Mrs. Wilson Woodrow

“ ACHISON laughed at his lugubrious tone.
“Oh, cheer up.” he rallied. “You may be about to make the catch of your career. At any rate, let me hope for a bit of excitement on the way over; the voyage bids fair to prove monotonous. An arrest with proper melodramatic trimmings would liven things up wonderfully.”
“I'll leave that to the customs men,” Danby shrugged his shoulders. “There'll be no collar on board. I'm here merely to find out who has the jewels, if it's anybody.” ”

“ Achison regarded the spectacle with jaded eyes. These were the usual passengers of the usual fast ocean liner.
“Given a certain environment,” he murmured, “the types which animate it remain constant; costumes and customs may alter, people never.” He yawned slightly. “Nothing distinctive yet that I can see. The same old bacon-and-eggs crowd.”
“Well, here comes a touch of caviar for you.” There was a faint thrill of triumph in Danby's apathetic drawl. “Joe Snaith. Know him?” ”

“ DANBY and the inspector were carefully closing up the box of jewels and making such explanations as they thought wise to the excited guests. Professor Hammersley was escorting the agitated seeress from the room. Ramsey, on an impulse, left his companion and stepped across to where Achison stood leaning against the mantelpiece.
“Well, once more you play in luck,” he said with bitter significance.
“In luck?” Achison lifted his eyebrows. “I'm afraid I don't know just what you mean. It strikes me that you are the one in luck, if it be lucky to perform a very meritorious and praiseworthy action. ”

“ After a few seconds his eyes dropped.
“You win,” he said sullenly. “There's no other way out. But—” He broke off as if he were choking.
“I wont see you at the séance of course?” Achison inquired placidly.
“No; we'll have to arrange a meeting later. Maybe, though, it would look better if you took some one to Professor Hammersley's with you, some one that couldn't even be questioned.” Snaith was still resentful, furious, but he had his wits about him.
“A good suggestion.” A quizzical twinkle slid into Achison's eye. “I'll take Danby.” ”

“ Snaith's face was black with suspicion; he looked ready to spring.
“It's an inspiration,” chuckled Achison. “Nothing could be more disarming. Who would expect the loot to be carried off right under the watchdog's nose? Besides, it may relieve you from the too-solicitous attentions you complain of. I'll tell Danby you have consulted me about being shadowed, and that after sounding you thoroughly, I am persuaded neither you nor Madame Adelbron are engaged in any nefarious undertakings at the present time? ”

“ I prefer to waive the question of money in dealing with friends. My fee for this service will be Madame Adelbron's old miniature. I have been unable to secure it from Miss Trevelle.”
“Madame will get it from the girl.” Snaith drained his glass with great good humor. “You collectors!” He shook his head as if their ways were past understanding.
“I haven't finished,” Achison announced. “My fee; I say, will be the miniature and—a third of the unset Kreminoff jewels which the package contains.” ”

“ Ramsey interjected; “De Grammont of the classic memoirs!”
“Perhaps?” She arched her brows. “I know more of art than literature. However, on the day that I had a chance to study this miniature of Madame's, I discovered that I was not mistaken in my conjecture. The Petitot signature was there, but hidden under the frame, which had been clumsily repaired.
“But, oh, monsieur!” Her eyes widened and darkened with excitement. “That was not all. The miniature was painted on gold, but it seemed to me its gold back was not merely the reverse of the portrait. ”

“ Be very submissive and humble. Tonight at the séance give the jewels to Achison, just as has been arranged. Then leave the rest to me.”
“But monsieur,” she protested in quick terror, “if their plans are thwarted, they will know that I have done it. They will kill me.”
“Don't be afraid,” he encouraged her “I myself will look out for you and guard you. But if by any chance you should miss seeing me, go at once to this house.” He penciled an address upon a card and handed it to her. “You will find there a lady who is expecting you, and all arrangements made for your comfort and safety. ”

“ You have given me the opportunity that I have been waiting for, that I've been living for. There's an old score to settle between this man Achison and myself. He's the greatest crook in the world, but I've never been able to prove it; he's always been too clever for me. But tonight! ”

“ Danby acquiesced with his usual lack of enthusiasm. “I've already wirelessed the boss to let Snaith and Adelbron have the full program, and on your tip I'll send a further message regarding the girl. Have no fear; old Eagle-eye Cameron will be on hand, and they've got to be wizards if they get anything through under his eye.
“But at that,” he added with a cynical twist of the lips, “I'm gambling that it's all lost motion. All the bulls in Paris can't make me believe the Kreminoff jewels were ever on the Albertic.” ”

“ Whoever has that package will hand it over at once. Otherwise it will be necessary to search every one of you.”
They rose at his demand, and involuntarily each man looked down at the chair in which he had been sitting and on the floor at his feet. Then with a common impulse each thrust his hands into his pockets.
With a startled exclamation Danby drew forth a carefully wrapped parcel, and stood staring at it, his mouth dropping open.
“I've got it, Inspector!” His dry voice was cracked with excitement. “There was nothing in this pocket when I came here. I don't understand. ”

“ A change of plans is necessary. Some one must act as an intermediary.”
“Ah, Snaith, Snaith!” Achison shook a playful finger at him. “You are willfully playing on my weakness.” He raised his eyes accusingly heavenward. “One would think at my age that I would be immune. But trail even the anise-seed bag of an adventure across my path, and I'm off on the scent of it. You remember that phrase we both decided was the one best calculated to stir a man's blood, 'How would you like an adventure with a bit of money on the side?' Here am I, my holiday over, a staid lawyer back at his desk ”

“ But the next day she was angry about it because Monsieur Achison wanted to buy it, and she said that she could get real money for it.”
“What is that?” cried Ramsey sharply. “Achison, did you say? What was he like?”
“A tall man, monsieur, with gray hair back off his brow, and a grand manner. I understand that he is a great lawyer here in New York. But, oh,”—with a wail,—“I saw him when he examined the miniature and he knew, he knew..... Why, though, do you look so strangely?” ”

“ THE group assembled in Professor Hammersley's home that evening was small but carefully selected. It was composed of men of more or less scientific attainment, whose attitude toward the whole affair was speculative, open-minded and yet, either passively or actively critical The only “outsiders,” as they might be called, were Achison and Danby, who came in rather late and together. ”

“ She permitted herself to be bound hand and foot and tied to her chair, and then at her word of command, a table rose apparently of its own volition and remained suspended a few moments in the air. A vase of flowers on the mantelpiece was removed by some force other than recognized human agency and carefully deposited on a cabinet at the other side of the room. ”

“ You'd have laughed at the seeress, though. That old black bag of hers was choked up with her tin breastplates and tiaras, but she couldn't have made more fuss about handling them if they'd been the crown jewels. Two of us turned the stuff out in a pile—I'd been over her junk until I knew it all by heart—and then we went into the lining of the bag, looking for padded inner compartments. But as I say, it was all time wasted. My theory's the right one. If the Kreminoff jewels are coming over here at all, they'll be brought on some small boat to another port. ”

“ Achison was nonchalantly lighting a cigarette, but no detail of the man approaching was lost upon him. “And why look further?” he asked under his breath. “A famous international crook on board; what more do you want?”
The fellow who swung by them appeared to be a well-bred, well-dressed Englishman of medium size and with a ruddy, tanned face under the visor of his cap. He might have been about thirty-five years old.
“That's the trouble. It's so obvious that it's sure to be wrong.” Danby shook his head pessimistically. “Besides, he'd never try to get by with the stuff himself ”

“ It is this way. I have had to take all of those beautiful jewels out of their cheap settings again. Tonight, while the room is dark at Professor Hammersley's séance, I am to give them to Monsieur Achison. For some service he is doing Madame, he has demanded the Petitot miniature. ”

“ Pressing this, the case opened, and inside was engraved in old script the letters, 'E. H. to P. de G.' Of course that could only mean, Elizabeth Hamilton to Philibert de Grammont.”
“Seems conclusive,” Ramsey agreed. “But even so,”—with a puzzled expression—“I don't quite see why you wouldn't sell to Achison when you had the chance. He offered to take the thing at your own valuation, you say.”
“Ah! But that was when he thought I knew nothing of its value,” she returned shrewdly. “And even suppose he would have paid as much as Señor Sevrilla, monsieur, there is still the matter of sentiment. ”

“ I just can't see it.”
“Why not?” asked Achison curiously.
“Well, in the first place, look at the layout.” Danby spoke with a sort of weary patience. “Those jewels were in a safe in this Kreminoff's house in Paris, about all the poor refugee had left, I imagine, that was capable of being turned into cash. He was deep in negotiations to dispose of part of them, but the collection was so far intact. He entertained a good deal,—Lord knows how: on credit, I suppose,—and all sorts could be seen among his guests. A duchess or a dancer, a crown or a crook ”

“ But the important point, mind you, is that she gave a séance at Kreminoff's house just two nights before the robbery was discovered.”
Achison smiled broadly.
“Danby, you are insatiable; even the spooks are not free from your suspicion. As for the lady, she may be, as you say, a great medium, but she is evidently not in communication with the best dressmakers in the Great Beyond; and if she has the jewels, she must have been openly wearing all of them last night. She was laden with a ton or more of Oriental stuff ”