every particular
When ! left him he was in a wildly
excited condition, and after halt at
the Red Star line Office ] dropped into
| the M A. A. building: jeffrey always
dined at the club, and was anxious to
hear his opinion.
Hello. Bob" he cried, ignoring the
stretch of dining room that lay between
us. Come over here
I smiled. and handing my hat and
coat to a waiter, sauntered across the
polished floor.
I sat down-and Joined him. I have s
strong Partially to partaking Of meals
others pay for; in fact, I'm almost fem
mime in this respect.
Jeffrey tilted bottle of Moet ara
Chandon at a As degree angle and ]
watched the glass fill and then fade
away until the glassful of bubbles had
sunk into the hollow stem-a bare table
spoonful Then the police INSPECTOR
deigned to speak. Snow telephoned
down few minutes ago that he had
received positive information that the
Brazilian attache. COrounche. stole the
sunburst Carounche, I admit acte5
suspiciously. for almost Immediately
after the robbery he sailed for Brazn
We have no extradition rights there
you know
"Circumstantially strong I admitted
"Sncw wouldn't tell me who gave the
information OF one thing I'm sure
that is the sunburst cannot be sold in
the United States. We have telegraph
ed all over the map and have notices OF
five arrests. where men have been taken
up on suspicion merely for presenting
unset diamonds, and these arrests run
from Bangor to Pasadena"
Il wish I could see the thing out, but
it's high time I made my yearly pill
grimage to Europe" I yawned as ]
rose