Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-07-13

Selr 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 mas
been discovered that changes the as
pect Of the case in the slightest de.
gree"
The detective walked to Headquar-
ters and entered the Office OF the
Chief
Has Donnelly or Carson reported
anything new" he inquired.
Nothing" answered the Chief.
"And your"
Nothing that throws any light on
the case"
"Britx." the Chief remarked, az
though delivering some weighty con.
clusion, Il think you're working on
the wrong hypothesis. You seem to
have decided that Miss Hocomb is in
nocent. 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.
/ 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.
and then returned the false jewels to
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 feel alb
solutely sure that the duplicates were
not made in this country Logan Ia
on the way to Paris now, and until
We hear from him I 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 it 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 ice. ing 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 floating mist. heavy with
possibilities but charged with delusive
signs of beckoning trails that he In
stinctively knew led 10 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 final outcome A quick mental
survey OF the case convinced him that
the first necessity was to find the
maker Of the paste stones. Whoever
made the duplicate Maharanee would
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 a night. 1t is hard enough to get
the compact brilliance Of the diamond
In small paste gem; infinitely more
diff!cu Is 1t to manufacture 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 suf-
ficiently developed to bring forth a
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 a
foreign agent Of the United States
Treasury Department. If the dupli-
cate necklace was manufactured
abroad. Logan would find the manu-
facturer without delay. Britt had
faith in his man. and he waited i'm
patiently through three weeks Of tor
ment for the first cablegram 1t came
finally, and he opened 1t with nervous
fingers.
Missioner necklace manufactured
from drawings by three firms. Orig.
fnal never in possession of manufac-
turerS."
Britt let the telegram flutter to the
floor,
Il knew IT." he burst forth. They