The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-08-23

trick"
Betty laughed, staccato. 'But If I
say I did,"
Quoin shrugged. "That would end
my interest"
"And IL 1t turns out I didn't-eh"
'Then l may be able TO tell you some
thing TO your advantage"
Betty sat up sharply. "You mean
you know where my necklace isl"
did you smuggle it," Quoin
ter-questioned.
A note vf u~nimpeachable candor In
formed the woman's voice. 81 give
you my word of honor / did not. l know
nothing about II. Beyond the fact that
| myself placed a genuine necklace In
that case, and saw u paste necklace
come out of it"
"There." Mrs. Beggarstaff exclaimed
with a look of triumph mt Trait.
The face of this last suddenly as
sumed n most unbecomlng brick-red
hue. "Thpt's an very WELL" he
grumbled, "and I'm not doubling Betty
a little bit; but" he stnmmered and
gulped, "but / tell you now l can't be-
lleve It of Tad, and as for Lydia" He
made an exasperated gesture. "Quoin's
~crazy-that's allr
whats this?" Betty put in quickly.
"Tad and Lydia2" She waited an in
slant, her color waning. "What have
they to do with my necklaceT
"Ill tell you" said Quoin gently.
"Craven gave his daughter your neck.
lace, hidden in n Chinese puzzle box, to
bring through the customs, counting on
her exemption, as an alien, from rigid
inspection"
Mrs. Merrllees rose from her chair,
staring fixedly at Quoin. You know
this to be a fact?"
II saw 1t 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 a trace more quickly. Convinced
at length of his sincerity, she turned
away, moved to a window, and sstood
there with her back to the room, gaz'
ing thoughtfully out into the misty
~chiaroscuro of the plaza.
'That's why WI wanted your word
you were on the level before we told
you" Peter explained.
81 see," said the woman In a gentler
voice. "Please tell me about it."
Every WELL" Quoin responded with
the story, from his view and point, of
Lydla's adventure in the fog. ut was
your necklace In the box, the real thing
beyond mistake" he concluded.
But" Betty argued, bewildered, ~
don't see"
"Wait. I think I can make every
thing clear. When Southpaw shut the
box and gave it up, on my demand,
watched him pretty closely, and saw
necklace. After l got outside / opened
the box up on my own account, partly
to SATISFY myself about the necklace
partly to have a look at that card. i
was a knave of diamonds"
Betty swung back from the window
But what can that mean?"
ITS a question l think Craven car
aIoNtI-ll It VIII. my oW, we re SAIL
} in assuming the card was intended fol
him, and certainly 1t must have hat
some significance. That, If you'll per
! NIT, establishes a secret bond of I'm
! Outstanding between two known black
legs and-Thaddeus Craven"
"But why didn't you tell me this a
the timer"
Because, very naturally. / wasn't a
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 thi
thing was what 1t looked Ikea frame
up between you and Tad to beat tn
: customs"
. But what right had you to jump a
any such c%onclusion?" Betty insisted
Because l knew you knew real gem
from false-and the necklace you ha,
shown US that very morning was coun
: terfeit."
ut isn't possible !" Betty proteste'
4 hotly. II saw 1t myself"
> did n was interested enough
well, you'll recall / asked to see then
:. In a strong light? You were so salts
fed you never looked twice. But l wa
positive then that they We're false, an,
even more positive later, when l say
the real collar in the puzzle box"
"Still don't understand"
y IF you remember, Craven took hi
5 time about fetching that box from tn
I purser. 1t was a good ten minutes be
fore he got back. He had time and I
spare to open your despatch box an
substitute the counterfeit for the genu
ine-duplicate key you knew nothin
about, of course"
a Look here" Peter began excited
ly, then checked and turned sullen.
"Well?' Mrs. Beggarstaff demanded
while Betty and Quoin obliged tn
L Young man nv Looking thair curioSItv