The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1905-10-13

~ AhNN' W nat your own theory
Simply that he's been on my track
for some time, probably ever since
friend Crawshay slipped clean through
his fingers last November. There have
been other indications. am really
not unpreparcd for this. BIT 1t can
only be pure suspicion. I'll defy him
to bring anything home, and I'll defy
MN to find the pearl Theory. my dear
Bunny? | know how he's got here as
well rs though I'll been inside that
Scotchman's skin, and l know what
he'll DO next. He found out I'd gone
abroad AMI looked for Il motive. He
found out about Won Heumann and
his mission. and there was his motive
cut and dried, Great chance-to nab
me ON new job altogether. But he
won't do it, Bunny. Mark my words.
he'll search the ship and search us all
when the loss is known, hut he'll
search in vain. And there's the skipper
reckoning the whippersnapper to his
cabin. The fat will he in the fire In
five minutesr'
Yet there was no confagration. no
fuss, no searching of the passengers.
no whisper Of what had happened in
the air. Instead of q stir there was
portentous peace. and it was clear to
me that R2eies was not little dis
turbed at the Justification of all his
predictions. There was something sin
lister i'll silence under such loss. and
the silence was sustained for hours,
during which Mackenzie never reap
peared. But he was abroad during the
luncheon hour-he was in our cabin!
l had left my book in Rallies berth,
and in taking it after lunch touched
the quilt. 1t was warm from the re-
cent pressure of flesh and blood, and
on an instinct | sprang to the venti-
lator. As l opened it the ventilator
opposite closed with a snap.
1 waylaid Rallies. "All right! Let
him find the pearl"
Have you dumped it overboard?"
That's a question l shan't condo
scend to answer"
He turned on his heel and at subse-
quent intervals l saw him making the
most of his last afternoon with the in
evitable Miss Werner. | remember
that she looked both cool and smart
in quite simple affair of brown hol-
land which toned we'll with her COM
pleXien and was cleverly relieved with
touches of scarlet. l quite admired
her that afternoon, for her eyes We're
really very good and so were her teeth,
yet l had never admired her more di-
rectly in my own despite, for l passed
them again and again in order to get a
word with Raffles, to tell him | knew
there was danger in the wind. But he
would not SO much as catch my eye.
SO mt last l gave it mp. And l saw
him next in the captains cabin.
They had summoned him first. He
had gone in smiling, and smiling
found him when they summoned me.
The stateroom was spacious. as betit-
ted that of commander. Mackenzie
sat OH the settee, his beard in front Of
him on the polished table, but revolv-
err lay in front of the captain, and
when | had entered the chief officer,
who had summoned me, shut the door
and put his back to it. Won Heumann
completed the party, his fingers busy
with his mustache
Rallies greeted me
'"This is a great joke! he cried.
"You remember the pearl you were so
keen about. Bunny, the emperor's
pearl, the pearl money wouldn't buy?
1t seems it was intrusted to our little
friend here to take out to Canoodle
Dunn, and the poor little chaps gone
and lost it. Ergo, as we're Britishers
they think we've got it,"
But l know We have" put in Mac
kenzie, nodding to his beard.
You will recognize that loyal and
patriotic voice." said Rallies, Mon,
it's our aud acquaintance Mackenzie
O. Scotland Yard an Scoteland it.
sell"
dat is enough" cried the captain.
"Have you submid to be SCARCE or do
vorce you" 1
what you WILL" said Rallies. but IL
will do you no harm to give us fair
play first. You accuse us of breaking
into Captain Won Heumann's stateroom
during the small hours of this morning
and abstracting from it this confound-
ed pearl Well, can prove that was
in my own room all night long, and |
have no doubt my friend can prove the
same"
"Most certainly l can," said l indig-
nantly. "The ships boys can bear wit
ness to that
Mackenzie laughed and shook his
head at his reflection in the polished
mahogany.
'That was YER clever" said he, land
like enough it would ha' served We had
/ not stepped aboard. But I've just
had a look at the ventilators, and
think know how We worked it. Any
way, captain, it makes no matter. I'll
just be clappin' the darbies on these
young sparks, an them
by what right?" roared Rallies in
a ringing voice, and never saw his
face in such blaze. SEARCH us if you
like, search every scrap and stitch we
possess, but you dare to lay finger
on US without a warrantp'
II wouldna' dare" said Mackenzie
gravely as he fumbled in his breast
pocket, and Raffles dived his hand into
his own. "Haud his wrist!' shouted
the Scotchman, and the huge Colt that
had been with us many a night. but
had never been fired in my hearing,
-, 4l,n AL nn1 ,ra1 uotroH