New Britain herald., 1924-07-10

l
 of a wealthy retired broker As
 proof of his great wealth, kerneehan
 shows Ainsley a ring-an enormous
 ruhy-whieh he gave to his daughter
 upon her engagement to Vantlne.
 NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY He was not loath 10 do so, and l
 learned that the jewel had as history.
 IL had been owned hy a Russian
 grand duke who had fed 10 Italy
 when Kerenski came into power. He
 millionaire by the name of Adams,
 who had died shortly afterward, leav-
 ing his affairs much involved.
 "I had a claim against his estate,
 and l took this stone in settlement
 from his widow" said Eernochan.
 wondered. looking at his snug
 face. with the pious sidewhiskers and
 the mean, hard mouth, how just had
 been his claim against the estate.
 Idly. questioned him-yet not too
 idly. for the stone attracted me. l learned that Adams had left a widow, who now resided in Boston and who was in rather straitened circum- stances. Thinking of how comfort ably that widow might live upon the sale of the ruby, I felt my distaste for Kernochan increasing. made up my mind that would have that ruby
 But next morning. starting for the second fairway. where the profess siona was awaiting me to correct a nasty slice that long absence from the game had produced in my drive. I came upon the Kernochans and Van tine in the lobby. They were dressed for travel, and porters were laden with bags. I stopped beside them.
 "Yes, we're leaving" Kernochan told me in reply to my polite ques- ton. "A telegram late last night sudden death of former partner of mine; inconsiderate of him to die just now, when am enjoying the golf but 1t can't be helped"
 His callous brutality should not have affected me, but marked It up against him. I, too felt that his partner was inconsiderate: I wanted | the ruby. and 1t was going away. an nsincere condolence. I turned to Vantine.
 "I'd hoped, with little practice, | to take you on again." told him.
 Well, there are other golf courses" he leered.
 T live at Greenwich, Mir. Ainsley." said Kernochan. Tn few weeks the courses around there will be in good If you're in New York"
 Thank you very much" told him B&
 And the next day I, too left Pine 1urst. Two evenings later I was in Boston; and twenty-four hours after ny arrival I had read and digested, n newspaper files, the life and death If Henry Adams, whose widow had the great ruby 10 Benja- min Kernochan. For, you see, when make up my mind, I am very much n earnest.
 net one in flesh, and almost under lis eyes thad abstracted a jewel for he possession of which he had made lis supercrook plans. I had told my elf then that the socalled super rocks succeeded merely because of he low intelligence of thee police op- osed to them. If low cunning-which ras all my supercrook possessed- ould achieve success, what would the of gentleman achive?
 I had answered that question satis- By one bit of sleight-of- , and I had made more money than onest drudgery would have earned f 1e in lifetime. For I had no pro- , ession. Born to expectations which f ad not been fulfilled, found myself, . t thirty, possessed of an aristocratic I firth, cosmopolitan education and nothing else. I was a living ser lon of the futility of the gentleman. Or the day when the mere being a z entitled one to- decent i nd honorable living had passed for ne instincts; it pays it's tributes to o ne gold.
 I had intelligence; that I knew. . ut in addition to good mind . hich had never been used-I had 1ly gift for sleight- Of f-hand, assidu- lsly cultivated during my youth. hat contemptible accomplishment, owever. had been sufficient, coupled ith a quick wit, to enable me to do hat supercrook had failed to ,hieve.
 Yet with all the contempt for the telligence of the police, l had viwed at l would, if possible. confine my forts to fields in which the police Id no concern. 1 would rob theives. ut here, at the very outset of my w career, I found myself planning
 steal from one who was not lief. Pride entered into the affair. ernochan and Vantine thought me wealthy fool who could be rocked ith impunity. I would endeavor to low them that they had been mis- ken. And in furtherance of that en- ,avor. I made call upon, Mrs. enry Adams.
 I found her in a modest boarding ,use On Beacon Hill. I introduced yself as one who planned writing a ,ok on historic jewels. Two days
 nasty reading in the Public Libra
 had qualified me to speak learned
 upon the subject of precious stones wisely enough at least. to deceive ly but jeweler. Furthermore, ss explained to Mrs. Adams, my book as to deal with the romance of wells, rather than with technicaities. But why come to me, Mir. Aims y?" she asked. ,x- fs. | W