Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1915-02-24
CHAPTER XVIII.
WRITES AN


For an instant. We gaZed at the gilt:
tering heap with dazzled eyes: theu
to his feet and picked up a handful of
the diamonds. as though to convince
himself of their reality.
But I don't understand" he gasped.
Have you got Crochard. too"
mo such luck" said Godfrey.
do you mean to say ned give these
up without a fight"
The same thought vas in my own
mind; IL Godfrey had run down Gro
chard and got the diamonds. without a
life-and-death struggle. that engaging
rascal must be much less formidable
han / had supposed.
MY lear Grady" said Godfrey, IT
haven't seen Crochard since the minute
you took him off the boat. I'd have
had him. if you had let Simmonds call
me. That's what i had planned. But
he was too clever for US. l knew that
he would ON today >"
You knew that he would come to-
day. repeated Grady blankly. How
did you know that-or is it merely hot
ARP"
II knew that he would come,' said
Godfrey, curtly. because he wrote and
TOLD me So
Nj. Pigot laughed a dry little laugh.
"rha is a favorite device of HIS"
he said, land he always keeps his
word"
1.-The trouble was" continued Grady.
that i didn't look for him so 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 1 was
a fool. But 1 discovered the secret
was still at Vantine's-the evening af-
ter h yelled lady got her letters. II
was easy enough. ! am surprised YOU
didn't think of It. Lester
''Think of what?" / asked.
"Of the key to the mystery. The
drawer containing he letters was on
the left side of the desk; l saw at once
| opened in the same way, on the right
| side
Il didn't see it," 1 said. II don't sec
it vet"
'.rhink a minute Why was Drouet
killed? Because he opened the wrong
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. 1t 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
1t was jules mistake becomes GER
tainty when she shows the combina-
ton to Vantine, and he Ia killed. too.
Besides. the yelled lady herself made a
remark which revealed the whole
story"
II didn't notice it," l 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"
syoo3 + uo3d. oon1 %hooC.S
Then I removed the Jewels. took
them down to a dealer in paste gems
and duplicated them as closely rs ]
could. 1 had a hard time getting a
good copy Of this big rose-diamond."
He picket It from the heap and held
1t up between his fingers.
It's a beauty, isn't it?" he asked.
NJ. Pigot smiled a dry smile.
is worth 5000. 900 francs. There is q
copy of it at the Louvre"
80 that's true. is it," 1 asked
"Crochard told us the story"
1T is unquestionably true" said NJ
Pigot. 1T is not a secret-it is mere
ly something which every n has for.
gotten"
Well" continued Godfrey. after
got the duplicates. 1 rolled them up iH
cotton packets. and placed them ZACH
in the drawer, being careful to put the
MaZarin at the bottom, where / haG
found It,"
1T was lucky you thought Of that,
said. "or Crochard would have sus.
pected something"
Godfrey looked at me with a smile
MY dear Lester" he said, "he knev
that the game vas up the instant h.
opened the first packet. Do you sup.
pose he would be deceived? No b.
the best reproduction ever made!'
And then I remembered the slow flusl
which had crept into Crochard',
checks e hAegson!ened tine. first packet.
CONTINUED pext week.