The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-08
JEW1EZ MYSTERIES
By MAX PEMBERTO1N.
THE RIPENING RUBIEs.
Copyright, 1904.

Der, eve are entertaining thieves. It
positively makes me shudder to look at
my own guests. and to think that some
! OF them are criminals
We stood together in the conservatory
/ of her house in Portman Square, look
ing down upon a brilliant ballroom,
upon a glow Of color, and the radiance
OF u u!YI gems. She had taken
me that her famous belt of rubies had
been shorn of one of it's finest pendants;
and she showed me beyond possibility
Of dispute that the loss was no accident,
but another of those amazing thefts
which startled London 50 frequently
during the season of 1898. Nor was
hers, the only case. Tho I had been in
her house but an hour, complaints from
other sources had reached me. The
Countess of Dunholm had lost crescent
brooch of brilliants; Mrs. Kenningham.
Hardy had missed a spray of pearls and
turquoise; Lady Hallingham made men
| ton of an emerald locket which was
| gone, as she thought, from her necklace;
tho, as she confessed with truly femi-
nine doubt, she was not positive that
these misfortunes, being capped by the
abstraction of Lady Faber's pendant,
compelled me to believe that of all the
startling stories of thefts which the sea-
son had known the story of this dance
would be the most remarkable.
my mind as I held the mutilated belt in
my. hand and examined the fracture,
while my hostess stood, with an angry
flush upon her face, waiting for my YER
dict; moment s inspection of the
bauble. revealed to me at once it's ex-
pendant Of it had been snatched.
"If you will look closely,' said I,
!" you will see that the gold chain hero
has been cut, with a pair Of scissors.
AS we, don It know the name Of the per-
son who used them, we may describe
them as pickpocket' s scissors.n
(which means that [ am entertaining
pickpocket;'' said she flushing again
at the thought.
GLOW dreadful, y she cried, "not for
myself, tho the, rubies are very valuable,
but for the others. This is the third
dance during the week at which peo-
pie g jewels have been stolen. When
1.-THE end of it will Gomez said I,
directly that you, and others with
your power to lead, call in the police.
1t is very evident by this time that
some person is socially engaged in a
campaign of wholesale robbery. While
silly delicacy forbids us to permit our
guests to be suspected or in any way
watched, the person we mention may
consider himself in terrestrial para
heaven of delight. He will continue
TO rob with impunity, and to offer up
his thanks fol. that generosity of con-
hat, or even an insplction of the boots
In which he may place his plunder.''
"You speak, very lightly of it, she
interrupted, as I still held her belt in
my hands. edo you know that my
husband values the rubies in each of
p tnSsS p, pendants at eight hundred
&C.. II can quite believe it, said L;
! presume; but I want you to describe
it for me, and as accurately as your
memory will let you.'
elbow will that help to it's recoveryq''
she asked, looking at me questioningly.
"Possibly not at all,N replied: bit
1t might be offered for sale at my place,
and I should be glad if I had the means
1 1aT Fesfbor5ng 1t to YOU Stranger things
! ~ believe" said she sharply, "you
would like to find out the thief your
IT should not have the smallest OBJ
jection," exclaimed frankly; eff
these robberies continue, no woman in
L iSn N viii vii wear real stones; and
~ have thought Of that,'' said she;
but, you know, you are not to make
the slightest attempt to expose any
guest, in my house; what you do out
side is nc, concern of mine"
EXACTLY" said I, "and for the mat
ter Of that, I am likely to do very
little in either case; we are working
against clever heads; and if my judg
ment be correct, there is a whole gang
to- cope with. But tell me about the
rubies.o
"Wen,', said she, "the stolen pend
nn4 I, H. ,ln.. m ~
as you know, was brought by Lord Fa
Der from Burmah. Besides the ring
Of rubies, which each drop has, the
missing star includes four yellow
stones, which the natives declare are
ripening rubies. 1t is only supersti
of fire, and as brilliant as diamonds. ;
"The Burmese will sell you rubies OF
all colors if you will buy them, thu
the blue variety is nothing more thar
the sapphire. And how long is it since
you missed the. pendants''
"N99ts ten minutes ago." she an
(Which means that your next mart
ner might be the thief7'' I suggested
Greatly, dance is becoming capita
entertainment.
.sMy next partner is my husband, ,
sale, she, laughing for, the first time
to him. He would never forgive m
for losing the rub1es.''
When she was gone, I, who had CONF
to he, dance solely in the. hope tina
word or face there would cast ligh
upon the amazing mystery of the sea
sons thefts, went down again wher
the press was and stood while tn
d dancers were Pursuing, the he drear
fore me were the hundred type
one sees in a London ballroom-type
Of character and of want of character
Of age aping youth, and of youth apin
age, Of well-dressed women and i'll
dressed women, of handles and of tn
bored, of fresh girlhood and worn ma
turity. Mixed in the dazzling melee
or swaying to the rhythm of music
hall melody, you saw the lean forms 0
boys; the robust forms of men; tn
pretty figures Of the girls just out; tn
figures, not so pretty, Of the matrons
who, for the sake of the picturesque
should long ago have been in. AS tn
picture changed quickly, and fair face
succeeded to dark faces, and the coquet
ting eyes Of pretty women passed b
with glance to give place to the ur
interesting eyes Of the dancing man,
asked MYSELF what hope would tn
astute spy have of getting a clue to Hh
mysteries in such a room; how coul
he look for moment to name one ma
or one woman who had part or lot j
the astounding robberies which wer
the wonder of the towns Yet kne'
. that if nothing were done, the sale Q