Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1917-11-22

word of honor that you didn't turn this
trick"
Betty laughed, staccato. '.But il j
say l oid?"
uuoin shrugged. "That would end
my interest"
"And If 1t turns out / didnft-en?"
"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
I myself placed genuine necklace in
that case, and saw paste necklace
come out of it"
"There!" HRS. Beggarstaff exclaimed
with q look of triumph at Trait.
The face of this last suddenly as
sumed most unbecoming brick-red
hue. .That's oil very WE'LL" he
grumblet, "and I'm not doubling Betty
little bit; but" he stammered and
gulped, "but tell you now can't be-
lieve 1t of Tad, and as for Lydia" He
made an exasperated gesture. "Quoin's
crazy-that's ALI"
whats this?" Betty put in quickly.
sTad and Lydia?" She waited an in
slant, her color waning. what have
they to do with my necklaceY
NIsI1 foil uo., Coia G1,oin nanfIu
'Craven gave his daughter your neck.
| lace, hidden in Chinese puzzle box, t6
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?''
II saw 1T in Miss Craven's possess
sion. The rest is inference from con-
tributory circumstances"
| The detective endured her stare
without f1inching; 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 We're on the level before we told
you," Peter explained.
81 see," said the woman in gentler
voice. "Please tell me about it,
Every we'll" Quoin responded with
the story, from his view and point, of
Lydia's adventure in the fog. ut was
| your necklace in the box, the real thing
beyond mistake" he concluded.
But" Betty argued, bewildered, 81
| don't see"
"Wait. think / can make every
thing clear. When Southpaw shut the
box and gave 1t up, on my demand, /
watched him pretty closely, and saw
him slip playing card in with the
necklace. After got outside opened
the box up on my own account, partly
to satisfy myself about the necklace,
partly to have look at that card. 1t
was knave of diamonds"
Betty swung back from the window.
| "But what can that mean?'
tits question / think Craven can
answer-if he will. Anyhow, we're safe
in assuming the card was intended for
him, and certainly /. must have had
some significance. That, if you'll per-
nit, establishes secret bond of I'M
derstanding between two known black
legs and-Thaddeus Craven"
"But why didn't you tell me this at
the timer"
Because, very naturally, wasn't at
all sure you wanted to be told"
"If you'll please explain"
"Quoin MEANS" Peter interrupted
| you've been such a consistent per-
former, he hesitated to do anything
calculated to cramp your style, if this
thing 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 conclusion?" Betty insisted.
Because knew you knew real gems
from false-and the necklace you had
shown us that very morning was coun-
terfeit."
IL lSnI possible! Betty protested
hotly. Il saw it myself"
$50 did I; and was interested enough
well, you'll recall asked to see them
in strong light? You were so salts
fed you never looked twice. But was
positive then that they We're false and
even more positive later, when saw
the real Collar in the puzzle box"
"Still don't understand"
| IF you remember, Craven took his
time about fetching that box from the
purser. 1t was 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-
ine-duplicate key you knew nothing
about, of course"
Look here" Peter began excited
~, then checked and turned sullen.
| NWpIl ~ Mrs Roppa ff da,x,ondol