Emmons County record., 1917-07-19

Consider me docile little supposer.
And then?"
The Dowager Dragon glanced fore
and aft; but there were no other pns-
sengers within enrshot, and the ports
behind them. though alight, were shut
and sOund-tlght. Betty Merrilees,"
she said.
"You're warm-as the children say
In hide-and-seek."
"Aha!" the lady cried in triumph.
swell, then! Betty doesn't mean to
try to beat the customs. She told me
SO herself. The row that man Loeb
has kicked up about smuggling has
scared her so that she's made up her.
mind to declare every blessed trinket.
So you see, Qu0in, you're simply vast
ing your time trailing Betty Merri.
lees"
Quoin smiled vaguely at his finger
tips. "No. I'm not" he contradicted.
Mrs. Beggarstan snifred suspicious
ly. 1--WE guessed wr0ng?' :.
"For once in way. The truth ID, !
don't care whether Mrs. Merrllees do.
frauds the government or not. It's
over year since I left the secret
service. don't like the wOrk-toO
tame-and having learned all 1t could
teach me, 1 quietly dropped out and
returned to my old field"
Private investigation, eh7"
"There's some fun in that" Quoin
said with mild enthusiasm. "Odd
5obs-I love 'em. They're generally
20 very odd-unexpected besides"
"Quoin." the lady inquired with
:hange Of tone. "you remember the
Joachim cOllection?"
"Do remember it,! Quoin protest.
ed with reproachful sincerity. II
wish might hope ever to be repaid
for the sleep lost on that casel"
"You never got q clue?"
"Never one. That was a mastery
Job"
"Has none Of the stuff ever turned
upT
"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
five times his original outlay"
There are, Of course, pieces still
mlssins?"
"Oh. naturally"
swell, then" said the lady delib.
erately, Il don't mind telling you that
there's one piece distinctly remem-
Der. on board this ship-a magnificent
sardony1 cameo"
"TrulyT'
"Would you care to see It? Then
lookl"
Mrs. Beggarstan unclosed her left
hand. In its palm lay Miss Carteret's
brooch!
With wondering exclamation,
Quoin bent forward to examine the
cameo, while Mrs. Beggarstan regard.
ed with a triumphant smile his bent
aead. 1t was something to have star
! lied the greatest living detective,
which was precisely the distinction the
keen-witted old woman accorded this
nan.
1 Take it to the light and have 4
good look"
"Thank you," said Quoin, rising in
'tantly and moving forward to the
lighted companionway, where he lin
yered long minute, intently inspect
ng the brooch with q small magnify
ng glass.
"Unquestionably one Of the missing
,ieces," he declared fatty, returning,
and. II I'm not mistaken, one Of the
1nest In the collection. How did you
:ome by 1t, please?"
ITS the property Of the young per-
son who shares my cabin; name, Lucy
Carteret. She's an American, about
twenty. and has lived abroad all her
life. Now she's going to New York to
Join her father, who-she says-gave
aer this on her fifteenth birthday"
1.-THE question is, Who is Carteret
perez"
I'm not psychic" Mrs. Beggarstar
objected. "The woods are full of Car
:erets; but know none that this child
resembles in any way. Besides, she
1as denied every relationship I've sug-
yested so far"
"But we mustn't forget that, when
:ound. this paternal Carteret will
probably prove to be perfectly hon
.st bourgeois who picked up the cameo
casually in some out-of-the-way shop,
1t home or abroad. I've often thought
that the widespread distribution OF
hat loot might be taken as pretty good
evidence in support Of something I've
always contended was a popular chi.
nera-the existence Of a regular or
sanization Of social freebooters. You're
,oing?" he added as Mrs. Beggarstafl
stirred and sat up, preparatory to rls-
.ng.
'"The present owner Of this bauble
8 asleep-and I want to replace II
before she wakes up"
zone minute. II you don't mind. Per
nnps you can tell me something
ION one condition." the old lady stip.
1lated firmly. "You must let me in
On the ground floor. I'll NOT lift my