The Washington herald., 1915-03-21

I Moa complicated.
/ You only say that because you
forget the clews which we possess
toward its solution"
(which clews?"
First, Lupin is travelling under the
name of Monsieur R"
That's rather vague"
Secondly, he's travelling alone"
IF you consider that a sufficient
detail"
Thirdly, he is fair"
We'll, them"
Then VIC need only consult the
list of tirst-claSS passengers and pro-
coed by elimination"
had the list in my pocket. | took
it out and glanced through it:
ITO begin with, see that there
are only thirteen persons whose
names begin with an r"
only thirteen"
''In the first class, yes. OF these
thirteen Rs, as you can ascertain for
yourself, nine are accompanied by
their wives, children. or servants.
! That leaves four solitary passengers:
the Marquis de Raverdan ="
Secretary OF legation" interrupt
cd Miss Undcrdown. 81 know him"
| Major Rawson ="
That's my uncle" said some one.
"Signor Rivolta ="
"Hcrc~ cried one OF us, an ltal-
ian, whose face disappeared from
view behind huge black beard.
Miss Underdown had fit of laugh
ing.
| THAT gentleman is not exactly
fair"
Then" | continued. we are
bound to conclude that the criminal
is the last on the list"
WHO is that"
Monsieur Rozainc. Does any one
| know Monsieur RozaInc"
No ono answered. But Miss I'm
dcrdown, turning to the silent young
man whose assiduous presence by her
side vexcd nc, said:
We'll. Monsieur Rozainc. have YOU
nothing to say"
| All eyes were turned upon him.
He was fair-haired!
| must admit | felt little shock
pass through me. And the constrained
silence that weighed down upon us
I showed me that the other passen-
gers present also experienced that
sort OF choking feeling. The thing
was absurd, however, for. after all,
there was nothing in his manner to
warrant our suspecting him.
Have | nothing to say" he re-
piled "Well. you see, realizing what
NV name was and the color OF my
hair and the fact that | am travelling
hv myself. have already made a sim
+ liar inquiry and arrived at the same
conclusion. My opinion, therefore, is
that | ought to be arrested"
He wore a queer expression as he
uttered these words. His thin. pale
lips grew thinner and palcr still. His
ewes were bloodshot.
There was no doubt that he
was testing. .\nd yet his appearance
and attitude impressed us. Miss In
dcrdown asked, inroccntly:
Put have you a wound
That's true" he said. The wound
Is missing"
With a nervous movement, he pull
cd up his cuff and uncovered his arm.
But sudden idea struck me. My
eyes met Miss Undcrdown's; he had
shown his left arm.
And. upon my word, | was on the
point OF rcmarking upon this, when
an incident occurred to divert our at
tention. Lady Gcrland, Miss Under
downs friend, came running UP.
She was in state of great agita-
ton. Her fcllow-passengers crowded
round her: and ii was only after
many efforts that she succeeded in
>tammering out:
My jewels. **' My pearls!
They've all been stolen"
No they had not all been stolen.
As VIC subsequently discovered; a
much more curious thing had hap
pcned: the thief had made selec-
ton.
From the diamond star, the pend
ant OF uncut rubies. the broken neck
laces and bracelets, he had removed
not the largest. but the finest, the
most precious stones-those, in fact,
which had the greatest value and at
the same time occupied the smallest
-,c. The settings were left lying on
the table. | saw them, we all saw
them, stripped of their gems like
flowers from which the fair. bright
colored petals had been torn.
And to carry out this work. he had
had. in broad daylight, while Lady
Cortland was taking tea, to break in
the door of the stateroom in fire. /
quentcd passage, to discover a little !