The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1912-01-31

ike TO talk to you this evening.
came to you frankly and directly bo.
cause found one OF your cards in
the possession Of a man who, while
mentally unbalanced, knows some.
thing about the fake Maharanee dia.
mond. After arriving here, had tho
opportunity to serve you in the way
of protecting your property. And |
wasted no time In meeting with you.
You see At TO ignore my efforts in that
direction, although | may say that II It
had not been for me these second
story specialists would have been up
OF down the fire escape and many
blocks away long before you could
have caught them. do not mind tell
ing you. Mr. Sands, that even though
you were center rush at Harvard. you
are not aulck enough for Central once
men. And now, when you find some
thing on one Of these men that may
or may not be of interest to me, In
stead Of letting me see 1t, or telling
me its contents--rd take your word
for it--you stun It into your pocket
and tell me to go to blazes. Moreover,
when ask you what disposition you
want made Of these burglars, you al
fiost tell me it's none of my busi'
ness"
Z Britt rocked on his heels and thrust
his hands into his pockets with force
that was eloquent of his displeasure
TO anybody who knew him well.
Nov, let me tell you, Mr. Sands"
he went on, that It is my business
what becomes of these prisoners.
They are going to the Tenderloin Po-
lice Station, and a charge of burglary
is going to be entered on the blotter
against them"
'T am not going to prosecute them" ."
said Sands.
"Oh, you're not, aren't your Well,
think you will" returned Britz. ANY
way, II you don't feel like prosecuting
them, I'll do It myself. This case is
not In your hands now; It belongs to
the people OF the State OF New York,
and II you don't choose to appear as
complainant, I'll call you as witness
for the State. So, Mr.. Sands, II you
are not hopelessly addicted to cigars
or cigarettes to the exclusion OF all
others forms of the weed, permit me
to suggest that when We have left
you alone, you retire to the remote
background of your apartment. put
that in your pipe and smoke IT."
Sands became genuinely angry. II
took q good .deal to disturb his equa'
ninnity, but the electives manner, as
he saw It. was offensive. Sands seri-
ously meditated for an instant an at
tempt to grasp the Headquarters man
by the collar, rush him to the door,
and drop him down at least one flight
OF stairs. The sleuth's GOODNESS and
courage avoided any unpleasantness
OF that sort, and his unwilling host
quickly regained his grip upon him
self.
The tension OF the situation was re-
laxed by the buzzing Of the electric
bell at the outer door OF the apart
mont, and the entrance Of a somewhat
clustering bellboy with an announce
ment that patrol wagon was at the
door and two policemen were asking
for Detective Britz Of Headquarters
who was visiting Mr.. Sands.
Bring them up" said Britz. vast
ing no further time on courtesy. Then
he turned to the millionaire and said
81 wouldn't have brought the patro
wagon here, Mr.. Sands. II you had
been a little more considerate. A
couple OF plain-clothes men could have
taken these fellows to the police sta
tion easily enough; but, when a man
through a rush OF emotion to the
brain, or-for-some-othe reason
makes faces at the law as openly al
you have done. why. let the law take
its course. I say"
Sands maintained a dignified silence
as pair OF bluecoats, stumbling ovel
q bearskin rug In the library, came
into the suite, and at a sign from
Britt. seized the shrinking Orientals
One by one the prisoners were lifted
neck and heels, and taken to the pa
troll wagon. Britt, OF course, coul'
have had the bandages about thei
feet removed, for 1t would have beel
perfectly safe to let those sturdy pc
iicemen escort them to the sidewall
IN the ordinary way; but Britz wa
only human The memory Of the gril
IN which those very men had held hin
in the ride along Riverside Drive, o
the smothering solitude OF the desolat
apartment house, and the struggl'
which had followed, came to him Il
the moment when he was on the poin
OF ordering the unfetterng of tn
captiyes. With a grin that struc
terror to their cringing Eastern souli
he said to them:
"You two artists are so fond of sill
that guess I'll let you wear thos
ornaments little while longer"
When the Hindoos were gone, Brit
turned to Sands. and said with en-
phasis;
IF you experience a change @
heart, Mr.. Sands. Ishall be very gla