Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-12-29

anyhow, not at n rlsh 10 tneIn'
selves"
your powers Of deduction are truly
marvellous, Britz," said Manning with
a short laugh, in which Britz thought
he heard a faint note of mockery.
"Now, let's don't do any kidding
Chief" Britz rejoined with Just a
shade of acid in his voice. This is
a pretty serious case, and I've been
up a few nights without any too much
sleep. I'm not on the witness stand
now. recollect, and / don't feel as II
I'd got to parcel out my words when
I'm talking to friends" There was
the least little lift of his eyebrows az
he uttered the last word.
Manning laughed again-apologetic-
ally this time, and the lieutenant
once more unruffled, continued:
$50 Griswold had to make sketches
and diagrams Of the widows necklace.
Even that couldn't have been easy, for
/ guess ne had to use his pencil when
Mrs. Missioner wasn't in he room.
It isn't likely she gave him many OPP
portunities Of being alone with the
Jewels she priced above all the others
in her collection. You see when her
husband gave her that necklace and
told her about the Maharanee dia-
mond, he made up a pretty little fairy
story that probably gave the big stone
much greater value in her eyes than
IL she'd really known the truth. Wom-
en-" said Britz solemnly, are funny.
They are about the funniest things in
this little old world of ours-particu-
larly when 1t comes to jewels and
gowns, with the Jewels leading by a
city block"
Fitch, in his capacity as a lover.
detectives cynical summing up OF
the sex, and relieved himself with the
remark:
"If women are any funnier than
men, I'd like you to show me how.
Your experience is all very well. leu
tenant; but I've seen them in their lit
tie white cots in hospitals-both
kinds; and 1 have seen them on the
operating table, and l can tell you
the m has yet to be born that
a do as many fool stunts as the
average mani" After this burst of
romance.born frankness he subsidized.
We'll, we won't quarrel about the
sex, DOCTOR" said Britz, though
must say I don't like to hear you get
ting off these suffragette sentiments.
Anyway, it's safe to Mrs. Mis-.
sioner didn't let Curtis Griswold have
time to drape that necklace OF hers
on an art model when be started IN to
sketch It. He made those drawings by
Ats and starts, and it must have taken
him q good many weeks to finish
them"
"Unless he drew the necklace from
memory" suggested Manning.
THAT sounds too easy" Britz re
turned. He'd have to have q memory
like a daylight Aim to carry all the
different sizes and shapes OF those
Jewels In his mind-to say nothing o.
their fire. The fact Is, the drawings
he made we're not only accurate Il
the smallest degree Of outline. but the
luster OF every stone seems to nave
been reproduced with skill hat woulc
keep 'em guessing at the Academy o.
Design. I tell you, Curtis Griswold II
an artist In more ways than one!"
Pausing a little, Britt went on:
"And that's what he did; he made
| the drawings at first hand, and prob
| ably colored them in the same way
| Then he took them w to Paris ant
| farmed out the contract among sew
eral firms, taking care to split UP tn
| drawings SO that no n manufactures
| of paste Jewels might know they were
| reproductions of the famous Mahara
nee necklace. Logan traced all thu
drawings in gay Paree. and sent then
to me. Here they are" He took sew
eral small sheets of cardboard from
an inner pocket and spread them OF
his desk.
There's something missing from
the center" Manning commentet
when he had pieced the slips together
This Is a picture OF a necklace Will
a hole in the middle"
Britz smiled.
eyes," he said. that's where tn
| M%aharanee diamond was. You see
| Griswold was too foxy to have al
| imitation Of that celebrated ston.
made anywhere In Europe. He knew
there wasn't a man on the Continen
identified In any way with the trad
who wouldn't recognize a drawing o
that diamond on sight. Though tn
diamond 10 not 10 well known to tn
public, it's a. familiar to every Jew
eler in Europe as tho Kohfnoor. tn
Hope. or any other Of those greA
sparklers.
where could he have gone. then
to have the big stone rsproducsdf
asked the Chief.
ASK tho doctor there. II he's hal
the detective ! think he 10. he know
a. well al l do"
Fitch smiled nervously, then hi
face became grave az the realisation
OF what all this meant to Elmo
surged back on him.
II fancy" he said to Manning
Lieutenant Britz has concluded tn,
false M~aharanee diamond was mad,
by a harmless lunatic we traced to tn
asylum"
Fright you ire, doc!" said Brit
brusquely. you guessed 1t the yer!
first time. Little old Mr.. Martin wa
| the gentleman. He did that job o