The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1913-10-31
A Bit of
Solder
A Story Of Scotland Yard
Efficiency Versus Yankee
Cuteness
By MARION b. CURTISS

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"Stivers. give me a ROOM
I'm full. ,Clapham. but I've always
made room for any of you fellow,
from Scotland Yard who has asked t,
b taken care of, for / know your,
after game. Anything of Importance? ?
well. it's not exactly important. ant
yet it Is important in one sense, seeing
that there's a game to be played on us
and we've got to make preparations to
meet it. Have you any suspicious per
sons in the house?"
Now you speak of 1t, man came IN
yesterday. I don't think he's a regular
crook, simply measly chap that might
be hired to do some dirty work.
THAT fits exactly. shall need your
assistance, so I may as well show you
my hand. You have this Mrs. Striker
of Chicago here. whose 'oming to Lon.
don has been made so much Of in the
society journals. These American mil.
liOnairesses are, some Of them, trying
to beat the New York customs officers.
and they do so quite often. The Amer
lean detective is very dull bird beside
our English outlooker This Mrs. Stri-
ker, I've learned, has bought the dia-
mOnd that the Hardcastle family has
been trying to find purchaser for
They finally sold it to her for f20, 900. -
'Well?" said the landlord.
Mrs. Striker is not going to pay
American duty on stone that can be
carried in a shoe heel or bouquet of
flowers or watch case with the
works removed to make room for it or
a dozen other places Of concealment.
but the trouble is that the news has
gone over that she's bought the Hard
castle gem, and those muttonheads of
New York will be on the lookout for
her. She's to sail on the Romania on
"Wednesday, and they'll naturally ex-
pect that the diamond goes with her.
snow, we Of Scotland Yard are up to
all these smuggling tricks and are on
to this game. I don't need to give
away how I got the story, but l got Ii
all the same. Tomorrow morning Mrs
Striker will be found bound and gag
ged in her room and the diamond gone
The New York chaps will see an ac-
count of the loss cabled to the news
papers. and when the lady arrives she
will not meet with the attention she
deserves"
"But what's the need of robbery If
it's all fake?"
''That's where our part over here
comes in. Mrs. Striker will be hound
ing us Scotland Yard men to recover
her diamond and giving talk to the
newspaper reporters. There's doubt
less some confederate of hers right
here in your hotel who will take the
blame Of robbery"
81 see; he'll take it and return it to
her secretly"
"No, he won't do any such thing. Do
you suppose she'd trust it to fellow
like that? What she wants him for is
to make it appear that he robbed her
of 1t. And how can we Scotland Yard
men get it back from him when he
hasn't got it?'
There's that measly chap I spoke
to you about now-that red headed fell
low just going into the smoking room.
He booked himself from Brumagem.
but l know by his accent that he's an
American. Lunnon is full Of American
crooks. shouldn't wonder if they
kept you fellows busy looking after
them"
$50 they do. Pm glad you've pointed
him out to me; it will save my hunting
him up. What's the number of his
rOom?"
'No. &c. Come to think of it. Mrs.
Strikers room is 70, directly opposite"
"Phew. What simple game it is, to
be sure!''
"What are you going to do?"
"Make sure he doesn't leave his room
tonight after he goes up. shall sprin-
kle fine powder on the sill and In
front of the door. He's not going to
have anything to do with the matter
except to take the blame for stealing
the diamond. I'll prove in the morning
that he didn't go into Mrs. Strikers
room, for shall put some powder be
lore her uOOT lou. All luS DoliNc wiz
have to do when the newspapers howl
at us is to bring forward my proof"
"You are sharp one. sure enough
Well. I'll give you q, bit farther
along the corridor. Going up now?"
"No, not till I've done some watch
ing Of this red headed chap. l must
satisfy myself that he's the confeder-
ate. | don't propose to leave some
one else to do the job while I'm watch
ing the wrong man."
The landlord went behind his coun-
ter, and the detective went into the
smoking room, where he found the red
headed man. whom he did not lose
sight Of till the latter went to his
room. Chaplain, not satisfied with his
powder device. sat up all night looking
through a space made by leaving his
door ajar. He saw nothing unusual.
At z o'clock in the morning the door
Of No. 20 was opened. and a lady's maid
hurried downstairs. She soon return
ed with the clerk, and the two made
COR Mrs. Strikers room. Clapham FOL
lowed them into the room and saw
Mrs. Striker bound In chair and
ragged AS soon as the gag was
~ he. oil