Evening star., 1933-01-01
a ~( AG
X& by WILCOX PUTNAM
by NINA WILCOX PUTNAM

tesy to an old man, this once. In a
few minutes we viii eat. We wait for
old Jessant."
"I ought not to stay for dinner" said
Alacia. not, however, showing any signs
Of moving
"You must stay for dinner!" said her
host emphatically. II have just done
battle with the cook, and If you don't
stay now, she will murder me, and the
prefet will have new problem on his
hands when he arrives"
As a matter of fact, the prefet al
ready had new problem on his hands
when, few moments later, he puffed
into the room and after being presented
to Alacia. whose hand he kissed with a
remarkable grace, lowered himself into
the largest chair and made his an
nouncement.
"You remember those pieces Of paper
I took from your shop, eh, Piron?" he
began. THE ones the rubies had been
wrapped in? Well, I took them, of
course, for the fingerprints. How many
people touched that paper?" he asked,
turning to Armand.
Not more than four" Said De Pas
after a moments reflection. You see.
the jeweler, Jacques, has a pile of this
stuff on his work bench. He places
the stones on thin layer Of cotton and
then folds them into the little envelope
like parcels. myself put them into
the tray OF the safe, after which they
were counted by the two other men,"
"Alors" said Jessant. gleefully. Then
you will be very interested to hear
that there was only one set of finger
prints on the paper took away with
me, and they were not yours, my dear
Armand. Do you, by chance, remem-
Der how you handled the packages when
you opened them to show the jewels
to Nine. Sayers?"
"As a matter Of fact, dol" Armand
admitted. AS 1t was my first big job,
guess I was little nervous and I
spilled them out. The packets were
not folded very tightly and shook the
stones out from one end"
That means your hand only came
in contact with the folded edge" said
M. Jessant, 'and consequently left
little or no impression. But the other
fellows thumb and forefinger show
clearly on every one of them!"
"As a matter Of fact" Armand
corrected him. "I used the little pliers,
and didn't actually touch any Of them"
"In that event" said the prefet,
compliantly, 1--WE are a great deal closer
to our man than we were couple OF
hours ago. Tomorrow, my dear Piron,
we will arrange to fingerprint all your
employees who might conceivably be
involved. I can promise you to have
it done quietly in your private office
II you like. That will be less con-
spicuous and painful for the innocent,
who may afterward destroy their print
ings."
"But, can you do that?" asked Ar
mand "I mean fingerprint a man
without convicting him first, unless he
volunteers, as I did?"
What innocent man will not vol
unteer?" asked M. Jessant. THE man
who objects, probably has something
interesting on his dosSier!"
Then does this let me out?" De Pas
asked eagerly. II mean, does 1t effect
my release? The pearls" he added,
"can be explained" Alacia gave per-
mission, with a glance yet when M.
Jessant had heard the whole story,
he still shook his head dubiously.
There was never any doubt in my
own mind" he said, about Armand's
being innocent. But the law of France
assumes that man Is guilty until he
is proven without blame. And, until
the Jewels are discovered or some posi-
tive proof is brought against another
person, he will remain under arrest.
It cannot be avoided"
The word "dossier" awakened an i'm
portant idea in Alacia's mind. That
was what Armand had spoken OF when
they had discussed Santini, and at the
thought she also remembered her lover
had been dining with the prefet that
f1.l,A T0x. he nf
what could be done investigating the
man. Well, Armand was dining with
him after all, as it turned out, and
there was no time like the present, so
she brought the question up herself.
And for the second time within half
an hour the police official listened to
very unusual story from her lips, for
Alacia included Victorines charges in
her recital. Jessant listened attentively
and made few notes.
"Victorine is all you know Of the
girls name, eh?" he questioned. Poor
souls, there are probably a thousand
Victorines In this city! But, perhaps,
even so we can locate her and find
out what she knows. AS for Santini,
1 don't think I ever heard his name
until this afternoon. He was the chap
who insisted upon being searched ahead
of the others, Ell? A typical gigolo,
one would say, except that he appears
more sportif. I mean stronger physi-
cally than the average run of his kind.
If YOU like, I'll just call headquarters
and have them look him up"
So far as Alacia was concerned,
madame la cuisinere might as well have
put water in the creme de tomato st.
Benedite and been done with it, for
the food set before her was left un-
touched. All during the meal the girl
was listening intently for the telephone
to tinkle when police headquarters
would call back. What information
would they yet concerning the young
man who wns most likely dining at
her mothers table that moment, being
fed by the very woman whose interests
he was planning to betray? In her
nervousness Alacia was wholly unable
10 eat, but the three men seemed to
have forgotten there was such thing
as a police record in the world and
tackled the excellent meal with appre-
citation. M. Jessant was in the midst
of explaining to Armand just how dis
appointed Nine Jessant was at the loss
OF this opportunity to offer him the
bouillabaisse she had prepared, when
the telephone rang at last, and the
chief Of police reluctantly left half
/ .Fa< a<~1