The Sauk Centre herald., 1909-09-30

had chance to weigh it. He ac-'
cordingly took the screw of paper
from his waistcoat pocket, and as q
matter Of formality he undid it once
more.
"Merciful Providence!" cried Mr..
Pinney, for he was religious man.
The screw of paper contained a bit
Of broken green glass. He threw his
keys to his shopman without another
word, and rushed out into the street
without his hat, his keen old face
deadly pale, and his beautiful frock-
coat flying in his wake.
He almost hurled himself upon a
quiet policeman.
Thief" he cried. 1.-TWO foreigners
In gray clothes-ruby worth ten thou
sand pounds just gone-Pm Pinney
the jeweler!"
You cannot astonish q London po-
nceman. The one Pinney had caught
looked quietly up and down the
street, and then glazed at his inter-
locutor to be sure that it was he, for
he knew him by sight.
"All right" he said quickly, but very
quietly. "I'll have them in a minute,
sir, for they're in sight still Better
go in while I take them, sir"
He caught them in less than a min
ute without the slightest difficulty,
and by some odd coincidence two 9TH
er policemen suddenly appeared quite
close to him. There was a little stir
in the street, but Baraka and Spiro
were too sensible and too sure of
themselves to offer any useless resis-
tance, and supposing there was some
misunderstanding they walked back
quietly to Mr.. Pinneys shop between
two Of the policemen, while the third
went for a four-wheeler at the nearest
stand, which happened to be the cor
ner of Brook street and New Bond
street.
Mr.. Pinney recognized his late Gus
toners without hesitation, and went
with them to the police station, where
he told his story and showed the
piece of green glass. Spiro tried to
| speak, but was ordered to hold his
tongue, and as no rubies were found
in their pockets he and Baraka were
led away to be more thoroughly
searched.
But now, at last, Baraka resisted,
and with such tremendous energy
that there would have been serious
trouble If Spiro had not called out
something which at once changed the
aspect of matters.
Master is LADY," he yelled. Lady,
man clothes!"
THAT makes pretty bad case,"
observed the sergeant, who was super
intending Send for Mrs. Movie"
Baraka did not resist when she saw
to cell at the back of the station. In
less than ten minutes Mrs. Movie
came out and locked the door after
her. She was CHEEKY little person,
very neatly dressed, and she had rest
| less bright eyes like a ferret She
brought a little bag of soft deerskin
in her hand. and a steel bodkin with
wrought silver handle, such as
southern Italian women used to wear
in their hair before such weapons
were prohibited. Mrs. Movie gave
both objects to the officer without
comment.
ANY scars or tattoo-marks, Mrs.
Mowle?" he inquired in his business
like way.
mot a one," answered Mrs. Movie,
who had formerly taken in washing
at home and was the widow of
brave policeman, killed in doing his
duty.
In the bag there were several
screws of paper, which were found to
contain uncut rubies of different sizes
to large value. But there was one,
much larger than the others, which
Mr.. Van Torp had not seen that morn
ing. Mr.. Pinney looked at 1t very
carefully, held it to the light, laid it
on sheet of paper, and examined it
long in every aspect. He was a con-
scientious man.
ITO the best of my belief" he de-
posed, this is the stone that was on
my counter half an hour ago, and for
which this piece of green glass was
substituted. 1t is the property of a
customer of mine, Mons. Konstantin
Logotheti of Paris, who brought it to
me this morning to be cut think it
may be worth between nine and ten
thousand pounds. I can say nothing
as to the identity of the paper, for
tissue paper Is very much alike every
where"
"The woman" observed the officer
in charge of the station, appears to
steal nothing but rubies. 1t looks like
a queer case. Well lock up the two,
Mr. Pinney, and If you will be kind
enough to look in tomorrow morning,
I'm sure the magistrate won't keep you
waiting for the case"
Vastly relieved and comforted, Mr..
Pinney returned to his shop. For
mality required that the ruby itself,
with the others in the bag, should re-
main in the keeping of the police till
the magistrate ordered it to be re-
turned to its rightful owner, the next
morning; but Mr.. Pinney felt quite as
sure Of its safety as If 1t were in the
japanned strong-box in his own safe,
and possibly even a little more sure,
for nobody could steal it from the po-
lice station.
n..A -