The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1915-02-25
CHAPTER xviii
CROCHARD WRITES AN
EPILOGUE.

For an instant, we BaZeQ at the gilt
tering heap with dazzled eyes; then
Grady, with an inarticulate cry, sprang
to his feet and picked UP q handful Of
the diamonds, as though to convince
himself of their reality.
But don't understand" he gasped.
Have you got Crochard, too7"
mo such luck" said Godfrey.
do you mean to say he'd give these
up without a fight"
The same thought was in my own
mind; IL Godfrey had run down Gro
chard and got the diamonds, without q
life-and-death struggle, that engaging
rascal must be much less formidable
than had supposed.
MY dear Grady" said Godfrey, II
haven't seen Crochard since the minute
you took him off the boat. ia have
had him. II you had let Simmonds call
me. That's what had planned! But
he was too clever for US I knew that
he would come today :"
you knew that he would come to-
day." repeated Grady blankly. How
did you know that-or is It merely hot
air?"
IT knew that he would come" said
Godfrey. curtly. because he wrote and
told me So"
NJ. Pigot laughed a dry little laugh.
That is a favorite device OF his
he said. land he always keeps his
word"
"The trouble was" continued Grady,
that l didn't look for him SC early in
the day, and so he was able to send me
on a Wild goose chase after a sensation
that didn't exist There's where was
q fool. But / discovered the secret
drawer 10 days ago-while the cabinet
was still at Vantines-the evening az
ter the yelled lady got her letters. 1t
was easy enough am surprised you
didn't think of 1t, Lester"
Think Of what?" 1 asked
"Of the key to the mystery. The
drawer containing the letters was on
the left side of the desk; I saw at once
that there must be another drawer,
opened in the same way. on the right
side"
II didn't see it," said. II don't see
it yet"
''Think a minute. why was Droue'
killed? Because he opened the wrong
drawer He pressed the combination
at the right side Of the desk, in
stead Of that at the left side. The fair
Julie must have thought the drawer
was on the right side, instead Of the
left. It was a mistake very easy to
make, since her mistress doubtless had
her back turned when Julie saw her
open the drawer. The suspicion that
it was jules mistake becomes GER
tainty when she shows the combina-
ton to Nantine. and he is killed. too.
Besides, the yelled lady herself made. a
remark which revealed the whole
story"
81 didn't notice it," said, resignedly.
What was it,"
THAT she was accustomed to open
ing the drawer with her left hand, in
stead Of with her right. After that
there could be no further doubt. So
discovered the drawer very simply,
1t had to be there"
Yes" I said: and them"
Then ! removed the jewels. took
them down to a dealer In paste gems
and duplicated them as closely as ]
could. / had a hard time getting
good copy of this big rose diamond"
He picket 1t from the heap and held
1t up between his fingers.
IT'S a beauty, isn't it?" he asked.
NJ. Pigot smiled dry smile.
1T is the Mazarin," he said. land
is worth 100000 francs. There is a
copy of it at the Louvre
80 that's true, is It?'' I asked.
Orchard told us the story"
TT IS unquestionably true" said M.
Pigot. 1T Is not a secret-it Is mere
ly something which every one has for
gotten"
well" continued Godfrey, AFTER I
got the duplicates, rolled them up in
cotton packets, and placed them back
in the drawer, being careful to put the
Mazarin at the bottom. where had
found it."
1T was lucky you thought OF that"
I said, cor Crochard would have sus-
pected something"
Godfrey looked at me with a smile.
MY dear Lester" he said. "he knew
that the game was up the instant he
opened the first packet. Do you sup
pose he would be deceived? Not by
the best reproduction ever madel"
And then remembered the slow flush
which had crept into Orchards
cheeks as he opened the first packetl