Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1911-08-18

center was an oval ring two inches
long, supporting two golden leaves
and coral apple. It was an antique
ornament Of great value. Rand turned
his pocket lenses on it, and said al
most instantly:
"Your servant who announced this
afternoon has the guest-list of course,
and if questioned him could his mem
DRY be depended upon?"
Absolutely, sir. He is my major
domo, and is really wonderful in that
regard, as well as Others"
'Will you call him, please?"
"He is here. Rudolf, answer any
thing the gentleman may ask you"
The stiff and towering fellow came
forward to the end of his masters
desk.
Rudolf, take your guest list and
check off the large, plump women"
He drew out the sheet, ran down
the names, and, as he came to the
last, Rand asked:
Nov, how many?"
Eighteen, sir"
"How man. of those eighteen are
blond women turning gray?"
Rudolf considered a moment.
''Three, SIR"
"How many Of the guests have left
the house? Any of the three?"
Nearly all of the guests are at
tending upon the vaudeville program,
including these three ladies, sir"
Rand held up the bracelet.
"Now, Rudolf, which Of the three
wore this bracelet"
Rudolf's eyes questioningly sought
his masters face, which remained
downcast and unchanged.
Madame Julie"
"Stop, you fool. Not another world"
roared the ambassador, with a sud-
den change of manner, 1eaping to his
feet and clapping his hand over the
startled servants mouth.
Rand was leaning forward, the pu-
pills Of his eyes reduced to pin points,
and shining brightly.
Then Count Bela-Moulkna, realizing
the undignif1ed> and unfortunate ap-
pearance of his eutburst, drew back
and sank down in his chair, rubbing
his face fiercely with his hands, till
his mustache and hair, disarranged,
gave him a wild, animalistic look
that could have been achieved in no
other way. Slowly he recovered HIM
self, rose, and said coldly and with
all the dignity he could summon:
"Gentlemen,. this investigation has
reached a point where you must drop
it. Mr.. Rand, your incisiveness Is
more than marvellous. You will re-
ceive my check for five thousand by
messenger in an hour. regret to be
under the necessity Of bidding you
good afternoon
Rand, with a slight, sardonic smile,
bowed deeply and responded with
equal hauteur. We were retiring,
when the ambassador clapped his
hands to his temples, then smote his
palms together, and began to laugh.
Gentlemen, gentlemen, one mo-
ment! Forgive my abruptness. have
made a mistake. Pray resume your
seats"
He had become most gracious In an
instant, and fastened to say:
''Mr. Rand, I am sorely absent
minded. The lady whose name pre-
vented your hearing in full was here
with me clandestinely this afternoon,
and wore that bracelet for the first
time Only at the mention of her did
remember seeing it. I must con-
fess to having had small affair with
her. one breath Of which would ruin
me. I had the papers after she left.
She cannot be responsible for their
disappearance. We had rather dra-
matte interview, as she wished 1t to
be our last, and I paid little attention
to that bracelet, though, as l look at
It. I feel sure there was tiny oval
locket pendant from it, which is al
most certain to have contained my
picture. Also, I am now positive that
she. toying with the bracelet, dropped
it here on my desk. I found it there
on the cabinet thirty feet away"
Rand, at this fact, leaped from his
seat and strobe to the cabinet. He
turned his lens over the top, then on
the mantel behind it, and caught up
a polished silver topographer's tracer
with broad, fiat handle. AS he held
1t to the light, I saw his little smile
of triumph. AS usual, it vanished
instantly, and he returned to his seat.
"Your papers were taken within the
last two hours, my dear sir, probably
by the same person who pried the
locket from the bracelet with this ira
Ger. See the little scratch and the
trace of the soft gold.' He held 1t up
carefully between his two index I'm
gers. "Also the person we seek seems
to be blackmailer as well as spy"
''Pray tell me, Mr.. Rand" said the
ambassador, chow you made the mar
velous selection of the owner OF the
bracelets"
every simply. It Is q large brace
let, yet the end links between each OF
the fence work bars are so worn by
~r~u ~, tho CrriSf with