The Brownsville daily herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1897-1910, 1909-11-02

that she might be guilty.
He found Mr.. Pinney in the act OF
turning the discs of the safe before
going home and leaving his shoDman
to shut up the place He smiled with
grave satisfaction when Logotheti en-
tered.
q was hoping to see you, sir" he
said. 4 presume that you had my let
ter? I wrote out the account with
great care, as you may imagine, but I
shall be happy to 60 over the story
with you if there is any point that is
not clear"
Logotheti did not wish to hear it;
he wished to see the ruby MI Pin
ney turned the discs again to their
places, stuck the little key into the
secret keyhole which then revealed
itself, turned it three times to the left
and five times to the right, and opened .
the heavy iron door. The safe was an
old-fashioned one that had belonged i
to his father before him. He got out
the japanned tin box, opened that. !
and produced the stone, still in its
paper, for it was too thick to be put
into one of Mr. Pinney's favorite Pill
boxes.
Logotheti undid the paper, took out
the big uncut ruby. laid it in the palm
of his hand, and looked at it critically.
turning it over with one finger from
time to time He took it to the door
of the shop, where the evening light
was stronger. and examined it with
the greatest care. Still he did not
seem satisfied
Let me have your lens. Mr.. Pin
ney," he said, and some electric light
and a sheet Of white paper"
Mr.. Pinney turned up a strong drop
light that stood on the counter. and
produced the paper and a magnifer
It's grand ruby" he said.
81 see it is" LOgotheti answered
rather CURLY
do you mean to say" asked the
surprised ieweler, that you had
bought it without thoroughly examin-
ing it sir-you who are an expert?"
mo, that's not what I mean" an.
swered the Greek, bending over the
ruby and scrutinizing it through the
strong magnifier.
Mr.. Pinney felt himself snubbed.
which had not happened to him for a
! long time, and he drew himself up
with dignity. A minute passed, and
Logotheti did not look up; another
and Mr.. Pinuey grew nervous; a few
seconds more, and he received a shock
that took away his breath.
This is not my ruby said Logo
theft. looking up. and speaking with
perfect confidence.
"Not-your-rubyl" Mr.. Pinney'G
Jaw dropped. But" He could get
no further
I'm sorry" Logotheti said calmly.
I'm very sorry, for several reasons
But it's not the stone I brought you.
though it's just as large, and most ex-
traordinarily like it"
But how do you know. sir?" gasped
the jeweler.
Because I'm an expert. as you
were good enough to say just now
Yes, sir. But I am an expert, too.
and to the best of my expert belief
this is the stone you left with me to
be cut the day before yesterday. I've
examined It most thoroughly"
No doubt" answered the Greek.
But you hadn't examined mine thor
oughly before it was stolen, had you?
You had only looked at it with me, on
the counter here"
That is correct, sir" said MI Pin
ney neTvously. That is quite true"
Very we'll But 1 did more than
merely look at it through a lens or
weigh It. I did not care so much
about the weight, but l cared very
much for the water, and l tried the
ruby point on it in the usual way, but
1t was too hard, and then I scratched
it in two places with the diamond,
more out Of curiosity than for any
other reason
You marked it, sir? There's not a
single scratch on this onei MercifuI
Providence! Merciful Providence"
Yes" Legotheti said gravely. The
girl spoke the truth She had two
stones much larger than the rest when
she first came to me in Paris, this one
and another. They were almost ex-
astly alike. and she wanted He to
buy both but 1 did not want them.
and l took the one I thought a little
better in color This is the other, for
she still had it; and so far as I know.
it is her legal property, and mine is
gone. The thief was one of those
two young fellows who came in just
when Mr. Van TOrp and went ogt. 1
remember thinking what nice-l0oking
boys they were,"
He laughed 'rather harshly, for he
was more annoyed than his coRsidera-
ton for Mr. Pinney made him care to
show. He had looked forward to Civ
ing Margaret the ruby, mounted Just
as she wanted It; and the ruby was
gone. and he did not know where he
was to find another axeeDt the one