The Washington herald., 1913-06-08
CHAPTER II.
IN your head" smiled Poe.

IN your head?' smiled Poe.
| "Oh, no. In the fioor-of course-it's
absurd: it can't be that Ninon Nicolette
| is"
"A kleptomaniac?" supplied Christopher
Poe.
| Yes" Armstrong had no more than
sat down. He leaped to his feet and
leaned over Poe, who was seated looking
deep into the inscrutable violet eyes Of
the banker-detective. His fingers twitched
nervously. Tell me, was there ever the
slightest breath OF It? Have you ever
heard the faintes: whisper of it?'
.Ninon kleptomaniac? Mo-" cried Poe
with reassuring smile to the younger
man.
Then he asked sharply, None of the fam
lily, either. You're sure?"
Yes, l am sure. As her mother was
| twenty years in a convent and her father
as many years in prison for debt don't
think either ever had chance to de-
velop any such"
Then why did you suggest just what
was thinking OFF, Armstrong demand
| ed suspiciously
My dear boy" said Poe, sit down.
| Sit down and hold your hand calmly
while you count twenty. You are even
doubling my friendship. 1 told you It
was woman worrying you. Listen. You
| rush into my room like a mailman and
demand to know IL / ever heard anything
breathed against fair Ninon. l notice at
once that the Great Diamond Table is
missing from its prongs and that in your
excitement you have failed to remove
the empty band. There is a particle of
towel-lint adhering to one of the prongs,
which shows that you have gone home
to wash and change your afternoon
clothes. l imagine you did that so early
in the day in an effort to refresh and
compose yourself after some excitement,
which must be that of losing your won
derful stone. Then you stammer strange
ly about fair Ninon and I Immediately
imagine she is the only one you can sus-
pect. That is why 1 suggested klepto-
mania Now tell me. why do you think
for a minute that Ninon-''
'oh. 1 DON'T" Armstrong burst out.
Only" ne waveHed for a moment. and
finally recounted The whole story to his
friend.
Poe whistlCd his surprise at the end
of it. It's an interesting problem" he
unused, running his long nervous fingers
through his grayish hair and twisting his
lips in a reflective pout. "A man runs in
to see lady whom he admires. She is
prominent prima donna. She asks to
see famous diamond he is wearing. He
remarks that the stone is loose. While
she Is looking at the stone, touching il
even. the light above her mysteriously
goes out. In the darkness, just before
the man reaches into his trousers pocket
for match he feels another hand touch
his-of course they may or may not
have been the lady's, but no one else
was in the room or the apartment; the
maid was out. When the light is turned
on, presto! the stone is gone! The floor
Is perfectly matched waxed hardwood.
Everything is searched. the rugs, divan,
corners, everything, even the lady's dress
and the gentleman's pockets. interest
ing! Entertaining As he paused, his
forehead suddenly broke up into sharp
wrinkles. his short eyebrows jerked down
contempiatively. "oh, l say, Armstrong,
what clothes did Ninon have on?"
Just a simple silk dress Only a liz
tie trimming on the what you call 1.-THE
bodice-and there was no chance for the
stone to have lodged there and escaped
her search"
And you had onT'
Just lounge suit, comfortably cur
she rhoned me at the club that / might
call IL l came at once; didn't have time
to change"
II see" Poe pushed back his chair.
stepped to corner of the room, and
turned on an electric light jutting from
the wall. Pushing back two chairs. he |
dragged up a lounge, threw a rug in front |
of it, dropped back among the pillows. |
and requested Armstrong to assume the
position he had been In in relation TO |
Ninon. Armstrong drew up a chair and |
leaned forward In It.
wait minuteI Pull down thar
blind! requested Poe.
The blind was pulled down so far that
no light came In from outside, the room