Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1912-04-12
CHAPTER xxIv-tcontInued.,

The men Gordon has run down."
.s,f the lieutenant, were the hardest
a catch. call them the second
tstch Of thieves because they are the
ALLOWS who stole Mrs. Missioner's
svels long after the stones were
slolen from her.
and who may they be?" Manning
prsisted.
They are the dark men-the Hin
dos whose connection with the case
oomplicated II much more than was
cunfortabIe, and who gave further
proof Of their inconsiderate disposi-
i,ons By making the doctor here and
ne 50 uncomfortable Just before we
cre back to Headquarters"
-You mean they are the men who
robbed Mrs. Missioner Of her jewelsT
NO. the men who stole Mrs. Mis-
foner's Jewels after she was robbed
n them"
They robbed the thieves. then?"
Not thieyes-thief." said Britz.
There was only one artist in the
1rsi Job"
whats bis namef" the Chief Ques-
toned again.
his name!" returned the detec-
tss nonchalantiy. ~Oh. I haven't
nid Il was a he.'"
Even Fitch. though he had worked
Intimately with the sleuth in the lat
ter part Of the hunt for the Jewels.
vas astonished. Manning concealed
BE surprise. He said:
well, suppose you've got the
foods on fiim-or herr"
Z have and ! haven't" the tetec-
I've answered. while only one per
son stole the diamonds. there's been
whole troop Of potential thieves
sfter the stones. They've been work
ing AZ cross-purposes. with the natural
result that they played unconsciously
INTO the hands of the one al OF them
trusted"
Fitch and Manning eyed each other
ouizzically. Britt had worked hard
% the case and had succeeded when
success seemed impossible. II he
wished to indulge IN a slightly enig-
nsticai preamble, surely IT was not
asking too much to humor him.
Britt gnawed black cigar. unlight-
q. and whirled about two or three
tines before he took up the thread Of
bis recital again.
ITS long story" he resumed. TT
took a lot of piecing to put IT. to
ge,her. but it's as plain now as a pic
tine puzzle when all the cut-outs 1T.
h the first place. Griswold planned
o set the jewels q long time ago--a
couple Of years, ! fancy. He didn't
content himself with mere planning
Re did lot of work while he was
waiting for his opportunity. He
mev the value Of the Missioner neck
lace Of course. especially the value
Of the big Maharanee diamond that
vas It's central stone As nearly as
en- make out his scheme. he hoped tc
steal the collarette and dispose Of Il
months before 1t should be missed By
Mrs Missioner. The only way to de
tn1t, Of course, was to substitute a
imitation for the genuine article
naturally. too. the imitation had to b
made without Mrs. Missioner's knowl
sdse, and the man he meant to have
make Il had to have either the orig
nal as copy or a very accurate
orawing. II was beyond all possibil
~ that Griswold could get the neck
ace into his possession long enough
e have bogus collarette made. Mrs
Missioner. In spite Of her many mil
hons, and like all other women o
wealth, guarded Der jewels closely
cne may intrust her government
bonds and other negotiable securitie
Q attorneys or banks, but she keep
oer Jewels under her own eyes. Nom
g Us knows Just how much sh'
thought Of Griswold: but the chance
sre that. even II she had been en-
ssged to him, she wouldn't have lie
nm have possession Of the Maharane
necklace for any length OF time NJ,
1p~f'>nes 10 that these rich NeN