Graham guardian., 1912-02-16

selves"
"Your powers Of deduction are truly
marvellous. Britx," said Manning with
q short laugh. In which Britz thought
he heard faint note Of mockery.
''Now, let's don't do any kidding.
Chief" Britx rejoined with just q
shade Of acid in his voice. This is
a pretty serious case. and I've been
up few nights without any too much
sleep. I'm not on the witness stand
now, recollect. and don't feel as II
I'd got to parcel out my words when
I'm talking to friends" There was
the least little lift of his eyebrows as
he uttered the last word.
Manning laughed again-apologetic-
ally this time, and the lieutenant.
once more unrufied, continued:
80 Griswold had to make sketches
ana diagrams Of the Widows necklace.
Even that couldn't have been easy, for
I guess he had to use his pencil when
Mrs. Missioner wasn't in the room.
It isn't likely she gave him many OPP
portunities Of being alone with the
Jewels she priced above all the others
In her collection. You see. when her
husband gave her that necklace and
told her about the Maharanee dia-
mond, he made up q pretty little fairy
story that probably gave the big stone
much greater value in her eyes than
IL she'd really known the truth. Wom-
en-" said Britx solemnly. "are funny.
They are about the funniest things In
this little old world Of ours--particu-
larly when It comes TO jewels and
gowns, with the Jewels leading by y
city block"
Fitch, In his capacity az q lover.
became somewhat restive under the
detectives cynical summing up OF
the sex. and relieved himself with the
remark:
III women are any funnier than
men. I'd like you to show me how.
Your experience is all very well, lieu-
tenant; but I've seen them In their lit
tie white cots In hospitals--both
kinds; and have seen them on the
operating table, and can tell you
the woman has yet to be born that
can do as many fool stunts az the
average mani" After this burst of
rorhance-born frankness he subsided.
"Well. We won't quarrel about the
sex. DOCTOR" said Britz. though ]
must say don't like to hear you get
ting OF these suffragette sentiments.
Anyway, it's safe to. assume Mrs. Mis-
sioner didn't let Curtis Griswold have
time to drape that necklace Of hers
on an art model when he started In to
sketch 1t. He made those drawings By
fits and starts, and 1t must have taken
him good many weeks to finish
them" ~
Unless he drew the necklace from
memory" suggested Manning.
"That sounds too easy" Britz re-
turned. Had have to have a memory
like a daylight film to carry all the
different sizes and shapes Of those
Jewels in his mind--to say nothing OF
their fire. The fact is, the drawings
he made were not only accurate to
the smallest degree of outline. but the
luster Of every stone seems to have
been reproduced with skill that would
keep 'em guessing at the Academy of
Design. tell you, Curtis Griswold II
an artist In more ways than one!"
Pausing little, Britx went on;
"And that's what ne did; he made
the drawings at first hand. and prob
ably colored them in the same way.
Then he took them over to Paris and,
farmed out the contract among sew
eral firms. taking care to split up the
drawings 30 that no one manufacturer
of paste jewels might know they were
reproductions Of the famous Mahara-
nee necklace. Logan traced all the
drawings in gay Paree, and sent them
to me. Here they are" He took sew
eral small sheets of cardboard from
an inner pocket and spread them on
his desk.
There's something missing from
the center" Manning commented
when he had pieced the slips together
"This 10 picture Of necklace with
a hole in the middle"
Britz smiled.
"Yes," he said. that's where the
Maharanee diamond was. You see,
Griswold was too foxy to have an
imitation of that celebrated stone
made anywhere in Europe. He knew
there wasn't man on the Continent
identified in any way with the trade
who wouldn't recognize drawing Of
that diamond on sight. Though the
diamond Is not 30 we'll known to the
public. it's as familiar to every jew
eler In Europe as the Kohinoor, the
Hope. or any other of those great
sparklers."
where could he have gone. then.
to have the big stone reproduced?"
asked the Chief.
"Ask the doctor there. II he's half
the detective think he Is, he knows
as we'll as l do"
Fitch smiled nervously, then his
face became grave as the realization
OF what all this meant to Elinor
surged back on him.
II fancy" he said to Manning.
Lieutenant Britz has concluded the
false Maharanee diamond was made
by harmless lunatic we traced to the
asylum"
Right you are. doc!" said Britz
brusquely. "You guessed It the very
first time. Little old Mr.. Martin was
the gentleman. He did that Job of