The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-11-09

"By This Time ! Understand Thor.
oughly My Son in-Law's Character
and Know That He's a Rotter."
manufactured by the Portland Cement
company. But in this case their con.
illusions happened to be correct"
Zone of the servants?"
"No."
"You interest me-"
81 meant to-" The eyes of the two
men met for an instant, and then the
lawyer rose and turned to the little
safe that stood behind his desk, swung
back the door upon its hinges, opened
a drawer, carried II to his desk, and
took from it parcel wrapped in COM
mon brown paper and tied carelessly
with bit Of red Irvine. He fumbled
it a bit-to tell the truth. his fingers
shook a little. But in a moment the
knot yielded, and the paper was un.
folded. revealing chamois bag. This
also the lawyer opened, thrust his
hand within, seized the contents, and
threw them upon the desk. There lay
the Colby necklace!
Stanley stared with his mouth open.
Presently he found a cigarette and lit
it. He waited, but the lawyer said
nothing-merely kept on staring az
the jewels. Stanley was the first to
speak.
"And why, may ASK" he said, did
you steal these jewels?"
Don't be an ass" retorted the law
yer. you know who stole them as
we'll as | do"
"No, don't"
"Well. if you don't. then you are
the ass, not l."
Stanley reflected moment before
he inquired suavely, as it possible
that you refrain from mentioning the
name of the thief because of my long
frienship for him?"
The lawyer did not answer. He
seized the jewels, thrust them back
into the channels bag, drew the run,
ming cord that closed the bag. "Jim,"
he said. "have you seen my son-in-law
since your return?"
"Once."
"And when was that?"
"On Monday evening when called
on Doris"
"See anything unusual about him?"
81 saw that he was drunk"
"That, regret to say, is not un
usual"
Forty eight hours earlier this an
nouncement would have come as a
shock to Stanley. Now 1t produced
no impression on him whatever. His
mind was busy on another tack.
"Mr. Colby he asked, "has tie per
son who stole these diamonds any no
ton as to their present whereaboutsT
"None whatever" replied the lawyer
promptly.
Are you sure"
Absolutely certain"
The lawyer hitched his chair closer
to the one in which Stanley was sit
ting. "Jim," he said, 'I'm going to be
frank with you. What | say will
grieve and shock you, and perhaps
you Will be angry with me. Your
friendship with my son-in-law is al
most proverbial among those who
know you both. And yet you know
me well. You know that | am not a
man to take sudden and violent dis
like to any human being, nor man
who forms positive conclusions upon
insufficient evidence"
Jim nodded, and Mr.. Colby hurried
on:
Now, am going to say things TO
you that | have never said to any hui.
man being. When my daughter mar
ried made up my mind never to in
terfere in her marriage in any way,
except on her request. | have kept
that promise to myself. have seen
things going from bad TO worse. until
now | know that the marriage is a
wreck and that Doris happiness is
ruined. By this time | understand
thoroughly my son-in-laws character
and know that he's q rotter. He is
libertine, liar. and drunkard. He
is also thief. Now" and he glared de-