Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-01-23
A Bit of
Solder
A Story Of Scotland Yard
Efficiency Versus Yankee
Cuteness
By MARION b. CURTISS

- ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ - -
'Suvers, give me room"
Tin full. Chaplain, but I've always
made room for any Of you fellows
from Scotland Yard who has asked to
be taken care Of, for know you're
after game. Anything of importanceT
We'll. it's not exactly important, and
yet 1t Is important In one sense, seeing
that there's game to be played on us
and we've got to make preparations to
meet 1t. Have you any suspicious per-
SONS in the housei"
Now you speak Of it, man came in
yesterday. don't think he's a regular
crook. simply II measly chap that might
he hired to do some dirty work."
That fits exactly. shall need your
assistance, so may as well show you
my hand. You have this Mrs. Striker
of Chicago here. whose coming to Lon
don has been made 80 much Of In the
society journals. These American mil
li0nuiresses are. some of them, trying
to beat the New York customs officers,
and they do so quite often. The Amer
lean detective il very dull bird beside
our English outlooker This Mrs Stri-
ker. I've learned, has bought the dla-
mOnd that the Hardcastle family has
been trying to find purchaser for.
They finally sold It to her for 100000"
"WellT' said the landlord.
Mrs. Striker is not going to pay
American duty on stone that can be
carried In shoe heel or a bouquet Of
flowers or watch case with the
works removed to make room for 1t or
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.
Nov, we of Scotland Yard are up to
all these smuggling tricks and are on
to this game. don't need to give
away how | got the story, but got 1t
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 &C
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 a robbery If
it's all fakef
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"
II see; he'll take it and return it to
her secretly"
mo, he won't do any such thing. Do
you suppose she'd trust 1t to fellow
like that? What she wants him for is
to make 1t appear that he robbed her
Of 1t. And how can we Scotland Yard
men get 1t back from him when he
hasn't got itT
There's that measly chap spoke
to you about now-that red headed fell
low just going into the smoking room.
He booked himself from Brumagem,
but know by his accent that he's an
American. Lunnon is full Of American
crooks. shouldn't wonder II they
kept you fellows busy looking after
them"
$50 they do. I'm glad you've pointed
him out to me; 1t will save my hunting
him up What's the number Of his
roomY
mo 20. Come to think of 1t, Mrs
Strikers room is *. directly opposite"
"Phew. What II simple game II Is. to
be sure!"
What ARE you going to dot"
Make sure he doesn't leave his room
tonight after he goes up. shall sprin-
kle II 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
thnt he didn't go into Mrs. Strikers
room. for shall put some powder be-
fore her door too. All the police will
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 u, bit farther
along the corridor. Going up now~
mo, 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 space made by leaving his
door ajar. He saw nothing unusual
At I o'clock in the morning the door
Of No. rs was opened, and lady's maid
hurried downstairs. She soon return
ed with the clerk, and the two made
for Mrs, Strikers room. Chaplain fol-
lowed them into the room and saw
Mrs Striker bound in q chair and
gagged. AS soon as the gag was
taken out she cried:
ats goner
whats goneT asked the clerk.
-My diamond"