The Monmouth inquirer., 1923-03-22

| QdJy SdlQ khkObht AtG0iAoEA8At $500 eAA~
said anything more on the subject|
"Hullo, Monk" answered, laughing;
80 you've come to consult Clara Villers
the private detectivep
| Monk hadn't time to answer, for in
I came the very person we spoke of. Her
cheeks were rosy with the sharp morn
ing air. In her hand she carried an I'M
tidy badly packed, brown paper parcel.
"Please excuse me, Mr.. Monk, for
keeping you waiting; but / was obliged
to call in at the charcuterie establish
ment to get something tasty for Fred
| erick's breakfast. Such a gourmand as
he isl For you, have got something
else. But take seat at the table and
have cup of coffee; l will just run and
slip off my things-I shan't be gone a
minute"
She vanished from the room just as
suddenly as she had appeared.
Monk and | sat down at the break
fast table, and Clara soon joined US.
Both she and did good justice to the
viands, but Monk only played with his
knife and fork.
When we were finished, Clara asked
me for the key to the safe in my Office.
She returned with the photograph
and the magnifying glass, and laid them
/ beside Monk on the table
Monk and looked at her in astonish
ment. She also placed the brown paper
parcel near.
Yesterday | promised to show you
that the photograph had been tempered
with | could have done it at the time,
but / was anxious TO refute all the OBJ
jections which | knew you and Fred
erick would bring forward, and that is
why | waited until to day. The matter
is soon settled the lady who stands in
the photograph has, on little hat with
feather in it. On which side is the
feather?"
Monk glanced at the photograph.
"On the right sidei"
Eyes, quite so; now do you think thar
any lady wears feathers on the right
side of her hat?"
sNo,-now | come to think of it,
ladies usually wear feathers on the left
side of their hats" Monk said, looking
uncertainty at US both.
Usually, /. do you say? Not at all
No lady ever wears feathers on the
right side"
There may be something in what
you say, Mrs Viller." Monks voice was
still somewhat uncertain; but this is
of course only the little wing of wood
cock, and Evelina-Miss Frick-I mean
the lady in the photograph might for
once have placed it on the other side"
Not to mention" added, that the
lady in hurry might have put on the
hat the wrong way"
THAT is exactly the argument | ex-
pectedp shouted Clara, triumphantly.
That's just the way men argue; but
see herel Here is the seIfsame hat
which Evelina and Sigrid wore that
day the diamond was stolen Now you
can see for yourselves
She tore the paper off the parcel and
drew out a little green felt hat with
a brown wing in it, and showed it to
Monk
Monk jumped up and clutched the
hat greedily. His hands trembled with
excitement.
Il have bought it from Mrs. Reierson
to-day" continued Clara. Il pretend
ed that rich English lady was col
lecting curiosities from celebrated trials.
AS it was fortunately rather far on in
the quarter, could see that Mrs. Refer
son was apparently in great need Of
money She was even sober"
Monk sat with the hat in his hand,
staring at it; went up to him.
"The feather is sewn fast" he mut-
tered, "and there are no signs that il
has ever been fixed on the other side"
"But what if she had put on the hat
the wrong way"
Clara laughed heartily.
Here, you shall see for yourselvesi*
She snatehed the hat out of Monks
hand and set it on her own head.
] collapsed.
The feather slanted backward as it
did in the photograph when the hat was
put on properly. But if it was turned
back to front, as Clara now had it, it
slanted forward in ridiculous manner.
There could be no mistake-the pho
tograph had been tempered with
'Are you both convinced" exclaimed
Clara.
"Yes," answered, 1T is all fraud
and trickery."
This is very strange affair" said
Monk, and began again to examine the
hat which Clara had put in front of
him.
In the meantime I took the photo
graph and the. magnifying glass and be-
gan again to examine it, Perhaps
there's something else to discover, /
thought to myself
Continued Next Week