New Britain herald., 1924-07-11
REGIN IiI.nL IopAN

spNn lh EolI het ANh isfhfst Van
 tine, chief owner of q detective
 ageney-a coarse, heorish individ
 nal, Naniine is engaged 10 a Mis-
 kernSehaR, daughter of a wealth,
 retired broker
 kern0ehan shows Ainsleg a ring
 an enormous Tnby--a present 10 hil
 daughter, lie had acquired the rubs
 in settling q claim against the estate Of a millionaire by the name of Henry
 Adams, Interviewing Adams widow
 Ainsiey finds that ihe elderly waman's
 husband became indebted to Ker-
 noehah in a deal which appears on
 the surface 10 have been swindle,
 NOW 60 ON WITH THE STORY
 ''i am sorry" 1 told her, And inc
 deed ] was, She was 50 courageous, and her voice when she mentioned
 her husbands name was SO sad. that
 my heart went out to her. l have
 known widows who would have be-
 rated their husbands for leaving them
 unproyided for. hut Mrs. Adams was
 not that kind. The memory of her husband was her dearest possession. infinitely moro valuable than tho Grand Dukes jewel. 1 felt a wave Of sentiment cngufing me: but l me- taphorically swan to shore. My busi- ness hold no room for sentiment. And so l broached the real reason Of my call.
 "i had hoped" I said. ito obtain a photograph of the ruby ring. l plan 10 illustrate my text"
 waited for her reply; upon it everything depended. And luck was with mo.
 ::l have q paste copy Of tho ring" she told me, Henry had it made immediately upon his return to Amer lea with the stone. You soo"-and her faded checks colored prettily--"I wasn't quite honest q moment ago. l am a countrywoman: but still, am n woman. And l did want to wear that ring, Everyone knew that Henry owned il, and-one is as silly at six tyf as at sixteen. Siilier. And yet the jewel was too precious. So Hen ry had the copy made, and once or twice wore it. l wonder if all realit- ies are shams. and all shams realities.
  would do you any good, I am quite sure that you are welcome to it."
 l turned my head away lest she observe the gleam in my eye. It was with difficulty that I kept my voice steady, as I assured her that I would be most grateful if she would lend me the imitation for few weeks.
 Half an hour later I left her. For the first time since I had definitely adopted my new profession, felt l sick at heart. For Mrs. Adams had insisted that I stay to tea with her. Knowing her poverty, I was loath to add the slightest expense to her straitcned budget. Yet it was not | that which made me swallow her food and drink with effort; it was | the fact that this brave old lady, who | made me think of a russet | apple. wrinkled as to skin but sound | and sweet within, thought me to be as honest as herself. She questioned me about my life, my family, and I fed her lies. I was sick and ashamed, and wrathful at the weakness which made me feel this way when I left her. I sent her the finest box of candy sthe city could provide, yet somehow seemed to feel that my gift was an insult. For a moment I was 'empted to abandon my project. hen my own self-disgust reused in ne an anger toward kernochan.
 For some things we need no proof to analysis by the five 'enses. A sixth sense tells us truth. ust as child somehow knows truth, 'y instinct so we adults occasionally preserve the gift of childhood l say hat instinct lives within us all, the heritage of thousand generations, l md that we are fools who disdain it li md prefer our lying senses. I knew, , IS definitely as though I had wit essed the performance of the chi , anery, that kernochan had swindled dams widow. He deserved to lose : he ruby.
 There was something else, too. Van ( inc was a famous detective, as we'll { s boorish cheat At least, he had inherited great detective agency. He lad thought me a stupid gull; it ' would afford me a certain peculiar { if l repaid his opinion of i ne by taking his 1iancee's ring. I do z ot mind losing a wager to a gentle l nan; but man who will inveigle l trangers into unfair speculation, is cad and deserves punishment. f
 Besides, if I must behonest--and i affords me, who am a thief. a ne. ( uliar joy to indulge myself, in these { nemoirs, in the unusual luxury of onesty-the Grand Dukes ruby was Iorth three hundred thousand dol ITS. l know no arguments that could eem so potent to me.
 So behold me, two weeks later. irving into the Kernochan estate at 'reenwich. I, who had gone year 'lthout being able to afford a ride I a taXicab, now sat behind the 'hoel of my roadster. On the trunk ack behind was box in which were vening clothes lounge suits, shirts finest linen, silken socks, and all nose other concomitants of wealth. Vedged in the seat beside me were ly golf-sticks. I locked, with all my what was: a gentleman, also looked what I was not: a mill onaire.
 l had taken the precaution of tele- honing from the nearby town of tamford; and so, when I arrived at nlga5ly ostentatious residence of Vantine was there. It as Saturday, and I had felt fairly ertain that the detective would 'end a weekend at the home of his lnce. My logic was justified by the 1ent For Miss kernochan had 1swered my telephone call, had in- ted me to luncheon. and had ssi1r 1