The Jasper news., 1917-10-04
CHAPTER XIll.-Continued.

prompt protest WHeu Sou tolu lhS W
take the necklace into the sunlight and
satisfy myself"
YES" Peter admitted gloomily.
"Is the evidence complete enoughF"
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-"
"Dont!" pleaded the unhappy wom-
an. Bending forward, elbows on knees,
she stared somberly at the carpet. But
how" she asked after moment, 40
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 dealer in articles
de Paris, which he in turn had sold to
chance customer-definite descrlp-
tion unavailable-the same day that
the real necklace was taken from Cot
tiers by your agent"
at seems incredible. OF all men
Tad Cravenw
You forget how little we know of
him." the Dowager Dragon put in.
"Know of him2" 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. 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, indorsed 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"
"Ive been looking Craven up" Quoin
supplemented. "Listen!" He began to
read from tiny memorandum book:
Game to New York in '93 with q Brit
ish 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
periShed on the road When he turned
up again he was training with a gang
of professional Sharpers with whom he
played few turns on the transatlantic
ferry route as capper. But he dropped
that before he became known to the
police. Later he was running with
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.
ut 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 it so happens,
when one comes to look into it. that
Craven was especially thick with all
the people victimized. The biggest coup
was the theft Of the Joachim collec-
tion, worth several hundred thousand
dollars. Now Lydia Craven, when she
came aboard the Alsatia, was wearing
a 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.
peared 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. Merrllees was eying him steadily
"You never got all that information
together since morning?" Mrs Beggar
staff prompted.
NO." Quoin admitted. 1--WE hat
my eye on Craven for some time"
"Why?" the old woman demanded
bluntly. "What made you first suspect
him?"
"Well," replied Quoin, "he never
rang true to me and when it began tc
be rumored that he was a candidate
for Betty's hand-I felt sure he wasn't
worthy of her, and made up my mint
to be sure before forbIddlng The
banns."
After pause Betty looked uD def