Semi-weekly herald., 1912-02-05
CHAPTER XIV.
sritz Show. His Hand.

Following the talk between Brit1
and Manning in the Office of the chief
of detectives, the lieutenant hastened
to his own room, where Fitch was
awaiting him He excused himself to
the physician and entered telephone
booth at the far end Of his office In
which he was accustomed to conduct
his more private wire conversations.
Through the glass of the silence parti-
ton, Fitch saw the detectives eyes
sparkle as he listened to what the
man at the other end Of the wire was
saying While Britz still was talking.
Manning came in. glanced inquiringly
at the doctor. and settled himself In
big chair as II for further and
more protracted interview with his
able lieutenant.
How does it look to you. doctor.
now?" said the Chief of Fitch, eyeing
him closely meanwhile.
.'It looked for awhile as II we had
run into a hornets nest" Fitch an
swered
Pretty exciting experience you had
uptown. eh?" The Chief laughed.
We'll. Just little" said the doctor.
"One doesn't expect to encounter
cobra in well-regulated brown
stone front"
Think the hunt is getting any
closer?"
Britt seems to think SO. His opin-
lon carries weight with me-"
mo doubt, in your mind, he will
catch the thief. them" asked the
Chief.
"Thief, or thieves" said the medical
man quietly. 81 am convinced he will
run them down soon or late. N they're
anywhere on the face of the earth"
THANK you. doctor" Britz inter
rupted coming out of the booth.
your confidence is not misplaced.
The thieves are as good as caught
now"
Manning looked up with an air OF
surprise
YES" continued Britz. addressing
his chief. I've Just been talking to
Gordon Had him out all day on
special trail Turns out to be the right
lead, We know where the second
batch of thieves can be found after
the next hour or SO"
where are they" asked Manning
eagerly
'I'll take you to them, Chief" Britz
replied "ff you don't mind. I'll ask
you to walt little while until can
do SO. Meanwhile. let's gather up the
loose ends"
do you mean you have solved the
Missioner mystery" Fitch inquired.
trembling slightly as he reflected
what the answer might mean to the
woman OF his heart
There isn't any mystery now"
Britt responded cheerily. There
. hasn't been any In my mind .or sew
eral hours
Lets have IT." exclaimed the Chief
1mpatiently
Just for an instant Britz stifYened
under his excellently controlled ex-
terror He believed in discipline. He
was known favorably to his superiors
from the commissioner down for the
obedience and respect he always
showed them, But there lurked be-
meath his departmental sense of duty
the independence OF a man who felt
he could always stand on his own two
feet. and that he could work alone, II
need be. to accomplish the most DIM
cult task His impulse OF revolt last
ed scarce a seconds space, however,
and with a military salute that per
haps was meant to remind him OF
Manning's rank, he slid into his re-
volving chair and looked intently at
first one and then the other Of the
men. who waited tensely for his
words
The men Gordon has run down"
said the lieutenant. were the hardest
to catch call them the second
batch OF thieves because they are the
fellows who stole Mrs. Missioner's
Jewels long after the stones were
stolen from her"
And who may they be!' Manning
persisted
They are the dark men-the Hin
docs whose connection with the case
complicated 1t much more than was
comfortable, and who gave further
proof of their inconsiderate disposi-
tions by making the doctor here and
me so uncomfortable just before We
came back to Headquarters"
You mean they are the men who
robbed Mrs. Missioner Of her 1ewels!"
mo. the men who stole Mrs. MIS-.
sioner's Jewels after she was robbed
Of them
They robbed the thieves. them
Not thieves-thief" said Brit1.
"There was only one artist In the
frst Job"
what's his name7" the Chief oues-
toned again.
His name7" returned the detec-
tive nonchalantly "Oh. haven't
said 1t was . 'he.'"
Even Fitch though he had worked
intimately with the sieuth In the lat
ter part of the hunt for the jewels,
was astonished. Manning concealed
his surprise. He said;
well, suppose you've got the
goods on him-or herf"
'T have and I haven't the detec-
tive answered. while only one per-
son stole the diamonds. there's been
a whole troop of potential thieves
sfter the stones. They've been work
ing at cross-purposes. with The natural
result that they played unconscfously