The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-08-05

famed. He has practically accused me of attempt to steal. I am going to my lawyer, to find what my rights are. In the meantime, I demand you discharge him, without 8 reference. IT,"
 of her voice. Turning away her convulsed old face, she hurried from the store.
 Not until tho next morning, when the ring trays were taken from the safe, was 1t discovered that a clever bit of synthetic work and white gold had been substituted for a four carat solitaire worth sS,6oo. at re- tall. It was the good old penny weight trick. And for the second time that week, Barry Rourke was told by an excited office boy:
 ''Mr. Rosel wants you"
 At about the same time that Barry was submitting savagely to his over lords flaying the little old lady and the large and breezy Calvin Q. Man. sur were finishing a leisurely break fast in their New Jersey cottage. The little old lady was still little. But she was far from being old. Otherwise an epicure like Mansur would have never married her, even though she was one of the cleverest women In the profession.
 "So that's that" he finished a long and amicable dialogue that had en- dured throughout the meal. "You won't be seen. Not your face anyhow. And you can keep him from recog- nizing your voice. If that young man were twins. CT quadruplets. what cinch life would be for us! But you don't often find them so easy, more's the pity"
 'I suppose yolfre right" she as- sented. You've got a gift for pick ing them. hand you that. But he don't look like fool, to me. And his chest and shoulders"
 Well" said Mansur, good natured- ly. Even If he wasn't fool-which he is-it wouldn't make any differ 1 ence in the way I'd handle him. l always handle fool as cautiously as I'd handle the cleverest man of the lot"
 As has been said, Mansur had never got caught In any hole. From city to city he and his very few satellites had wandered; picking up a plenteous living and never once fall ing foul of the law
 Now they would visit singly and simultaneously two or three large jewelry shops; inspecting goods without buying; but, as rule, suc- ceeding In penny-weighting- behind, unnoted, in tray or case. some standard type of pin or ring or brooch, smaller and less valuable Sthan the one for which they had sub [ stituted it.
 Occasionally. they took mild chance by substituting a paste article of the same general size and aspect of the one they palmed. 1 Of course. the substitution was dis covered, soon or late; after they had gone. After day of these raids, they would leave town; before word could be passed from store tC store to be on the lookout for such substi- tutions.
 Again, flying at somewhat larger game, they would work simple and clever trick like that of the four carat diamond purloined from Anian and Rosel.
 But these forms of livelihood meant merely a fair competence; and served to earn cash In the interims between really big jobs-suchS a jot as husband and wife had been dis cussing In careful, final detail, this mtrning at breakfast. It was these rare big jobs that brought the real profit. It was in these that Man sur's genius burned brightest.
 Some weeks later-just after New Years-Barry Rourke's still crushed spirits received a sudden glad lift when he glanced up from an ar- engagement of one of his cases and saw Calvin Q. Mansur beaming af- fectionately at him across the coun- | ter.
 Back againr hailed Mansur And camping on the trail of Mir Barry Debt Rourke"
 As he spoke, he thrust a big and shapely hand across the counter gripping Barry's fingers with much zest
 I'm mighty glad to SC you again Mir. Mansur," replied Rourke, with genuine enthusiasm And It's good of you to look In on us. Did Mrs Mansur like the jade brooch7"
 Did she?" chuckled Mansur. smil- ing happily at some pleasant recol- lection-the memory Of having sub stituted 1t for a brooch of double It's value, at Brooklyn jeweler's-"I should say she did. Tickled to pieces By the way, the Missus was coming across here this morning but her mother took sick In the night-one of her stomach spells--and the Mis- sus had to stay at the hotel to look after her. told the Missus we'd have a better time If we left her at home with the kids. But-well, you know how women are"
 Barry nodded sympathetically; try ing to swallow his own disappoint- ment.
 we just struck town yesterday afternoon" proceeded Mansur. "We are putting up at the St. Croesus, this trip. Some hotel. boy! I never stopped there before. When the desk clerk told me the price of my suite. by the week, I thought he was quoting me a price on the building itself"
 He laughed. throwing back his head. It was an infectious, outdoor laugh. Barry Joined in it.
 Well" said Mansur, glancins sheepishly around at one or tive customers who had turned their heads at the sound of the great laugh, I'm not going to stand here wasting your time. Let's get busy
 Rourke was all attention.
 Here's the idea added Mansur q told you last trip. that we'd come here and buy whole lot of truck from you. I've been counting on coming with the wife, as soon as we hit town. But now she's nble to be cCoped up with her mother, In our suite, for a couple of days more So this is what I'm going to do:
 "I can't bring my wife to the store. So I am to take the store to my wife Get me? I mean, you and I are go- ing to traipse around these cases and pick out a big swad of all sorts of | jewelry, between us. Then right after lunch. l want you to bring it across to the St. Croesus for the wife to null over and take her pick from.
 Barry tried not to look crazily happy.