The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1911-07-21
Fitch accompanied the detective out

| word Of encouragement. BritZ an.
swered his questions with monosyl.
tables, as If he feared to commit him
self with regard to the outcome Of his
investigation. Just before parting.
however, Britt said:
Every line that develops in this
case. you can rest assured, will be fol.
lowed to the end. So far. nothing has
been discovered that changes the as
pect of the case in the slightest de-
gree"
The detective walked to Hesdquar-
tiers and entered the Office OF the
Chief
Has DonnClly or Carson reported
anything new?" he inquired
Nothing" answered the Chief.
"And you?"
Nothing that throws any light on
the case"
Britt" the Chief remarked, as
though delivering some weighty con-
clusion, Il think you're working on
the wrong hypothesis. You seem to
have decided that Miss Hoicomb Is in
nocenL If you will survey the case
as 1t stands, you will have to acknowl-
/ edge that absolutely everything In 1t
| points to her guilt. | do not under
take to say what her motive was in
stealing the jewels, unless 1t was sim
| ply the feminine lust for ornaments.
l feel certain, also, that she was not
alone in the crime. My belief is that
she took the necklace out of the safe,
turned it over to DR.. Fitch. or some
one else. to have the duplicate made,
thn,, f,I.,
the safe"
| But where were the paste gems
made?" inquired Britt.
That's for you to find out" snapped
the Chief
Il have personally visited every
manufacturer of paste gems in this
city and in Philadelphia, Boston. Buff
falo. and Washington. My men have
been to all the places in the smaller
cities. Manufacturers in all the other
cities of the country have been Wis
tied by the local police. and 1 feel abb
so.utely sure that the duplicates were
not made in this country. Logan is
on the way to Paris now, and until
We hear from him | don't think we
are safe in venturing any opinion as
to the identity OF the thief. | am re-
ceiving daily reports of the move
ments of Sands. Griswold. the butler.
and the Indian servant, but they show
nothing"
why do you think Logan will dis
cover anything? Has the real neck
lace ever been abroad?"
Mrs Missioner had 1t with her on
the other side. but | don't know that
1T ever left her possession
The Chiefs lips coiled into an
amused smile.
Kind O. looks as If you're on the
wrong scent" he baited.
Wait till we hear from Paris"
Britt returned.
AS the detective left the office, he
could not help a feeling OF depression
at the slow progress of events. AS yet,
the intricacies OF the mystery were
vaguely outlined in his mind. He saw
them as a floating mist. heavy with
possibilities but charged with delusive
signs Of reckoning trails that he In
stinctively knew led TO nowhere. He
was still treading lightly the mazes
OF the case. One false step might be
fatal and he preferred to remain in
a crouching attitude Of watchfulness.
ready to spring from cover at the
proper moment.
Much as he deplored his enforced
inactivity, he nevertheless had faith
in the Anal outcome. A quick mental
survey of the case convinced him that
the first necessity was to find the
maker of the paste stones. Whoever
| ba To hor
surely recall having done SO. There
were few Europeon firms that could
have made the stone. 1t was doubtful
whether any American manufacturer
could have turned out a substitute to
fool the eyes of Mrs. Missioner, even
for night. 1t is hard enough to get
the compact brilliance Of the diamond
in small paste gem; infinitely more
diff cult Is it to manufa cture a coun-
terfeit Maharanee. Britt knew that
whoever copied the cut and luster of
that marvellous stone was an expert
OF high caliber. No faint simmer OF
glass could have availed to deceive
; Mrs. Missioner The laboratory fire
that cleaned from the duplicate was
the work of years of experiment, and
only in Paris, Britt believed, was the
art of manufacturing paste gems SUI
ficiently developed to bring forth
satisfactory duplicate of the Mahara-
nee.
Three weeks. at least, must elapse
before word would come from Logan.
The emissary sent abroad was himself
diamond expert. Before entering
the Detective Bureau. he had been
foreign agent of the United States
Treasury Department. II the dupli-
cate necklace was manufactured
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