Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-10-12
AUTHOR Of THE LONE
WOLF, " /" THE BRASS
|. BOWL, ETC.
COPYRIGHT By LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE

| fed you never looked twice. But was
positive then that they were false, and
even more positive later, when saw
the real collar in the puzzle box"
ssStill don't understand"
aIf you remember, Craven took his
time about fetching that box from the
purser. 1t was a good ten minutes be-
fore he got back. He had time and to
spare to open your despatch box and
substitute the counterfeit for the genu-
lne-duplicate key you knew nothing
about, of course"
"LOok here" Peter began excited
ly, then checked and turned sullen.
''WellY Mrs. Beggarstaff demanded.
while Betty and Quoin obliged the
young man by looking their curiosity.
"Oh, I don't like to say It," he NUT
tered unwillingly. you've made out
too strong a case against him as 1t is
and I've always had a sneaking fond
ness for old Tad"
"Peter is hedging about referring to
the fact that Craven put up very
prompt protest when you told me to
take the necklace into the sunlight and
satisfy myself"
"Yes," Peter admitted gloomily.
as the evidence complete enOugh?"
Mrs. Beggarstaff questioned gently.
"We didn't want to tell you this, Betty.
For my own part, I'd rather you had
"onsDired with Tad to smuggle@
an. Bending FORWARD, elbows Oh knees,
she stared somberly at the carpet. but
how" she asked. after a moment, do
you account for that perfect counter
feit?"
simply" Quoin replied, "after that
affair Of Thursday night, on my own
responsibility sent wireless to Paris,
to Cottier's, in Betty's name. The an
swer came through Friday night, say
ing that the original owner had sold
paste duplicate to a dealer in articles
de Paris, which he in turn had sold to
a chance customer-defnite descrip-
ton unavailable-the same day that
the real necklace was taken from Cot
tiers by your agent
'It seems incredible. OF all men
Tad Craven!'
"You forget how little we know OF
him." the Dowager Dragon put in.
''Know of him?' Betty protested,
looking up. ''Why, everybody knows
Tad Craven! Go out among our friends
and try to find one who believes he
would do anything dishonest"
"And still, insist, you forget how
little we know of him. Hank back into
your memory, my dear. How long have
at most. How did he come to know
us? Through introductions to a few
clubs, Endorsed by Lord Evesden-who
was later drummed out Of town for
card cheating, and never came back.
But Tad Craven stuck. He didn't cheat,
and he was amusing, and as long as he
was personable, agreeable and seemed
to have money nobody bothered about
his pedigree"
1--WE been looking Craven up" Quoin
supplemented. ''Listen!" He began to
read from a tiny memorandum book
"Came to New York In '93 with Brit
fsh musical comedy company. His wife,
Lefty Craven, fell Ill during the run of
the piece and died in public hospital
of quick consumption. After that Cra-
ven got job with some show which
persisted on the road. When he turned
up again he was training with gang
of professional sharpers with whom he
played few turns on the transatlantic
ferry route as chpper. But he dropped
that before he became known to the
police. Later he was running with a
gay Lord Evesden; but shook him as
soon as he felt solid In New York and
those ugly whispers began to go round
about Evesden's play. The rest is
mainly circumstantial damnation."
Quoin put away his notebook and be-
gan to tick off his points on his fingers.
"It may not have escaped you that
there've been some pretty stiff burglar
les among our friends In the last twelve
years or so. They weren't frequent;
but they were all big hauls. and every
one was well planned and eliminated
In clean getaway. And 1t SO happens.
when one comes to look into 1t, that
Craven was especially thick with all
the people victimized. The biggest coup
was the theft OF the Joachim collec-
ton, worth several hundred thousand
dollars. Now Lydia Craven, when she
came aboard the Alsatia, was wearing
cameo from the Joachim collection
which she said her father had given
her on her fifteenth birthday. Discreet
pumping on the part of Mrs. Beggar-
staff has shown that date to have fallen
| just three months after Joachim was
| robbed. Incidentally, the cameo disap-
Fpeared as soon as Lydia and Craven
met on board. There's a sinister thread
running all through the history Of
Thaddeus Craven"
| His voice trailed off into silence.
Mrs. Merrilees was eying him steadily.
| "You never got all that information
| together since morning?" Mrs. Beggar-
staff prompted.
NO." Quoin admitted. 1--WE had
| my eye on Craven for some time"