Evening star., 1922-10-29

| OHcS w.
Now, what's your game?" said tn
officer. "You slip in here with sew
enty-five thousand dollars worth o
jeweIry loose in your side pocket ant
you want to have it replaced by othe
fake stuff all In a night, SO you cal
take these substitutes right back, an
when this man asks you for an ex
PLANTATION you beat him over the hea'
and start taking it away from him
to run of with. What's the idea?
The big man looked up at him will
his little eyes red like cornefe'
bulls and said nothing in answer.
whats the explanation" the de
tective asked him again.
But he wouldn't speak.
"All YOU say is your wife wants i
| in the morning. Maybe she does,
don't know. But you're entitled tt
show US. This mans got ten thousand
dollars in there. He's entitled tt
something more than q beating from
you."
"On your own say-so, I've got t.
see your wife now" Volpe came in
you say it's her property"
| And when he didn't say anything
vet the two others took look at one
another.
Now listen" said Mcconnell, the
detective. You can do one OF two
things. It's up to you. You can sho"
us. Take US around to your wife no"
at home. or you can come with me ane
/ have her give her explanation tt
| headquarters"
! And the big fellow gave groan-
too loud, almost. to be natural.
Il won't. I can't" he said. "I'
might kill her"
kill herr
The wife"
"A-hah," said Mcconnell. looking
over at Volpe. "How's that?"
"She don't know anything abou'
this. She thinks we're on the top Of
the world yet, instead Of just scrap
ing bankruptcy"
There's Others" said the detective
/ watching him, 'that have had to heal
it before"
"Not the way she is" said the mar
who had introduced himself as Coo
gan, ana went OIt huo loio e'e'A ''N
it was with her.
I can't have her know" he said
IT wont. Not till she's over it"
| AT that" said Mcconnell, giving
volpe q look again, there's Other
women have gone through with il
without being millionaires."
| Il know" he came back, but its
the sudden bump. coming just now
when she's been thinking up to date
everything is going wonderful for US
and then all at once a fall from the
top of the world. l can't have 1t
not now You know yourself now
women are-on luxury and all that
how much more it means to them, ant
all that. And then you've got to re-
member another thing" he said. goint
on when nobody answered, arguing
with the sweat pouring down his
face. You know how it is with the
first one. They're. scared to death
afraid they'll die"
There's got to be first at that
said Mcconnell, the detective.
Il know" he said. But this Is diff
ferent. She's not strong-not bit
And she thinks she's going to die
And she might at that. You know
how women are-how they see things
ahead we don't at all"
What does the doctor say?" asked
Mcconnell, the detective.
He don't see it quite so bad as she
does. But he admits himself we've
got to be careful-help all we can.
You see-you see-how I'm fixed." he
said, arguing. II wouldn't take
chance with that little girl for the
world"
And then he stopped for a minute.
But where do the diamonds come
iny' Mcconnell, the detective, asked
him. The necklace?"
That's our luck. she claims
Your luck?"
Our lucky stones"
"Oh!"
You know how women are about
things like that-superstitious, all OF
them. 1 never knew one that wasn't
yet. And especially now-now-at
times like this. And, then. her father
was a sporting man, too-a kind OF a
htgh-claSS sporting man.
II see," said Mcconnell. keeping his
face still. And so?'
so you see, don't you? You know
how women are-over anniversaries
and all that. Diamonds were her
! birthstone So, naturally, l gave heI
diamonds when I was way up. I gave
her this-this necklace-just to show
0f a world hnV she
stood with me. You know how the
women are-how they've got to show
the neighbors-the other women-if
things are going right, If you're pros
porous and what their husbands think
Of them"
ct know" said the detective.
80, naturally. she thought the
world of it and what 1t stood for
every way"
Sure, she wouldw said Mcconnell.
Volpe sat all the time and watched
them.
! They hitch up more to things like
that than we do"
Sure"
And there Is another turn to 1t
that she worked out in her head. be-
| sides-what it meant to her-goot
luck and all that"
"And that was7" said Mcconnell.
THAT was that was born in April
too"
"AprilT'
You know-diamonds are the birtf
! stone for April"
NO" said Mcconnell, the detective
i,"I guess they forgot to tell me abou
that
| And then, again." he was going
along. 'you know-next month
! that'll be April, too"