The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-05-22
AUTHOR Of "THE LONE
WOLF" THE A
BOWL,"ETC
all sure you wanted to be told"
COPYRIGHT BIZ LOUIS JOSEPH YArcE

QuOlu q Reter interrupted,
you've been such a consistent per-
former, he hesitated to do anything
calculated to cramp your style, If this
hing was what Ii looked like-a frame
up between you and Tad to beat the
customs."
But what right had you to jump at
any such conclusion?" Betty insisted.
Because / knew you knew real gems
from false-and the necklace you had
shown US that very morning was coun-
sit isn't p~ossibler p Betty protested
hotly. II saw 1t myself"
$50 did /; and was interested enough
well, you'll recall / asked to see them
In a strong light? You were so salts
fed you never looked twice. But l was
positive then that they were false, and
even more positive later, when l saw
the real collar in the puzzle box"
"Still l don't understand"
"If 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-
i~ne-duplicate key you knew nothing
about, of course"
'Look here" Peter began excited
ly, then checked and turned sullen.
"Well7" Mrs. Beggarstaff demanded,
while Betty and Quoin obliged the
young man by looking their curiosity.
"Oh, / don't like to say it," he NUT
tered unwillingly. you've made out
too strong a case against him as it 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 a 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.
1--WE didn't want to tell you this, Betty.
For my own part, I'd rather you had
conspired with Tad to smuggle-"
an. Bending forward, elbows on 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 w
responsibility l sent a 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 a
paste duplicate to a dealer in articles
de Paris, which he in turn had sold to
a chance custOmer-definite descrip-
ton unavailable-the same day that
the real necklace was taken from Cot
tiers by your agent"
ut seems incredible. OF all men
Tad CravenT"
"You forget how little we know of
him." the Dowager Dragon put in.
"Know of him?" Betty protested,
looking up. "Why, everybody knows
Tad Cravenl Go out among u friends
and try to find one who believes he
would do anything dishonest"
"And still, l insist, you forget how
little we know of him. Hark back into
your memory, my dear. How long have
we known him? Twelve or fifteen years
at most. How did he come to know
us? Through introductions to a few
clubs, Endorsed by Lord Evesden-whC
was later drummed out of town fol
card cheating, and never came back
But Tad Craven stuck. He didn't cheat
and he was amusing, and as long as ht
was p~ersonable, agreeable and seemed
to have money nobody bothered abou'
his pedigree"
1--WE been looking Craven up" QuoiI
supplemented. "Listenl !" He began Il
read from a tiny memorandum book
Game to New York in '93 with a Brit
ish musical comedy company. His wife
Lefty Craven, fell Ill during the run o
the piece and died in a public hospita
of quick consumption. After that Ora
ven got a job with some show which
] ptIlSACu un INC Aouu. WhSA hN IoAhS'
up again he was training with a gan
of professional sharpers with WHOM h
played a few turns on the t~ransatlanti
ferry route as capper. But he droppe'
that before he became known to tn
police. Later he was running with
gay Lord Evesden: but shook him a
soon as he felt solid In New York an
those ugly whispers began to go roun
about Evesden's play. The rest !
mainly circumstantial damnation."
Quoin put away his notebook and be
gan to tick off his points on his fingers
at may not have escaped you tina
there've been some pretty stiff burglar
les among our friends in the last twelv
years or so. They weren't frequent
but they were all big hauls, and ever.
one was well planned and eliminate
in a clean getaway. And it so happens
when one comes to look into ii, tina
Craven was especially thick with a
the people victlmized. The biggest cou
was the theft of the Joachim colle'
ton. worth several hundred thousan
dollars. Now Lydia Craven, when sh