The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1915-02-25
CHAPTER XVIII.
CROCHARD WRITES AN
EPILOGUE.

for an instant, we gazed at the gilt
terlng heap with dazzled eyes; Their
grady, with an inarticulate cry, sprane
70 ms feet and picked up a handful Of
the diamonds, as though to convince
himself of their reality.
But L don't understand" he gasped.
Rave you got Crochard. too?"
N such luck" said Godfrey.
DO 0 mean to say he'd give these
up without a fight"
The same thought was in my own
mind; If Godfrey had run down Gro
enard and got the diamonds, without a
ilfe-and-death struggle, thai engaging
rascal must be much less formidable
than l had supposed.
My dear Grady" said Godfrey, II
havent seen Crochard since the minute
you took him off the boat. I'd have
mad him. II o had let Simmonds call
me. That's what I had planned. But
ne was too clever for us. I knew hat
he would come today :"
You knew that he would come to-
cay repeated Grady blankly. 'How
did you know that-or is it merely hot
air?" Nos
I knew that he would come" said
Godfrey. CURLY. because he wrote and
told me So"
M. Pigot laughed a dry little laugh.
mat Is a favorite device of his"
he said, land he always keeps his
word" As
The trouble was" continued Grady.
that l didn't look for him so early in
the day, n SO he was able to send me
on a Wiid-goose chase after a sensation
that didn't exist. There's where I was
a fool. But 1 discovered the secret
drawer 10 days ago-while the cabinet
was still at Vantine's-the evening af-
Ter the yelled lady got her letters. 1t
was easy enough. I am surprised Won
didn't think of it, Lester"
Think of what?" I asked.
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.
side" Aieiie
II didn't see it," I said. At don't sea
Think a minute. Why was Dro,,at
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
on the right side, instead of the
left. It was a mistake very easv to
make since her mistress doubtless had
her back turned when Julie saw her
open the drawer. The suspicion that
II was jules mistake becomes GER
tainty when she shows the combina-
ton to Vantine. and he is killed. too.
the yelled lady herself made a
remark which revealed the whole
story
I didn't notice It," I said, resignedly.
What was it?'
n 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 j
discovered the drawer very simnlv
1t had to be there"
Yes" I said; and them"
Then removed the jewels, took
them down to a dealer in paste gems
duplicated them as closely as
could. I had a hard TIM getting a
good copy of this big rose-diamond."
He picket 1t from the heap and held
up between his fingers.
It's q beauty, isn't it?" he asked.
M. PiEot smiled a dry smile.
1T is the Mazarin," he said, land
Is worth 100000 francs. There is a
copy OF 1t at the Louvre"
$50 that's true, is it?" I asked.
Orchard told us the story"
1t Is unquestionably true" said NJ.
Pigot. 1T is not q secret-it is mere
ly something which every one has for
Well" continued Godfrey, "after
got the duplicates, I rolled them up in
cotton packets, and placed them back
q h drawer. being careful to put the
found It."
TT was lucky you thought Of that"
! SAID. 0 Crochard would have sus-
pected something
Godfrey looked at me with a smile,
My dear Lester" he said. 'he knew
hat b game was up the instant ha
opened the first packet. Do you sup
pose he would be deceived? Not By
best reproduction aver madel'
And then I remembered the slow flush
which had crept into Crochard's
cheeks as he opened the first packeti