The Argosy, March 1907 — page 90: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

ib ear eee 662 : ‘There was fifty thousand dollars’ worth of diamonds in that safe—the property of a client,’ howled the lawyer, ‘and she’s stolen every one of ’em.’ ““Did she burst the safe open?’ I asked in amazement. ‘““ No, she didn’t have to,’ he replied bitterly. ‘That young fool of a Sim- mons must have given her the combina- tion, for she’s opened the safe in the regular way and calmly helped herself to the .diamonds. By Jove! to think that such a charming, innocent-appearing THE ARGOSY. creature could be so slick a thief! I never would have thought it! Il go to the police at once. She must be caught.’ “But as far as I know she hasn’t been caught to this day. And she’s never | come back to accept my proposal of marriage either,” added Jerry, with a sigh. “But she taught me one good lesson, and that is to attend strictly to the business of running this car and not get familiar with my passengers, no mat- ter how pretty and friendly disposed they may be.”’ In the Mouth of the Cte Hore BY CASPER CARSON, Author of “On the Spur of the Moment” and ‘Playing Against the Colors.” The startling train of consequences that arose from the undesired loan of a musical instrument most people would give their boots to possess. e SYNOPSIS—OF CHAPTERS PREVIOUSLY PUBLISHED. In the early morning round-up at the Maiden Lane jewelry establishment of Hermann Brothers, a diamond necklace, valued at thirty-five thousand dollars, fails to tally in the count of articles on hand. It has not been sold, and the manager, Joseph Knipes, is missing. Charles Hermann telephones Mrs. Knipes, and learns from her that her husband was last heard from while calling on Mr. Ezra Green at the Waldree Hotel, in Forty-Fourth Street. Hermann at once calls up Green at the Waldree and, instead of Ezra, gets his son Ted on the wire—a Smart Aleck of a young man with a penchant for amateur detective work. Ted hears enough to know that a valuable necklace is missing, and when he finds that two of his friends in the Waldree, Dave Martin and Hal Francis, have been presented with a piano-player by Bobby Hume, a brother of Mrs. Knipes, he proceeds to build a strong case against that lady. It seems that Hume said they might have the instrument for a few days or some weeks, he could not tell yet, buf Mr. Green happens to know that the thing had been aie to several other people by Mrs, Knipes before her brother undertook to get rid of it for her. Now, Dave Martin is in love with Ellen Knipes, and quarrels with his roommate, Hal Francis, when the latter suggests that, in order to keep their skirts clear of any possible mix-up, they ought to send back the piano-player at once. They draw lots to see who shall leave the apartment; the die falls on Francis, who gets out the same evening. The next day, after Ted Green informs Dave that Detective McNamara is coming at two o’clock to find out if the diamonds are concealed in the piano-player, Dave resolves to run no chances of having Ellen suffer the possible consequences of her father’s disgrace. He takes the instrument apart, finds no diamonds, only a bit of twisted paper with some writing on it, and then, while the piano-player is all dismembered, is called to the ‘phone by Mrs. Knipes, who asks him if he will not be good enough to return the piano-player at once, as she wishes to use it for a luncheon-party she is giving that day. ee CHAPTER VI. PREDICAMENT UPON PREDICAMENT. AVE MARTIN was known amonc - his fellows as a chap who rose splendidly to an emergency. His think- It was idle to think of delaying for ing apparatus never seemed to work more the expedient he had been about to adopt *This story began in the February issue of a ate which will be mailed to any address on receipt 0 cents. clearly than when under the spur of ne- cessity. But here was an ?2xigency which Soored even his inventive powers and paralyzed his ingenuity. Gomichbooks: com