Evening star., 1919-05-04

TOO, that all the wrOngooing WASH
exactly on my part. And some day.
perhaps when it's too late. you'll un-
derstand II was you ! always thought
Of. and you ! always loved.
may not be here myself when you
find this out. for there are risks in
this work-and God Himself only
knows how quickly the end might
come. l know what you have thought
OF me. i can't altogether blame you.
But when you understand things /
know you will ~hink differently. And
whether l like to write II or not, /
find l can't help myself. / Just have
TO get 1t all of my mind. This seems
TO be a sort of safety valve for me.
I'll never forget that evening in
the inspectors Office, when the whole
thing first started. Id dipped down
into Chatham Square to talk the
Hanna case over with Toosey Attrill
with pert and sloe-cyed Toosey.
who was playing stool-pigeon for
both the jewelers. Protective Union
and the Security Alliance. That i'm
possible Toosey and I hadn't talked
through her second cigarette before
a couple Of the inspectors runners
were diteT me IKE pair ol dIHDu-
lance chasers. Sloan wanted me, they
reported, and wanted me quick. And
seeing it was Sloan, 1 went.
"Balmy," he said to me. after he'd
shut the door with the frosted panel
glass. Il want you to go up and get
old Grosset's Blue Pear
How d'you mean-get?' l de-
manded when my breath had come
back to me. I'd been in that Maiden
Lane work long enough to pick up
the family history of most of the big
ger stones in America, and ! knew
that the man at the desk was talk
Ing about the third biggest diamond
on all the North American continent.
Steal it!' was Sloan's off hand
reply.
i sat there eying him and he sat
there returning the compliment. ! re-
membered that the Blue Pear had
been product of the De Beers mines.
and because OF the beauty of the
stone many carats had been saved to
its weight. when it was cut in AM
stsrdam, by leaving it pearshaped. 1t
had that rare violet blue tine which
always adds to the value Of the first
water, and j knew enough of the
trade to remember that while yellows
and browns and greens were a taint
in stone, blue itself was an asset
and a blessing. Like all such gems.
1T has its history of toll and hardship,
and its tangled romance of crime
and intrigue. And several years ago
an eccentric old collector known as
Eleakin Grosset had brought the
jewel to America and added it to his
private collection.
IT'S this way, Balmy," said Sloan in
. more confidential tone, you've got
TO take fall, and take it right in
public"
/ could understand what he was
saying. in a way, but my mind re-
fused to grasp the idea.
We've got situation here we can't
sit and joke over" announced the in
spector. with shoulder movement of
impatience. The war in the old
world has run our annual gem i'm
ports up to over thirty millions. But
during these last few months, when
we've been turning into the worlds
biggest market for precious stones.
there's a bunch of diamond thieves
who's been getting altogether too
busy. l don't want to crouch about
'em, but they're beating US at the
game. And neither the Protective
Union nor the Security Alliance is
able to cope with EN-
Then why take it out on me?" l
not unnaturally inquired.
I'm not taking anything out on
YOU. I'm giving you chance any
other operative would snap at. What
] want. Balmy, is to get you inside
\ their intrenchments. In plain Eng
]ish, i want that collection Of gem
thieves to see you get it in the neck
And to make good on your part Of it
you're going to slip up to old Gros-
sets house tonight, and when you get
inside you're going to steal the third
biggest diamond in all America
Am l now? said, without enthusi-
asm. "And probably get sand -bagged
by that old skinflint or his second
cook while I'm doing it,"
mo danger of that. Balmy, for old
Grosset himself Is sick in bed, and
this Office is doing it's part. Here's
both paSS kew for the house ITSELF