Tombstone epitaph., 1915-09-26

How they'd get it!" repeated the elderly man with a blank stare. his hand QUiyering. What do you mean, Poe ,'
 Too bad you didn't see the item in yesterdays paper; but suppose you don't read any more French than you have to-" Christopher Poe went on casually. They announced the first appearance of tS.e gem. Half the jewel thieves in Paris are in the audience"
 But the ruby can't be stolen! l saw no announcement The stones here In this very box. See," he in dicated the hardwood floor. without a which even a pin could lodge. We are shut in on all sides with a three foot siding. There is no place for the gem to be concealed"
 All of which proves that it is not here doubt if it is even in the thea ter at this moment It was clever. very clever" replied Poe. stepping to the still searching. There is no use," he said to her.
 This is Mir Poe. Christopher Poe. " her father introduced in Hurried tone. You have heard me speak of him. Hes just arrived from Hamburg" "Oh, yes. You saw the stone drop just now?" the girl asked quickly, her eyes still searching.
 Yes; but. really. there is no use looking" Poe's tone possessed a strange finality. He bent to remove the light chain of fine gold which still chung to the gardenia, and made a casual examination of it.
 "Nipped of with a pair of pliers" he | smiled. "A common trick. easily exc tightly pinned scarf prevented it from dropping or being stolen fin the crowd You felt nothing. suppose on the way from the carriage to the eEtrance?
 "I was bit anxious" she admitted turning up her flushed face. T pressed the jewel tightly through the scarf | Now that you speak of 1t. l did fee something cold touch the back Of my neck for an instant, but I felt quickly for the chain and found it safe. only protruding slightly above my scarf 1T the back
 | And already severed by a pair o pliers concealed in a clever hand, this nipping. You were pressing the stone with your hand on the scarf. Tht ! thief knew he could not get the gen In the crowd; he waited for you to un pin the scarf when you were safe ir the box and of your guard. The stone slid down, and dropped the moment you threw the wrap back and leaned forward: but. naturally. you did no notice it at the exact instant Of fall ing; several seconds passed before tn, discovery. and that was all the thiet <! needed"
 Absurd" laughed Miss Blondell You don't mean that the thing il stolen It's surely here somewhere. | couldn't have disappeared from thu box in that instant"
 Certainly no person saw 1t disap pear" replied Poe. T was watching the curtain myself: it did not move There was no che in the passage-way behind the box. and surely no thief in s-de it."
 Then how could the stone have ! disappeared?" cried the girl. "Yol can see st glance there are TO cracki or creyices it could have slipped | through or lodged in"
 That's the cnly assurance I hayt 1 that 1t is stolen" answered Poe. bend | ing his short waist, and picking ! small splinter of wood. not a quartet of an inch long. from the leg of a chail near the doorway.
 But it's absurd to think that any one could have stolen the jewel in thu second 1t dropped to the floor befor' I stopped to find it."
 "As much as ten seconds elapsed after the jewel had struck the floor be fore you began looking for 1t, Mis- BlonGell. Much can be done in tha space of time But the performance Is beginring," He broke on abruptly as tho lights were turned out in differ ent parts Of the house.
 Father They must leave the light on," cried the girl. We can't find tn jewel fin the dark"
 Its quite useless" answered Poe with a careless shrug of his shoulders The stone Is probably on its way t Aontmsrtre by now. You see. Bion deli" he turned to the wayering ia ther, s-the floor siants down to tn framework in front: 1t is quite bare The stone could not have rolled uI hill arc cut into the passage-way, s' common sense tells us it's gone alto getker. As the chain was cut on tn way frofa the carriage to the door. VI muet believe the stone is stolen" But it seems impossible" declares BIcnaeIi. lowering his voice. as tn curtain ~ent up, and the audienc found itself with diverted interests. tn majority more concerned in the stage
 box tabIeau.
 "It couldn't have bounced up thre feet and over onto the stage, 1t couldn have been picked up ty the gentlema in the adjoining box" Poe stcppe , abruptly. his brows shot up on hi , forehead and the satiricai wrinkle l again appeared. joining the corners . his nostrils and lips. He mad glance ] toward the other box. and found | L. .A ( kx