The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-02-01
CHAPTER xIII-continusd.

CHAPTER xiIl-continusd
-16-
peter 10 hedging about referring to
the fact that Craven put up q very
prompt protest when you told me to
take the necklace into the sunlight and
satisfy myself"
Yes" Peter admitted gloomily.
rs the evidence complete enoughf"
Mira Beggarstaf questioned gently.
I'VE 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, do you account for
that perfect counterfeitY
"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 a
paste duplicate to a dealer in articles
de Paris, which he in turn had sold to
a chance customer-deinite descrip-
the real necklace was taken from Cot
tiers by your agent"
ut seems incredible. OF all men
Tad Craven!"
you forget how little we know Of
him." the Dowager Dragon put in.
'Know of him?" Betty protested,
looking up. "Why, everybody knows
Tad Cravenl 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. Hunk back into
your memory. my dear. How long have
we known him7 Twelve or fifteen years
at most. How did he come to know
usf Through introductions to a few
clubs, Endorsed 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"
I've been looking Craven up" Quoin
supplemented. "Listen!" He began to
read from a tiny memorandum book:
Game to New York In '03 with Brit
tsh musical comedy company. His wife,
Lefty Craven, fell i'll during the run Of
the piece and died in a public hospital
Of quick consumption. After that Cra-
ven got a job with some show which
persisted 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 mis- fingers.
1T may not have escaped you that
there've been some pretty stiff burglar
les among our friends in the last twelve
gears or SO. They weren't frequent;
but they were all big hauls, and every
,ne was well planned and eliminated
N a 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-
don, worth several hundred thousand
dollars. Now Lydia Craven, when she
came aboard the Alsatia, was wearing
Z 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 sinister thread
running all through the history Of
Thaddeus Craven"
His voice trailed of into silence.
Mrs Merrilees was eying him steadily.
you never got all that information
together since morning?" Mrs. Beggar-
stair prompted.
'.No," Quoin admitted. "Tve had
my eye on Craven for some time"
"Whyf" the old woman demanded
blunt1y. what made you first suspect
himf'
SWELL" replied Quoin, ''he never
rang true to me; and when 1t began to
be rumored that he was Q candidate
for Betty's hand-I felt sure he wasn't
worthy Of her, and made up my mind
10 b. sure before .forbidding the
banns."
After Q pause Betty looked up def-
antly. ut does make me out q bit Of
an idiot, doesn't itf'
'sNonsense! We were ali taken In"
Peter protested Look how I've al
ways stuck up for Tadi But there's
one thing want to say: He may b
. ~n<<ae and all that sort OF thing 9