Evening star., 1922-04-23

ploringly at Achison. Do tell him
there is some mistake"
Achison shook his head in a grave
way.
by whom was the violin given to
you, Rose? We must get at the bot
tom of this; it is serious matter"
"By me-" Ramsey started up. Il
gave it. He caught at the loop
hole which she herself had furnish
ed him. That is, loaned it TO Miss
Edgewater. The instrument is mine.
1 bought it yesterday"
Il am afraid then. Mr. Ramsey"
said Achison, that You have been
the no-doubt innocent purchaser Of
stolen goods This, it seems to me.
is matter that will require pretty
Thorough investigation"
: At something In his voice Ramsey
was seized with a flashing intuition
even more, a confident certainty
that this was all a snbtle plan of
Achison's to involve and ruin him.
do you mean to say that YOU have
recently lost Stradivarius violin %
He turned to Erland.> Il have seen no
report Of it in the papers"
THAT was by the advice of my
managers and my lawyer" He indi-
Gated Achison. 1T might have had
an unfortunate psychological effect
on my audiences since it is known
that when I play in pubeic this
Stradivarius is my fayertts instra-
ment. The police, however, ara
working on the case"
May 1 ask when and under what
circumstances your violin was tax
en?"
"Ah" Erland shrugged his shoul-
ders. THAT is a hard question to
answer. When 1 finished playing at
Mr.. Achisons entertainment I put
it. in the case. and went with him
to supper. leaving it in the room
vhere 1 had given the concert. TheIe
was a man on guard. a detective,
am Informed, although he was in
evening dress. 1 did not look at the
violin when I left Mr.. Achison's, but
Carrying the closed case In my arms,
was driven to my hotel. did not
open the case until an hour or 50
later, when 1 was preparing for bed.
Then I discovered my loss, and tele-
phoned to Mr.. Achison at once"
"It cost me q slseplsss night"
Achison spoke arimly. I'm fact, two
of them. for l speRt most Of last
night also trying to puzzle out how
the theft could possibly have occur
red. And MHst eoafsss that l am
still utterly at sea.
4 *
ct IEUT. DICKSON, the man 1 got
- from headquarters for the
evening, is, believe, absolutely
and he insists that no
one was near the music cabinet on
which the violin was left, or even
entered the room while he was in
charge. Then Herr Erland tells me
that after getting home the case was
practically never out from under his
sye. He left his sitting room, where
it waA to 80 into his bedroom on one
or two eecasionss but neither time
was he away for more than three or
four minutes. and the door Of his
saite was securely licked; the win
dews look out upon . sheer wall.
Moreover, there were several other
valuable victims In the room more
easy Of access than this one.
I'm view Of all the circumstances u
face dSrkened-'I am
forced to the unweleome conclusion
that the larceny must have been cou-
mitted at my house. and that ptcksen
was either brihed or AAnhAozlsa by
one of my guests, who had strong
enough motive to impel him to take
q dsaparste chance.
''Ss, Mr.. Ramsey, think you will
see how necessary it is for us to have
a detailed account Of just how this
violin was--shal1 / say-acauirsd by
yeu?"
Wallace gave a straightforward ac-
count Of the manner in which the
violin had come into his hands. avoid
Ing anything In the way Of surraisss
or deductions,
Erland listened to the atery with
obvious incredulity. Achiaon had the
judicial air Of Weighing every word
while sabtly conveying the irnpses'
sion that he found it wanting. Rose
listened intentiy.
tIt should not he dinaeult to locate
this--er-Pardus." commented Achi'
son- Has he telephone? YoH de
not known. He raised HE hrows.
A suspicien that had been slowly
forming in Wallace's mina became
aaseraAce. The sheR that he had
tisttsd was . mere theatrical set
ting.
Il fancy" he said. foreiag himself
! n E II ~ ~ Il : q. p