The Yale expositor., 1911-09-28


duce."
mot even in Parish inquired the
visitor. There is a good deal of talk
just now. you know, about the theft, Of
society woman's diamonds. You
know she discovered that paste dia-
monds were substituted, and I under
stand the central jewel was one
of exceptional size"
Neither Paris, nor Venice, nor yet
Stamboul can manufacture colorado
limitations of such a stone" insisted
the Swami. limitations, that is to
say, that would deceive anyone with
the crudest knowledge"
But the Maharanee was undoubted-
ly copied" pursued Britt. ''If you have
read the newspapers, you know it was
through the discovery of that fact that
Mrs. Missioner learned her necklace
had been stolen"
All the cordially of the Swami van
ished. He seemed to wrap himself in
the impenetrable dignity of his caste,
and he dismissed the subject with the
conclusive remark of his race, Il have
spoken" In spite of the most adroit
efforts Of his visitor, and despite inter-
rogadons direct and indirect, he could
not be induced to discuss the subject
again.
Britz, somewhat baffled, finally led
the conversation into other channels
by bethinking himself of his role in
time to ask the Swami the purpose
and probable length of his stay in
New York.
81 have no objection to telling YOU"
answered the priest, that am here
to spread the propaganda, to turn the
lamp of the true faith upon the gloom
of your Western civilization" He con-
tinued. Eyes, l am making prose-
lytes! | am conducting gatherings Of
seekers after the Light, and l am in
structing all who come to me with
open minds and honest hearts"
Britt picked up his hat and coat
with reluctant air, and took leave Of
the Oriental with not over-profuse ex-
pressions of gratitude for his recep-
ton. The scholar struck the gong,
the Hindoo servant appeared in the
farther doorway, and in a few seconds
the faint echoes of the visitors foot
steps ended in the quiet closing of the
street door.
Kananda, with a carriage akin to
the swagger of the English Guards
man, re-entered the room and looked
at the Swami quizzically.
'VD,, pooJ 1yonrea1f IN Tho
trouble of looking through the Sunday
papers" said the Swami. There will
be nothing about this interview in
The Times"
MOP" returned Kananda. 81 heard
the reporter say he wanted the facts
for the next issue of his Sunday sup
plement."
HE is not interested in supple.
ments," replied the priest, "sequels
are his speciality. When he interests
himself in a story he begins at the
continued line. He is not a report
err"
The Prince looked at him inquiring-
ly.
Nor is he the man Ali should have
searched" continued the sage. He is
one of the cleverest detectives in
New York-Britz, of Headquarters!
Britt, Of Headquarters, did not
waste any time in gloating over the
result of his interview with the Brah-
min. In the first place, he did not con-
slider that he had scored anything
like a signal victory. He knew enough
OF the subtleties of the Orient to be
aware that such grains of truth as
had come to him In the Swami's an
swers had been merged into volum-
nous fabric of mendacity-well, call
1t dipiomacy-andt that to winnow out
the few facts vouchsafed to him was
task for the clustered seclusion of
his own room, supplemented by the
silent help of many books of refer
ence. But he was ready to take 1t for
granted that the Brahmin had spoken
truly in regard to the difficulty of i'm
itating diamonds of great size. There
was no question the Maharanee had
been copied; how closely he could not
say, as he had unfortunately never
had a glimpse of the false stone. The
questions that gimleted their way into
his brain we're: Where was the copy.
ing done; how was 1t done; and, Of
course, correlatively, by whom was 1t
done?
1t was a busy quarter of an hour
observation-disclosures Britt passed in
his Mulberry Street Office. Awaiting
him was a cablegram from Logan,
saying briefly he was trailing all the
workmen who had taken part in the
manufacture of the paste Missioner
necklace, and that none of them had
left Paris.
CTO BE CONTINUED)
n..a LII