Dakota farmers' leader. (Canton, S.D.) 1890-19??, 1911-11-03
CHAPTER XIV.
At Wards Island.

AT WdfoS iSIdno.
Its rather a remarkable coinci.
dence, I'll admit" said Britt to Fitch,
as they stood on the deck of the little
ferry boat that bore them toward the
Island; but It's possible your little
old friend had something to do with
the making of the imitation Mahara
nee diamond. You realize thoroughly,
I'm sure, the Importance of that link
in u chain of evidence. 1t may be
dificult to fasten the responsibility
for manufacturing all the other fraud
,ulent diamonds OF the necklace upon
the guilty person, because diamonds
pf that size "a be initiated in any
one of several large cities; but The
man who made the fake Maharanee is
a past master Of his craft; a man SO
9killful that even the most expert
Artiicers Of Europe and America do
not pretend they can equal him."
What makes you think the curio
dealer had anything to do with TT"
asked Fitch. How could 1t be done?
thought the Maharanee was made
quite recently"
II don't know how long it's BEEN"
the detective replied. 1T may have
been only a few months. and the dia-
mond, It is possible, may have been
copied any time within the past year.
That big once building has been less
than q year In construction, and It's
well within the bounds OF fact that
the curio dealer received the commits
sion for the work twelve months ago
0r nnSaihlv mnre"
"Oh." said the physician. there is
one flaw In your theory. He was not
. fakir. All the Information / cleaned
about him convinced me ne was not
engaged In the manufacture OF bogus
Jewels. His grand purpose in life was
to make real diamonds"
Precisely" said Britt. 'Tt is that
fact, much more than anything else,
that leads me to think he may be in
the employ of the persons we are
trailing. Doesn't It occur to you that
the false Maharanee, In order to de-
iceive Mrs. Missioner and all her
friends for 30 long a time, must have
been such q beautiful piece Of work
that It could not have been intended
"a an imitation? In other words,
didn't the man who made the imita-
tion M~aharanee believe he was manu-
featuring a genuine diamond?"
The little boat grated its nose
against the Island pier. and the two
investigators sprang ashore. AS loon
as they entered the asylum grounds,
their positions were reversed. Fitch
became the mentor, Britt the willing
pupil, for In that abode OF darkened
reason were medical men whose hour
~ association with that phase of ex-
istence made them welcome gladly
visitors from the outer world-espe-
ciAlly members of their own profess
sion. Fitch, as he ran up the steps OF
the visitors entrance, was received
royalty In the ONCE by three or four
physicians and surgeons who had
known him In his Bellevue days. There
wa no jealousy OF his success among
them. He had shot ahead Of several
Of them, and 1t was pretty we'll I'M
derstood among the Island doctors
that Lawrence Fitch was rapidly forg-
ing to the fore as fashionable
What va more important
in their eyes was the fact hat he had
gained real distinction in his profess
sion. Several minor but helpful dis
coveries Of his had been recorded
grat1fyingly In the Lancet" and more
than once his name had been mention
with hattering recognition at meet
ings Of the County Medical Society.
Fitch was now In his element. He
graSped warmly the hando held out
him. clapped two or three OF his
closer cronies on the back. and pre-
scented Br1tx to the little group with
: few words Of Introduction that won
respect for the man from Mulberry
Street.
Got Z patient hero. Larryf" they
asked him 5okingly.
NO" said Fitch. mot exactly q pa
tient; but its possible you have a
case here I'm : little bit interested
In" He srecited the history OF the
cufio dealer, with an urgent request
that everything in connection with the
old man be revealed to him. Britz, &C.
,customed = he was to CLEAN his facts
tollsOmely. Was Enthusiastically sur
prt0ed BY the readiness with which
each Of Ftch's friends promised cid.