Los Angeles herald., 1906-06-24
Bold and Sk Society Robbes aiced by Members Of the Smart


!,
.":"s'':*** ta*ss.s.s 1. f. 4. -.
me, though. I know how you love a
practical joke.
The explanations that followed were.
OF course, more confusing and bewilder-
ing. The ring, consisting of a large ca
buchon sapphire and two big white dia-
monds was worth $1,000. All that day
we devoted to searching for the ring
and trying to account for it's disap
pearance. The servants were out of
the question: as none of them was in
the room during the time the rings
We're on the piano. The butler had
been told that the message on the note
paper was about the rings. Besides, he
probably read it.
Jones Is Suspected
" Who was in the halway?' I asked.
! Nobody the hostess answered.
While [ was at the piano-except the
four playing bridge. When the clock
struck II, | got up. The four had lust
hn1shed playing. We all started up
stairs them
NOBODY came to the piano?'
NOBODY but Mr.. Jones' He came
over to say goodbye. | left him stand
ing there, as he said he was going to
stop downstairs awhile with the men
Mr. Jones had not stopped down.
possible fate of the ring 1t was absurd
to think that anybody in the party had
stolen 1t. They were all too rich. for
one thing. 1 was the only poor ono
among them, and 1 knew l did not have
It, Then there was Jones-and there
was his bridge and his anxiety to paw
the man to whom he was indebted. not
for the money alone, but for the back
/ ing.
He wants to pawn the ring,' my
suspicious mind kept repeating He
wants to pawn the ring and pay the
$500. Then he hopes to take it out by
hook or crook and give 1t back. He's
so desperate probably that he hasn't
| thought how he will ever get out of
| the scrape.'
Il had said nothing of my suspicion
to my hostess. I told her l was going
to town, however, on the afternoon
train
eff it's to do anything horrible
| about the ring she said l won't let
you go. I'd rather lose it than have a
| lot of policemen or detectives prying
around to make me and my guests un-
| comfortable. So you must promise me
not to go near the police
THAT lucky phraseology helped me
out 1 had no idea of going to the
police. But l was going to see young
Jones, try to find out by hook or crook
| him from pawning it.
He had left his office when 1 got to
| town. | telephoned his rooms and he
was not there. L jumped into a hanson
and arrived in a few minutes at the
rooms of my astonished friend who had
lent Jones the money.
What in the world do you want?'
he, could not help exclaiming as L en-
| tered his rooms.
|
promise of secrecy. Has young
Jones paid you that $2OO?'
HE has not. You don't need it, I
said, or at least you don't need it
right away. Don't ask me any ques-
| tions, but do as 1 ask you. 1t is now
o'clock. Call up the boy at 6. Tell
him that it will be just as convenient
for you to wait for the money until
you come back
81 like the way you butt into nv
affairs he said, just when I'm sailing
! for Europe and need all I've got But
| I'll do as you say
| Promising to meet him at the club
for dinner at 8, / went off to call up
young Jones again.
HE was at home 1 told him I was
anxious to see him. but he said he was
going out Immediately and suggested
| that | call tomorrow.
"'You know my address, / said, in
closing the conversation. Let me know
there before O'Clock if you can see
me later
81 went back to my friends rooms
and came in just in time to hear him
| telling Jones that he need not hurry
| Must have been a tremendous re-
lief TO the boy he said He almost
cried over the telephone
1--WE took my hanson for an airing
in the park, and went to my room
| I Ia
was awakened half an hour later by
knock at the door.
"a gentleman left this, the man
said, and wanted me to see especially,
that you got it,
1T was an envelope containing let
ter and a package of white tissue pa
per- In this was the missing ring. The
letter was from Jones. He said he was
at a loss to know how the ring could
have found it's way into the pocket of
| his dinner coat, and must have dropped
there as he stood at the piano. He
hoped very much that / would return
it to the owner, If possible, without
mentioning that his was the particular
pocket into which it had dropped.
had already decided that his name
should never be made known to the
few persons who had heard of the theft.
kept that promise, too, In the face of
some trouble.
II was never a detective again, and
that was my first experience. But 1
felt certain that this young man had
taken the ring to pay his debt. He
avoided me after the incident. and, al
though he met with some success as a
broker, he returned to England year
or two after he had succumbed to
temptation. philadelphia North Am
erican.