Mexico Missouri message., 1910-03-24

=
, ance of "Parsifal" to which she had
taken Van Torp, though it had left
London only six hours after him; for
such things will happen even in ex.
tremely well-managed countries when
people send letters insuficiently ad.
| dressed.
Furthermore, it also happened that
Logotheti was cooling himself on the
deck of his yatch in the neighborhood
of Penzance, while poor Baraka was
half-stihed in the police station. For
| the yacht which was a very comfor-
table one, though no longer new, and
not very fast according to modern
| ideas. was at Cowes, waiting to be
| wanted, and when her owner parted
from Van Torp after promising to
dine on the next day but one, it &C.
| Cured to him that the smell of the
wood pavements was particularly
nasty, that it would make no real diff
ference whether he returned to Pin
ney's at once or in two days, or two
weeks, since the ruby he had left
must be cut before it was mounted,
and that he might just as well take
the fast train to Southampton and get
to sea for SO hours. This he did, after
telegraphing his sailing-master to
have steam as soon as possible; and
as he had only Just time to reach the
Waterloo station he did not even take
the trouble to stop at his lodgings.
He needed no luggage, for he had
| everything he wanted on board, and
his man was far too well used to his
ways to be surprised at his absence.
The consequence of this was that
when Baraka's case came up the next
morning there was no one to say a
word for her and Spiro. Mr.. Pinney
identified the ruby ''to the best of his
belief" as the one stolen from his
counter, the fact that Baraka had
been disguised in mans clothing was
treated as additional evidence, and
she and Spiro were sent to Brixton
Jail accordingly, Spiro protesting
their inP ocence all the while in elo.
quent Dat disjointed English, until he
was told to hold his tongue.
Further, Lady Maud read the pc.
lice court report in an evening paper
cut it out and sent it to Margaret as a
document confirming the letter she
had posted on the previous evening
and owing to the same insuficiency
in the address, the two missives were
delivered together.
Lastly, Mr. Pinney took the big
J ruby back to his shop and locked il
up in his safe with a satisfaction and
a sense of profound relief such as he
had rarely felt in long and honorable
life; and he would have been horri
: fled and distressed beyond words If he
could have even guessed that he haG
J been the means Of sending an limo
} cent and helpless girl to prison.
: One thing more which concerns thi!
tale happened on that same day. TIVE
well-dressed men drove up to the dool
of quiet and very respectable hote
! in the West end and they asked fol
their bill, and packed their belong
: ings, which were sufficient though no
: numerous; and when they had paiC
; what they owed and given the usua
tips, they told the porter to call two
l hansoms, and each had his things pu
= on one of them; and they nodded t
each other and parted; and one han
: som drove to Euston and the Other
? to Charing Cross; and whether they
} ever met again, do not know, ant
it does not matter; but in order t.
clear Baraka's character at once anC
/ to avoid useless and perfectly trans
parent mystery, it is as well to say
: directly that it was the young maj
= who drove to Euston, on his way t
Liverpool and New York, who hat
, Logotheti's ruby sewn up in his waist
: coat pocket; and that the ruby really
belonged to Margaret, since Logothet
} had already given it to her, before hi
had brought it to Mr.. Pinney to b.
} cut and set, But the knowledge o
5 what is here impaired to the reader
: who has already guessed this much o
the truth, would not help Baraka on
} of Brixton Jail, where the poor CIR
D found herself in very bad compan!
} indeed; even worse, perhaps, thar
that in which Spiro was obliged t.
spend his time.