The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1924-11-18


III Ali DETECTIVES ARE 40
STUPID As YOU
Il said. Il shall drink Mr. K,rno
CHAINS coffee
COMMITTING within me gave warn
y ing. instead of picking up Van.
tines Cup. chose tho ono meant
for me. And before / could pat BE-
20 my upa. NantlnsH fingers zrippsd
ms wrist.
$50. that's wher5 you h.d it-' he
cried,
Don't BE- absurd. Ernest, sald
Miss krrn0rhBn psiuhnrg The
coffee was just brought boz
But yantlue must have seen some,
thing triumphant IN ms eyes Tor he
poured the coffee ont. part % H.
into the saucer. and then grop,d In
thv liquid remaining in tho cup.
Then. forEgtful Of tho presence o.
his finneen. be Cursed angriiy.
IT all detective arc as stupid a.
you. Nauiluc. I told him II won.
der that more people don't $50 In Tor
theft" I reached Tor ha cup =
don't propose 90 be- denied my drink
because you are a iari8a," / re-
marked With that ] put his cup TO
ms lips. The ruby ring passed into
ms mouth. put tho cup down. and
wiped my mouth with a napkin, A
second later the ruby ring had buco
again returned 20 my wututcoat
pocket nodded coldiy 10 Kcruo
chan and bis daughter
Now. then" sald 70 vantlnc.
~ you wiz kindly unlock tho door.
VII go upstairs. got my things and
leave"
The sweat stood on Kcrnochan'B
forehead. hut he nodded 10 yautinc
to ncqule8cc In my demand. Tho D..
tsctiye opened the door for mo. /
walked calmly thru IL, and began
mounting the stairs In tho hall out
side.
Nov. hac Eald a. this period In
my career I was m amateur. This
account u my rccklcssucss r. proof
that tell the truth. But DO not DO
mo tho injustice 20 suppose that
thought FOR ono minute that. tho
was permitted 20 leave tho room.
would be permitted 90 leave the
house heard the telephone click M
set my foot on tho first step
Rather than riak a brawl. would
be permitted 70 so upstairs By the
time would have packed my bags.
policemen would DO IN tho house
Only Nantiuos pride had caused thls
much delay IN summoning the 20.
lice. For their arrival meant public.
ity and consequent ridIculc, IN the
press, for the great detective who
must call IN village policemen so 70.
cover q Jewel stolen under his eyes
But NautlnCH pride was not too elias.
tic. IL had snapped now lilo would
risk ridicule. and Kernochan would
risk "A libel suit. The jewel was
worth these risks
Yet. knowing what they were do.
Ing, I managed 90 restrain myself
until I reached my room. Then /
acted as swiftly MS ever n man. In
a similar predlcament. could hope 10
act. 1 snatchcd up hat nd coat,
crossed my room in n bound, threw
open tho French window that led 10
a balcony. and vaulted 10 tho ground
IL feet below True. / rigked
broken leg. but u was only n chance.
Arrest meant certaln imprisonment.
Ny recent past could afford no dis.
closures. And luck was with me. I
was shaken up. but uninlured. In
30 seconds | was IN the garage nj
the wheel Of my car. Cries from
tho house-they had heard my i'm.
pact with tho ground-alarmc
lounging chauffeur. But no was not
quick enough; 1 was away Mt once.
And ! was not captured. reached
New York, abandoned my car, pur.
chased clothing even late nj night
II Is possible to buy apparel in tho
great city md within an hour after
that 7 had eliminated. felt certain.
any possibility Of capture. For |
am Of undlstinguished appearance.
and the description meant for me
would fit a thousand other mon.
Yes. ! was safe-safe, I mean, from
OF the clumsy Vantlne and
the cx.pollcemen who make up tho
staff of his agency But | was not
safe from something else.
once again / tell you that az this
time / was AN amateur cursed with
sentiment aye, sontimantallty For
/ could not help but think OF tho
sweet.faced widow in Boston. Tho
Grand Dukes ring should have been
hers Somehow / felt that / had
robbed her. not tho grossly rich Ben.
Jamin Kernochan. And So turned
the ruby into cash, engaged "A din.
Greet lawyer, and Mrs. Henry Adams
learned that certain stock which she
did not know belonged TO her husband
was hers. She lives. believe, in
comparative luxury upon n farm In
Massachusetts,. She should live well.
the income from Sljn,600-the price
paid mo for the Grand Dukes ruby
by a dealer In stolen gtoncs-is am.