Evening star., 1927-11-06

made the victims Of a we'll carried
through comedy.
AT the police station the bew.l-
dered prisoners did exactly what the
astute Drew had expected They
strenuously protested that the jewels
did not belong to them. With
unanimity and voluhilitv they upheld
each other. They were all perfectly
honest and misunderstood men. II
there had been any violation nf the
law they We're dupes. They had been
drawn into the affair quite innocently.
The villain Of the piece. the man
who had heen responsible for all this
trouble, was the missing man. The
jewels We're his.
All Of them were too agitated to
be capable OF calm reflection. They
were quite willing to sign statements
that the jewels belonged to the man
who had escaped The dour Drew
watched them attach their signatures
and you may he sure that there was
no gieam of triumph in his face FIe
knew. though they did not. that they
were signing away all right to
property which they could have legal.
| ly defied him to take from them. For
the fourth man had already signed
away any right he might have had
to Drew. That was why he had been
allowed TO escape with every cirCum-
stance of verisimiitude
x # X
THAT there was something wrong
must have dawned on them when
the smiling French police told them
that they were free. There was no
charge against them that could he
sustained. 1t was at this time that
Inspector Drew first permitted him
self the luxury of a smile.
A little reflection and few inqui.
ries soon made them aware Of the rea.
son for the merriment. Their faces
must have been worth Watching when
they at last fully understood how they
had been outwitted by the calm detec-
tive with the air of a duke. They
were stung to an attempt to fight.
With consummate impudence they be-
gan an action in the French courts
for the return of the gems.
That was great mistake. for the
cautious Drew still had something up
his sleeve. All these men had some
years before been expelled from
France with loss of civil rights. That
meant that they had no standing re-
fore n court. SO they lost their case,
and all that their audacity achieved
was an Ofnef that they should again
be sent out of the country.
The Marques. glad enough to get
his gems back, was not disposed 10 go
to the trouble and expense that would
be involved in bringing the woman
and her lover back from Brazil. Sc
they went free. for the time at least
and Drew was spared a tedious trip
Their further career has no connec
tion with this story.
The hapless Gault served his ser.
tence and on his release returned -
France. He was an amateur in crime.
but nothing else offered itself as 4
means of making a livelihood. At h 8
very first robbery he was captured
and sentenced to n long term of inn.
prisOnment. On becoming free once
more he was disturbed while going
through the fiat of a titled woman
Reckless of all but escape. he killed
her with dagger. lie was run down
and eXpiated his crime on the guillo.
tine.
If in these days you should see a
tall erect, well groomed man with
silver hair and mustache strolling on
the front at Brighton. take some note
Of the jeweled pin he wears in his
necktie. The jewel was stolen from
the Marquess of AnSlesea and when
returned was presented by him tn
Chief Detective Inspector Drew.
fThe end)
fCopyright 1897