The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-10-28

deus, rose In MS seat ana gave quick sign
which attracted the capitalists attention.
A look of recognition lighted up his face
and he cried in a tense tone:
"Poel Poei" Asecond later, "Come here
The man who had made the motion
tucked his hat under his arm and sauntered
up the aisle, turned into the passageway to
the box and edged through those crowding
for look, with an air of quiet authority.
This is Mr. Poe, Christopher Poe" :"
her father introduced in a furried tone
You have heard me speak of him. He is
the banker"
"Oh, yes; so glad to know you. You
saw the stone drop just now?" the girl
asked quickly, her eyes still searching.
"Yes; but, really, there is no use look
ing, F" Poe's tone possessed a strange fnality.
He bent to remove the light chain OF fine
gold which still clung to the gardenia, and
made casual examination Of it.
"Nipped of with a pair of pliers" he
smiled. "A common trick, easily executed
by hftymen in Paris. Your tightly pinned
scarf prevented it from dropping or being
stolen in the crowd. You felt nothing, /
suppose, on the way from the carriage to
the entrance?" this last to Miss Blondell.
81 was bit anxious" she admitted,
turning up her flushed face. 81 Ipressed the
jewel tightly through the scarf Now that
you speak Of it, | did fell something cold
touch the back OF my neck for an instant,
but felt quickly for the chain and found it
safe, only protruding slightly above my
scarf in the back.
And already severed by pair of pliers
concealed in a clever hand, added Poe
9 II has happened often, this nipping. You
were pressing the stone with your hand on
the scarf. The thief knew he could not get
the gem in the crowd; he waited for you to
unpin the scarf when you were safe in the
box and off your guard. The stone slid
down and dropped the moment you threw
the wrap back and leaned forward; but
you did not notice it at the exact
instant of falling; several seconds passed
before the discovery, and that was all the
thief needed
Absurd" laughed Miss Blondell. "You
don't mean that the thing is stolen. It's
surely here somewhere. 1t couldn't have
from the box in that instant"
Certainly no person sap it disappear"
replied Poe. ~ was watching the curtain
myself, it did not move. There was no one
in the passageway behind the box and surely
no thief inside it. /"
"Then how could the stone have dis
cried the girl. "You can see
at glance there are no cracks or crevices it
could have slipped through or lodged in"
THAT the only assurance have that it
is stolen" answered Poe, bending his short
waist and picking small splinter OF wood,
not quarter of an inch long from the leg
Of chair near the doorway,
But it's absurd to think that anyone
could have stolen the jewel in the second it
dropped to the floor before | stopped to find
t.
1T couldn't have bounced up three feet
md over onto the stage, it couldn't have
1een picked up by the gentleman in the
box" Poestopped abruptly, his
orows shot up on his forehead and the
atirical wrinkles again appeared, joining
he corners Of his nostrils and lips. He had
danced toward the other box and found it
mpty. For a second he fingered the spin-
er Of wood in his pocket, the wrinkles
deepening and his eyes fixed.
Turning short he said in low tone to
3londell, "Wait for me at Palais d'Orsay,"
hen he bowed absently to the girl, ducked
through the plush curtains and hurried out
n exit
As he sat in a cab FIVE minutes later, on
is way to a music hall in Rue de Cichy,
Christopher Poe looked and acted more like
bored Frenchman in search of pleasure
han anything else. Had the Jehu who
rove known the truth about his fare he
-ould have been more particular in his
-ork and would never have dared to juggle
18th the little taximeter at his side But
My two men really knew Poe His friends s
new only that he had more money than he
ould spend; that he was one Of the six
ice-presidents of the Manhattan National
ank, and director in several others Burns S
nd Mitchell were the two who knew him
ell and they marvelled at the man. To
lem alone was ii known that Poe gave
ractically his entire time to running down
ank crooks. His position at the Man
attain was honorary, he was what they call c
stop-gap," drawing no salary and work 7
g ;ciik the bank rather than for it. This i
lowed him the leisure to indulge, often {
ith Burns and Mitchell, in tracking down
INK thieves. Poes criminal knowledge S
as greater than any living mans. 1t was c
id OF him by Burns and Mitchell and the c
W officials in the Bankers Protective t
ssociaticn who guessed at Poe's quiet
ork that be was as familiar with the a
iunts Of "peter" men and safe-blowers as t
: was with the art eenters OF Europe.
On this occasion Poe was merely enjoying n
vacation in Paris and had stumbled onto
j interesting crime, an attempt at the ;
lluiion Of which he could not resist. q I