The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1910-11-14
suh." announced Charley, an she
wan tub see Mr.. Peck"

bunch of vio'e.s?" demanded Jen-
nngs. professional intuition leap ne
to hte surface.
"Yasslh," replied Charlie. "dats
how she looks"
Both Jennings and George Angus
tus started to leave the room, but
Rufus pushed in ahead OF them.
she asked for me-" said Rufus;
don't crowd"
Don't let her foo. you again,
pleaded George Augustus, as Rufus
started for the hall
"AGain!" exclaimed the cattlCman.
Gus, don't YOU ever give me any
more lessons in traps and pitfalls
You're disqua flied
Seating themselves, the salesman
and the detective waited for five
minutes with all the patience they
could muster Just when it seemed
that they could no onger stand ths
strain. but must go 'lown to the par.
/ lor themselves. Rufus roLppodryG
smiling joyous,y.
what dd she want inmirrd
George Augustus
I'm no. going into thar low,
Gus answered Rufus Il ha nut
finished my interview with the lady,
and she's to be back here AT .'ae
this evening OF course, SEER rs
low VI uul a,1.iug, vttc ON .,u.
dcl2ook5. o,r.'t prolonr u' stu
in .' i.llo..'
You let her go" cried Jennings.
u did, Jennings, but donr ,h.ow
furry. Here's what you want
she brought IT,"
Rufus pulled the vase from under
his Goa. and held 1t up. For a
space jennings and George Angus us
were speechless
She took it from me and brought
It back to you,' muruured George
Augustus. who vas the first to lind
his tongue.
Here" ca led jennings, let me
have it. Where's hammer
lie took the vase and turned il
over and over, examining it all
around and particularly the bottom.
what are you going to do?" de
mandcd Rufus.
THE work of conccaling the sau-
! toir in the vase was cleverly done,
proceeded Jennings. Il cant Ills
cover any plugged hole where the
pearls we're pushed into it, so the
thing has got to be broken
He stepped over to George Au-
gustus brass bed and lifted the
vase over one of the pOs's
Wait" implored George Angus
tus. You're about to destroy a rel c
worth ten thousand dollars! 1t comes
from the Kanghe period, and the
secret of that crushed strawberry
color has been"
Rot" snapped Jennings. The
ony thing that ever made this vase
valuable was that chain of black
pearls concealed in it."
Again he liftGi h ishand.
Hold" cried George Augustus
again. IF Langham comes on us
for the value of the vase, you've
| got to agree to foot the bill
I'm foot the bill, all right. You
| fellows seem to think ] don't know
what I'm doing"
Jennings, however paused IN his
work of destruction Carrying the
vase close to his ear he shook it
vigorously.
Can you hear the pearls inside"
asked George Augustus.
NO" was the response, but |
hardly supposed ! could. Naturally,
they would be packed in very cose,
so as not to rattle. 4 rattle might
give the snap away, see? When
crafters do a job like that they do
/ ii well"
Is Iltie lOOIll AZ NAi' wv N.l' W
the jog for the chain of pearls?'
plenty
jenkins probed the bottom Of the
vase with five inches of lead pencil
It's ten inches high he finishei,
and that leaves five inches at the
biggest circumference of the vase
for storage purposes. What gets
me is. why did the woman bring Il
back
she didn't know it was ransom
until after she had secured it, ex-
pla'ned Rufus Then, discovering
what It was for, and that | had es-
capped and didn't need it, she brou5ht