The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1917-09-27

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Peter advised gravely. "As a tidy
young disturbert of the peace, Betty,
you show Glass;, a-
"Shut up, Peter" Again her glance
challenged the. three. whats up2"
she demanded in sudden suspicion.
"You didn't call me over here now just
to tell me you believe me capable of
smuggling that collar-you know you
didn't"
"No, my DEAR" Mrs. Beggarstaff re-
piled; "but we did want to talk with
you about it."
"Well?"
cts this way, Mrs. Merrilees,"
Quoin volunteered: "We're all your
friends, and all my interest in this
matter is purely unprofesslonal 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.
"We'd like to have your personal
word of honor that you didn't turn this
trick"
Betty laughed, staccato. "But IL 1
say did?"
Quoin shrugged. "That would end
my interest"
"And If it turns out 1 didn't-eh7"
"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-questloned.
A note of unimpeachable candor In
formed the woman's voice. 81 give
you my word of honor did not. know
nothing about 1t. Beyond the fact that
l myself placed genuine necklace in
that case, and saw a paste necklace
come out of it"
''There! !" Mrs. Beggarstaff exclaimed
with look of triumph at Trait.
The face of this last suddenly as
sumed most unbecomlng brlck-red
hue. "Thats oil very WE'LL" he
grumbled, land I'm not doubling Betty
a little bit; but" he stammered and
gulped, "but 1 tell you now l can't be-
lieve it of Tad, and as for Lydia" He
made an exasperated gesture. "Quoin's
crazy-that's ALI
"What's this?" Betty put in quickly.
"Tad and Lydla?" She waited an in
stant her color waning. "What have
they to do with my necklace?"
"I'll tell you," said Quoin gently.
"Craven gave his daughter your neck
lace, hidden in Chinese puzzle box, to
| hrir thrntruh tha tipcy
her exemption, as an alien, from rigid
inspection"
Mrs. Merrilees 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 fiinching; 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 stooC
there with her back to the room, gaz
ing thoughtfully out into the misty
chiaroscuro of the plaza.
you were on the level before. we tolt
you," Peter explained.
81 see," said the woman in a gentlel
voice. "Please tell me about it."
"Very we'll" Quoin responded with
the story, from his view and point, oi
I Lydia's adventure in the fog. at wa.
your necklace in the box, the real thing
beyond mistake" he concluded.
e But" Betty argued, bewildered, I"
D don't see"
: "Wait. 1 think I can make every
y thing clear. When Southpaw shut thu
j box and gave 1t up, on my demand,
n watched him pretty closely, and saw
r him slip a playing card in with thu
necklace. After got outside opened
the box up on my own account, partl!
e to satisfy myself about the necklace
d partly to have look at that card. i
y was knave of diamonds"
Betty swung back from the window
r "But what can that mean?"
"It's question I think Craven cal
r answer-if he will. Anyhow, we're saf
h in assuming the card was intended 70
e him, and certainly 1t must have hat
l. some significance. That, If you'll per
init, establishes secret bond of un
derstanding between two known black
d legs and-Thaddeus Craven"
a "But why didn't you tell me this a
the timer
, Because, very naturally, wasn't a
b all sure you wanted to be told"