The Idaho Springs siftings-news. (Idaho Springs, Colo.) 1905-19??, 1917-11-09
CHAPTER ll-contlnued,

and aft: but there were no other pas
sengers within earshot. and the ports
behind them. though alight, were shut
and -sound-tight. Betty Merrilees,"
she said.
you're warm-as the children say
in hide-and-seek."
"Aha!" the lady cried In triumph.
"Well. then! Betty doesn't mean to
try to beat the customs. She told me
20 herself. The row that man Loeb
has kicked up about smuggling has
scared her 30 that she's made up her
mind to declare every blessed trinket.
30 you see. Quoin, you're simply vast
ing your time trailing Betty Merri-
lees"
Quoin smiled vaguely at his finger
dps. "No. I'm not" he contradicted.
Mrs. Beggarstan shifted suspicious
ly. 1--WE guessed wrongT"
For once In a way. The truth IL.
don't care whether Mrs. Merrilees de-
frauds the government or not. It's
over a year since I left the secret
service. don't like the work-too
tame-and having learned all 1t could
teach me. quietly dropped out and
returned to my old field"
"Private Investigation. chr"
There's some fun in that" Quoin
said with mild enthusiasm. "Odd
5obs-I love 'em. They're generally
% very odd-unexpected besides."
"Quoin." the lady inquired with 4
change Of tone. you remember the
Joachim collection1"
do remember It'll" Quoin protest.
ed with reproachful sincerity. Il
Wish I might hope ever to be repaid
for the sleep lost on that caser
You never got a clueT'
"Never one. That was Q mastery
Job"
"Has none Of the stun ever turned
upr
"Oh. plenty Of 1t, here and there
mostly In Europe. In fact, I'm told
that Joachim has reassembled most
Of the collection: but 1t has cost him
ave times his original outlay"
There are, Of course, pieces still
uissing1"
"Oh. naturally"
"Well. then" said the lady delib-
srately, II don't mind telling you that
there's one piece distinctly remem-
Der, on board this shiD-A magnificent
nrdonyx cameo"
''Trulyr'
would you care to see III Then
iookT"
Mrs. Beggarsta6 uaclosed her left
hand. I'm Its palm lay Miss Carteret's
brooch!
With wondering exclamation.
Quoin bent forward to examine the
cameo, while Mrs. Beggarstan regard
ed with 8 triumphant smile his bent
head. It was something to have star
He'd the greatest living detective.
Which was precisely the distinction the
nan.
'Take It 70 the light and have a
eood lSoK.'
THANK yeu," said Quoin, rising in
stantly and me-ing forward to the
lighted coInpasionway. where he lin
eered a long minute, intently inspect
ing the brooch with a small magnify
ing glass.
"Unquestionably one Of the missing
pieces" he declared fatty. returning,
and, II I'm not mistaken, one of the
finest tn the collection. How did you
come BY It, please7"
ITS the property Of the young per-
soo who shares my cabin name, Lucy
Carteret. Ehes an American, about
tweaty. and has hved abroad all her
life. Now she's going to New York to
Soaa her father. who-she says-gave
h<.- this on her fifteenth birthday"
The questi0a 4, Who Is Carteret
Sere1~
I'm not psychic" Mrs.. Beggarstan
objected. The woods are full of Car
terets but know none that this child
resembles In any way. Besides. she
hAs denied every relationship I've sug-
gested 20 FAR"
"But We mustn't forget that. when
found. this patefnal CArteret will
probably prove to be q perfectly hon
est bourgeois who picked up the cameo
casually in some out-Of-the-wAy shop,
ut home or abroad. I've often thought
that the widespread distribution Of
that loot might be taken as pretty good
evidence in support Of something I've
always contended was . popular CHI
mera-the existence Of a regular or
zanixation of social freebooters. You're
eoing7' he added as Mrs. Beggarstan
stirred and sat up, preparatory to ris.
Ing.
THE present owner Of this bauble
10 asleep-and l want to replace 1t
before she wakes up"
Zone minute, II you don't mind. Per-
haps you can tell me something"
ION one condition." the old lady stip-
ulated firmly. you must let me in
on the ground floor. I'll not lift my
band to help you in anything that's a
0ystery to me-"
II don't mind telling you In the least.