Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1913-11-11
The Daily Story
THE GIBSON RoBBERY-BY CLARISSA MACKIE.
Copyrighted. Associated Literary

private office of the junior member OF
the law firm.
81 am Rogers" said that young man
courteously. My partner. Mr.. Harley.
has not yet returned from Iva. Did
you wish to see him particularly -
NO. Either one will do" returned
/ the other hastily. Il was directed here
| by my friend DIR. Brown. He gave me
/ to understand that your firm did lit
/ tie detective work now and then"
| Hardly that" returned Rogers, pIac-
| ing a chair for his client and regaining
his own seat, but in the course or our
/ practice we have CHANGED upon num-
Der of curious cases that we were for
tunate enough to unravel. AS n matter
of fact. we are rather fond of that sort
of thing. although it is not a branch of
our business"
The visitor frowned thoughtfully for
a moment and then looked sharply at
the young lawyer.
In spite Of what you say perhaps l
can prevail upon you to undertake
delicate matter for me- 1t is in the
line OF detective work. but it requires
unusual tact, something that the aver
age detective does not possess. This is
not the mere shadowing of suspected
party 1t is an endeavor to find a thief
among a group of people none of
whom could possibly be guilty OF
theft" He leaned back and smiled at
Rogers look of dismay.
' Tough proposition eh?"
Rather 1t sounds interesting. With
out consulting my partner I'll say that
we will take it up as recreation after
business hours"
"Done." returned the visitor heartily.
Drawing cardcase from his pocket.
he laid bit of pasteboard on Rogers
desk and leaned back in his chair.
MY name is Gibson-James Addison
Gibson" he said. nodding toward the
card, land my house was robbed last
evening of $4,000 worth of jewels"
Rogers sat up in his chair and lis
tened intently.
1T happened at my country home at
Shorecliffe. My wife and i were enter
tanning six friends from Manhattan,
all people of refinement and impecca-
BILE honesty.
During the evening Mrs. Gibson |
mentioned that she had just received a
gift from me, and she brought out the /
jewel case and displayed the necklace !
to her friends. 1t was greatly admired. /
and l was about to close the case and 1
replace it in my safe in the library
when both my wife and myself were
summoned to the telephone by an
urgent message.
WAS the message really an urgent
one?"
1T proved 10 be an error. There
was some mistake about the number.
and the Mr.. and Mrs. Gibson called for
We're really my brother and his wife.
who lived over on the East road
$50 your absence from the room was
really Unnecessary"
$50 it appears
did any one enter or leave the room
during your absence?"
81 cannot find that any one remem-
bers. i have questioned the servants,
and all are unanimous in the protest
that they had not entered the room
that evening"
WHO brought the message from the
PUN Shah, my Hindu butler"
Rogers was silent for long time
and then he asked one more question.
did Pun Shah enter the room when
he called you and Mrs Gibson outside,
II did he stand in the doorwayT
HE merely stood in the doorway and
rave the message"
May ] have the names of the six
quests who were present that even
ng?"
Mr.. Gibson nodded
Rogers drew forth a pencil and note
'ook. please give n brief description
f each one as you mention the name,
ot forgetting to give me the chief
that mark each indi-
idual"
rFirst. there was Rodney Stone. tbs
oct. dreamy young chap. with bis
,vely wife. who is quite content to
Iine in the reflection of his glory.
Then came DR.. Latimer, a brilliant
hysician. now driven to death with
q immense practice. If he keeps .
n his present pace without cessation
ON work he will end in h madhouse Z
esides DIR. Latimer. there was Nine.
ineIli, the prima donna, who. as
ou no doubt have heard. possesses D
] eAotional temperament as well !
wonderful voice. Last of all ]
ere the Huxfords, father and sou. !
lsy Wall street men. almost too 1
gged out to recoIlect what the neck c
ce looked like FIVE minutes after my d
life had displayed it, h
Those were the six who were alone
18th the jewelsT' C
Yes"
and they are all una nimous I'm saw o
& tina: not one person entered tue n
ON during your absenceT' s
"Yes, although it is singular that >
me. Finelli and Mrs. Rodney Stone 81
th declare that Pun Shah stood IN
e doorway for a moment and re- Il
rded the company rather strangely b
r few seconds. Nine. Finelli resent q
the impertinence and made a ges
-e of dismissal. After that the mau
nished. as a matter OF fact. Mr..