The Huttig news., 1912-02-24

Delhi to Benares. Slowly, dreamily
mystically, stories came from his lips
of greed and piety. deeds of daring
and romance. statecraft and intrigues.
until Britt became so interested that
for a time even his trained, vigilant
nind lost sight of the purpose that
mad animated all his actions since the
day he learned that the famous Mis-
sioner necklace was missing.
When the Fastener ended his string
Of tales, many of them replicas in
miniature OF the Arabian Nights. and
of still more thrilling Oriental legends,
The Headquarters man had an ex-
haustive knowledge of all the great
diamonds in the history of Hindostan
Your marvellous gems are not
proof against imitation" he said in
luiringly.
The lesser of them are not" said
he Swami but tie Kohinoor. the
Light of Calcutta. the Dawn of the
World, and similar stones defy the
)est efforts OF your artificers In them
nature has wrought masterpieces OF
luce"
Not even in Paris? ." inquired the
visitor There is a good deal of tab
lust row. you know. about the theft OF
I society woman's diamonds. Yol
;;now she discovered that paste dia
nonds were substituted, and | under
stand the central jewel was ont
Df exceptional size"
Neither Paris, nor Venice. nor YET
Stamboul can manufacture colorado
mutations Of such stone" insisted
he Swami. limitations, that is tt
say, that would deceive anyone witt
he crudest knowledge
But the Maharanee was undoubted.
" copied. pursued Britt If you have
read the newspapers. Won know it was
through the discovery Of that fact that
Yrs Missioner learned her necklace
ad heen stelen"
All the cordiaiity Of the Swami van
he'd. He seemed 10 wrap himself IN
md he dismissed the subject with the
conclusive remark of his race, II have
spoken" In spite of the most adroit
efforts Of his visitor. and despite inter
ogations direct and indirect. he could
not he induced to discuss the subject
again.
Britz, somewhat hafied. 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
Il have M objection to telling you,
answered the priest. that | am here
20 spread the propaganda. to turn the
lamp of the true faith upon the gloom
of your Western civilization" He con-
tinued. Yes, | am making prose
lytes. am conducting gatherings o.
seekers after the Light. and 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 to3k leave o.
the Oriental with not oyer-profuse ex-
pressions of gratitude or his recep-
ton. The scholar struck the gong
he HirdCo servant appeared in the
farther doorway, ard in a few sCconG5
the faint echoes of the visitors loot
steps ended in the quiet c osiug 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.
You need not put yourself to the
trouble of looking through the Sunday
papers" said the Swami. There will
be nothing about this interview in
The Times. +"
Mo-" returned Kananda 81 heard
the reporter say he wanted the iacts
for the next issue of his Sunday SUI
PIGMENT"
HE is not interested in supple
ments," replied the priest, "seque
are his specially When he interests
himself in story he begins at the
continued line He is not report
er."
The Prince looked at him inquirins
ly.
Nor is he the man All should have
searched continued the sage. He Is
one of the cleverest detectives il
New York-Britz, Of Headquarters,
Britt, of Headquarters. did not
waste any time In gloating over the
result of his interview with the Rrab
min In the first place. he did not con
slider that he had scored anything
ike signal victory He knew enough
OF the subtleties of the Orient to /,
aware thai such grains of truth a.
had come to him In the Swami's al
swers had been merged into a volum
nous fabric of mendacity-we ca
it diplomacy-an that to winnow OF.
the few facts vouchsafed to him was
task for the clustered seclusion
his own room, supplemented by tn,
silent help of many books of refe;
ence. But he was ready to take 1t 70
granted that the Brahmin had spokeI
truly in regard 10 the difficulty of im
itating diamonds of great size Their
was no question the Maharanee ha'
been copied: how closely he could no
saw as he had unfortunately never