wallet.

The colonel held up a protesting hand.

"Please don't--not yet," he said. "I can not accept a retaining fee
until I have heard more of your case. It may be that I can not serve
you. Give me some inkling of what you want. I hope you are not in
serious trouble."

"It is serious--for me."

"Then I hope I can help you. Please be as frank as you think best.
The franker you are, the fewer questions I shall have to ask. Go on."

"Well then, I want to find a certain valuable diamond cross."

"A diamond cross?"

"Yes. I don't know just what it is worth, but I believe a small
fortune."

"And was it stolen from you?"

"No. Though I do own a store where jewelry is sold, we don't carry an
expensive line. This cross belonged to a friend of mine. She had it
on when we were out walking together, and--well, it became damaged and
I asked her to let me take it to have it repaired."

"Nothing very complicated or troublesome in that. I suppose the cross
was stolen from you while it was temporarily in your possession, and
you don't like to let your friend know, for fear she may suspect you.
Such things have happened. Did you ever read de Maupassant's 'Diamond
Necklace?'"

"I never did."

"I'd advise you to. Also Walton."

"Is he a jeweler?"

"Lord, no! But I beg your pardon. Let us keep to the subject. So you
don't dare tell your friend the diamond cross is gone?"

"Oh, yes, she knows it."

"Then why the worry, except about getting it back?"

"Well, there are complications. You see her husband--"

"Oh, ho!"

There was a world of meaning in that exclamation. Aaron Grafton turned
a deep red and bit his lips. Colonel Ashley saw his annoyance.

"Look here!" exclaimed the old detective. "I really shouldn't have
said that. But we detectives are used to all sorts of complications,
and, more than once, they have to do with women. Often enough there is
nothing more serious than a little indiscretion, but I can see where
outsiders might make trouble--particularly _husbands_. I take it then
that you and the lady were out together without her husband knowing it."

"I _hope_ he doesn't know of it, for though, on my honor, there was
nothing wrong in our being together, it might be hard to make _him_
believe that."

"I quite agree with you--particularly if he were jealous, as many
husbands are. So you want me to try to get this diamond cross,
belonging to the married lady, back for you without her husband knowing
anything about it?"

"That's it!"

"Where were you when you were robbed of it?"

"I wasn't robbed of it. I never said I was."

"Oh, I beg your pardon, I must have inferred that. Please go on, and,
if you don't mind my asking you, kindly get to the point."

"I beg your pardon. Perhaps I am beating about the bush. Well, I'll
be as frank as I can. Do you want me to give names?"

"It would be better, since I already know yours. I shall keep them in
strict confidence, however, now that I am fairly well assured there is
no ulterior motive in your visit to me. Proceed."

"Well, then, the diamond cross, which is worth I don't know how many
thousand dollars, belongs to Mrs. Cynthia Larch, the wife of Langford
Larch, who keeps a large hotel in--"

"Colchester! I know the place. Go on!" interrupted Colonel Ashley.
"I have stopped there on fishing trips," he added, as his caller looked
a bit surprised.

"Oh, I didn't know that. Well, this was Mrs. Larch's cross. It is a
family heirloom I believe, though many suppose her husband gave it to
her for a wedding present. That is not so, however. I know Cynthia
had the cross before she was married."

"You call her Cynthia?"


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