Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1916-06-15

street man named MCCOTntaCK, VINO
was a collector of rare paintings and
rarer jewels? He is dead now, but
his remarkable collection, and the
basement room downtown which he
fitted up to hold it, remains in the
memory of great many people. Did
you ever know him?"
"Oh, yes. l knew him quite well,
Birge," was the instant reply, given
with interest.
ibid you ever see his co!lection?"
Several times"
sand have you listened to his dis
eourses upon it?"
Eyes, indeed"
"He was very unusual man,
very splendid man, loved by every
body who knew him. Did It ever oc-
cur to you that he was what one
might call jewel worshiper?"
"Jewel worshiper? l do not re-
member to have heard the expression
until now"
"There are many such, Mr.. De-
lorme-and it is never the intrinsic
value of stone that attracts them. 1t
must be unique, unusual. For exam
pie, Mr.. Mccormack once showed me
a large diamond that was perfectly
f]awless, but which was as yellow as
the yellowest topaz. He considered
It priceless, because there was not
supposed to be another like 1t in the
world"
Eyes, yes; recall 1t myself"
''Has 1t occurred to you, Mr. De-
lorme, that the five articles which dis.
appeared from your house last night
] do not mention the cameo, because,
you know, you never showed 1t to me,
and I did not see it among the pres
ents-has it occurred to you that all
five of those lost articles will come
under the definition of the word
unique?"
moo, Birge; It had not. But
what are you getting at?"
Simply this: That the articles
stolen from your house last night
were not taken by any common thief
or by any person who went to the re-
ception with the deliberate intention
of stealing, but that they were lifted
by socalled collector, who could not
resist the temptation when it was pre-
sented.
"They were stolen by some person
who would be least suspected by any
of your family or friends; by some.
body who has choice collection
stored away in a secret room, where
he or she, as the case may be, can go
to them in secret and in solitude and
worship them"
"Birge, you amaze mel"
II suppose so. 1t amazes me, too,
when l consider the possibilities of 1t
all"
"Who could it be-if your surmise
is correct?"
THAT question, think, will be de-
termined in due time"
"Then the thief-one can use no
other expression in connection with
this affair-was some person among
my acquaintances?"
even the detective on duty there
would consider above the necessity of
espionage. A person well known to
you, to your daughter, to your inti-
mate friends"
But why-tell me why you have
arrived at this decision, Birge?" said
Mr.. Delorme.
II have told you. / will add this:
Every pearl in that bandeau was a
curiosity itself-and each one was
of undoubted value. No attempt had
been made to match them. There
were oval pearls, pear-shaped pearls,
and two very remarkable twin-pearls
among them. The assembling of them
in that bandeau created one of the
most unique as we'll as valuable orna-
ments have ever seen. Don't you
agree with me?"
"Entirely-now that my attention is
called to the fact"
"Take that bracelet of wife-gold,
with the raja's ruby, that ] gave to
Lorna. There is nothing else in the
WOllu lihe III Mi. DeloliHe' lieie IL
no duplicate, and could not be one"
II quite appreciate that fact
Birge."
Very well; the diamond and ruby
tiara, the emerald bracelet, and, more
than either of those, the lavalliere
that was one of Jerry's presents to his
bride, all come under the same head
If one should stop to describe them.
''In their way, they are all unusual
curious, and cannot be duplicated. In
trinsically, there were other arti
cies there of greater value which
might have been taken as easily-and
thief, seeking for profit only, would
have selected them"
"You are undoubtedly right about
1t, Birge. But. great Scott Mus1
this affair develop into a scandal"
Let us hope not. sir"
"Have you any idea"
"None whatever as yet, Mr.. De
4