Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-10-12
LOU15JOSEp1
VANCE
Continued from Last week J

ienged the three. whats up?"
demanded in sudden suspicion.
~ didn't call me over here now just
tell me you believe me capable of
smuggling that cOllar-you know you
didn'tl"
mo, my DEAR" Mrs. Beggarstaff re-
piled; shut we did want to talk with
you about it,
"Weil?"
'It's this way, Mrs. Merrilees,'
Quoin volunteered: "We're oil your
rriends, and all my interest in this
matter is purely unprofessional as far
as you are personally involved"
Mrs. Merrilees nodded brusquely,
but focused an interested regard on the
face of the detective. proceed" she
said sweetly.
WED like to have your personal
word of honor that you didn't turn this
trick"
Betty laughed, staccato. "But if ]
say did,"
Quoin shrugged. "That would end
my interest"
"And if it turns out I didn't-eh?"
"Then may be able to tell you some
thing to your advantage"
Betty sat up sharply. 'You mean
YOU know where my necklace is?'
"Did you smuggle it?'' Quoin coun-
ter-Questioned.
A note Of .unimpeachable candor in-
formed the wOman's voice. II give
you my word of honor did not. know
nothing about it. Beyond the fact that
1 myself placed a genuine necklace in
that case, and saw a paste necklace
come out of it"
There" Mrs. Beggarstaff exclaimed
with O look of triumph at Trait.
The face of this last suddenly as.
sumed a most unbecoming brick-red
hue. "That's all very WELL" he
grumbled, land I'm not doubling Betty
a little bit; but" he stammered and
gulped, "but I tell you now I can't be-
lieve it of Tad, and as for Lydia" He
made an exasperated gesture. "Quoin's
crazy-that's all!'
"What's this?" Betty put in quickly.
''Tad~ and Lydia?" She waited an in
slant, her color waning. what have
they to do with my necklace?"
. 'I1l tell you,' said Quoin gently.
"Craven gave his daughter your neck
lace, hidden in a Chinese puzzle box, to
bring through the customs, counting on
her exemption, as an alien, from rigid
inspection"
Mrs. Merrilees rose from her chair,
staring fixedly at Quoin. "You know
this to be fact?"
~ saw it in Miss Craven's posses
sion. The rest is inference from con-
tributory circumstances"
The detective endured her stare
without flinching; though the color Of
his dark face deepened and his breath
came trace more quickly. Convinced
at length of his sincerity, she turned
away, moved to window, and stood
there with her back to the room, gaz-
ing thOughtfully out into the misty
chiaroscuro of the plaza.
That's why we wanted your word
you were on the level before we told
you," Peter explained.
81 see," said the woman in gentler
voice. please tell me about it."
"Very WELL" Quoin responded with
the story, from his view and point, of
Lydia's adventure in the fog. at was
your necklace In the box, the real thing,
beyond mistake" he concluded.
But" Betty argued, bewildered, 81
don't see"
''Wait. / think l can make every
thing clear. When Southpaw shut the
box and gave it up, on my demand, l
watched him pretty closely, and saw
him slip a playing card in with the
necklace. After got outside Iopened
the box up on my own account, partly
to satisfy myself about the necklace,
partly to have look at that card. 1t
was a knave of diamonds
Betty swung back from the window.
But what can that mean?"
Its q question / think Craven can
answer-if he will. Anyhow. we're safe
IN assuming the card was intended for
him, and certainly 1t must have had
some significance. That, If you'll per-
NIT, establishes a secret bond of I'M
1erstanding between two known black
legs and-Thaddeus Craven"
"But why didn't you tell me this at
he timer
Because, very naturally, 1 wasn't at
Ill sure you wanted to be told"
'If you'll please explain"
"Quoin MEANS" Peter interrupted,
you've been such consistent per-
former, he hesitated to do anything
calculated to cramp your style, if this
hing was what it looked like-a frame
up between you and Tad to beat the
customs"
"But what right had you to jump at
any such conclusiene' Betty insisted.
Because knew you knew real gems
from false-and the necklace you had
shown us that very morning was coun-
terfeit."
sit isn't possible!' Betty protested
aotly. 81 saw it myself."