"Mr. Killigrew," whispered Haggerty, "will you get Miss Kitty an'

Thomas int' th' study-end o' th' library?"

"Found anything?"

"Th' sapphires were in his trunk, all right. Tucked away in th' toes

of a pair o' shoes. Webb is in th' library now. Jus' get Miss Kitty."

"Very well," replied Killigrew, leaden-hearted.

Thomas had been busy all day. He was growing very tired, and often now

the point of his pen sputtered. The second man had brought in his

dinner and set it on a small stand which stood at the right of the

desk. It was growing cold on the tray. A sound. He glanced up

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wearily. He saw Kitty and Killigrew, and behind them the sardonic

visage of Haggerty. Thomas got up slowly.

"Take it easy, Mr. Webb," warned Haggerty. "Go on, Miss Killigrew, an'

we'll see first if you've hit it."

Thomas stared, wide-eyed, from face to face. What in heaven's name had

happened? What was this blighter of a detective doing at the villa?

And why was Kitty so white?

"Mr. Webb," began Kitty, striving hard to maintain even tones, "on the

night of May 13, you and Lord Henry Monckton stood on the curb outside

my carriage, near the Garden, where I was blockaded in the fog. I

heard your voices. There was talk about a wager. The time imposed

upon the fulfilment of this wager was six months. Shortly after, Lord

Monckton entered my carriage under the pretense of getting into his own

and took my necklace of sapphires. He did it very cleverly. Then they

were turned over to you. You were to carry them for six months, find

out to whom they belonged, and return them."

"Thousands of miles away," said Haggerty confidently. "Nothing ever

happened like that."

"Is it not true?" asked Kitty, ignoring Haggerty's interpolation.

"Miss Killigrew, either I'm dreaming or you are. I haven't the

slightest idea what you are talking about." Thomas was now whiter than

Kitty. "The talk about a wager is true; but I never knew you had lost

any sapphires."

"How about this little chamois-bag which I found in your trunk, Mr.

Webb?" asked Haggerty ironically. He tossed the bag on the desk.

The bag hypnotized Thomas. Suddenly he came to life. He snatched up

the bag and thrust it into his pocket.

"Those are mine," he said quite calmly. "Mine, by every legal and

moral right in the world. Mine!"




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