NEEDED.

Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 41, 22 May 1906, Page 2

NEEDED.

Herlock Shomc-L, the celebrated detective, was strolling along Oxfordstreet, when he observed a wellknown jeweller, whose acquaintance he had made through a case of embezzlement, standing in his doorway, and smilling in a most aggressive manner. "Good-morning, Mr. Ephraim," said Herlock. "What makes you look so pleased ?" "Why, to tell you the fcfw'th," replied the jeweller, "I was just thinking how much better a sensible man ’’ "Like yourself ?" "Well, yes—can get along without the assistance of the police, it anything goes wrong, than with all the rigmarole and red tape of the ruminal Investigation Department, ami the police court and the Old Ba d y, with loss of time and temper and money." "How does this apply in panic l .: lar ?" asked the detective. "Why, just now I had a customer '•* a regular swell he was, and no mistake—who wanted some diamond rings, and while admiring and pricing them, my assistant saw him pop one into his pocket. He didn’t buy, and as he went out my shopman told me, and I followed him, intending to bring him back and give him into custody ; but just as I was going to put my hand on his shoulder, a respectable servant sort of man came up and said : " ‘Beg pardon, sir, but has my master been up to his tricks again ?’ " ‘He has just taken a diamond ring out of my shop,’ " I replied. " ‘I was afraid so,' " said the servant. ‘ "He suffers from kleptomania, poor old gentleman, and lie can't help it ; but I am employed to follow him up and make things right. How much is the ring, please ?’ " "The ring was only a sixty-guinea one ; but-when I looked at the man’s well-filled purse, and thought of the unpleasantness and inconvenience I had been put to, I considered that I was justified in charging him a hundred. He paid without a murmur, took his receipt, and followed his guv’nor?*' "M'yes," said Herlock. "Did he pay you in notes ?" "Why, of course—people don’t carry that amount of gold about with them, as a rule." "I thought so," observed the detective. "This is one of Slippery Jem’s tricks, I’ll bet Lombard-street to an orange. Let's have a look at the notes." Mr. Ephraim rushed inside and took the notes out of his cash box. Aids ! it was too true, and with a wild, despairing cry he acknowledged that they were counterfeit, and had been done again.