The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1912-11-22

pectatlOn. IL was GINNING mlunisnt
when there came a discreet tap at my
outer door, and Addington Peace
walked In. He sat himself down In
the easy chair offered, and permitted
me to mix him a whisky and soda.
"Tell me. have you found the dia-
mond?"
mo"
''Nor the theft"
II know him to be one OF five men
that is ALL"
Five? And how do you make that
out?"
1T is very simple. The real dia'
mond was examined by Professor En-
dicott; it was an imitation that
reached Sir Andrew Carlton. There
fore 1t is reasonable that one of the
five who sat between them changed
the one for the other"
$50 you strike out the professor and
Sir Andrew"
eff either of them had been impli-
Gated they would hardly have raised
the quarrel that resulted In the dis
covery of the theft"
And this suspected hve-who are
they"
Our friend Colonel Gunton, Mr..
Thomas Craddock, clerk in the war
Office; the Hon. George Carstairs, Lord
Wintone's brothers Mr.. Abel Field OF
Grey and Field, car manufacturers;
and the Rev. Aubrey Power, a minor
canon of Westminster Abbey. have
made some light inquiries and find
nothing against them. Carstairs,
Craddock and Power are men OF mod
crate income, the other two are rich.
"Yet this gives us one important
conclusion. The actual thief Is an am
ateur In crime. So far as anyone
knows this is his first offense. But 1t
was not sudden temptation to which
he yielded. On the contrary, he was
carrying out his share in plot that
had been long and carefully prepared.
He substituted an imitation diamond
for the original as It passed through
his hands-an easy matter; but who
thought out the scheme, who had this
admirable imitation made, who knew
that Taubery was leaving the country
and that the diamond was to be sent
Immediately to the strong room OF a.
bank, where the substitution that had
taken place might not be discovered
for months, perhaps years?
who, in short, had the clever
brain, the far-sighted judgment, the
familiarity with jewels and those who
deal in them, all of which would be re-
CURED in the originator OF such a
fraud? Not Gunton, nor Craddock,
nor Carstairs, nor Field, nor the Rev.
Aubrey Power. There Is some one
who has influence over one OF these
men, some one pulling the strings be-
hind the curtain. I shall consider II
an honor to make that persons arrest.
Mr.. Phillips"
Inspector Addington Peace beamed
upon me as he concluded his deduc-
ton concerning the theft OF julius
Taubery's diamond. with an expires.
sion of hopeful enthusiasm, and lit a
cigarette at my reading lamp.
This unknown criminal genius has
got the diamond, anyway" said.
'''I am not SO sure of that. Consider
the position of the actual thief on the
discovery that the stone was false. He
must have been in state of blind ter.
ror. If We may suppose that Colonel
Gunton Is innocent, the believing of
that worthy gentleman must have
frightened him the more. To be
searched, discovered, and actually dis
graced-a pleasant prospect, surely!
We may take 1t that he was heartily
sorry for the part he had played; that
he wished the diamond a thousand
miles away. To get rid OF 1t previous
to the ordeal before the colonel and
Professor Endicott in the library
that would be his object.
yet here am met by the simple
difficulty that cannot find the dia-
mond. have made the closest inves-
tigation without result. AS Colonel
Gunton told us, Mr.. Taubery remained
in the dining room to see that none
of the guests returned after they had
been searched. The door was subse-
VuShtiy ioShSu anu POiiSciuuh ota-
toned In the passage outside; the
windows were fastened. Therefore
the thief could not come back to re-
cover what he had temporarily hidden.
All of which might seem to prove that,
though Colonel Gunton affirms that he
went through the guests with an ex-
pert hand. one OF them managed to
keep the diamond about him and carry
1t away. Yet such an achievement
suggests rather the professional than
the amateur criminal. And, II for
that reason alone. believe that the
stone Is still In the house. We ought
to be able to decide that point within
q week."
II can't see why, Peace" l said.
mo? Then. pray, don't trouble
about 1t. And really, Mr.. Phillips. as
I have long days work before me, 1t
is time was off to bed. Do you know
It is one o'clock?"
knew how useless It was to ques-
ton the little man when he thought
he had told enough. SO I babe him
good night with the best grace that
would permit. It had
been kind Of him to trouble about me.
after all.
Three days went by, and had not
had the chance OF asking Peace for