THE TENTH EMERALD

Waikato Times, Volume 118, Issue 19663, 24 August 1935, Page 4

THE TENTH EMERALD

By LINDSAY HAMILTON

Etc., Etc.)

SYNOPSIS. Clive Anstey is the rcimagm? airector or the Continental branch ol Anstey ana White, Jewellers ancl art dealers. Son e months afro an emerald cross, contain! fe ten stones, once the property or bou XIV. came into his hands. He sent It to his firm in London. . „ _ nrNUl . . Arnold Mortimer, who has done coirsi erable business Tor Anstey and wnlies with collectors, takes charge of the and offers to find a customer for u „ at i 3 wnlle It Is In his possession his nav burgled and the cross stolen. For certain reasons Clive suspect 1 timer of raking the robbery, andAT 1 o ' r to hint from Paris under the naß \, nue Eden, posing as a collector of antum_ Egyptian emeralds. The halt is success rul, for after an Interval Mortimer - that he lias been fortunate enou^t„ to ; Eden three exceptionally nne mpnt Ann Littlejohn, In an effort to au^m ® her widowed mother’s income, ana to tain necessary delicacies for her criPP brother, takes a Job at Simon’s Curio Shop in the Brcmpton Road. Betty Vich®" fellow worker, an'd is engaged to tor, old Simon’s son. , tVl p Joe Bland, an ex-C.I.D. man, not on me straight, Is In Mortimer’s pay. Mortimer has a half-brother Ra»pm whom he uses as his pawn. The relauo between the two Is kept secret. - Mortimer often lias business with o Simon, and Is a regular visitor shop. n« is in love with Ann. He invites Ann, Betty and Victor to dinner In nis uai. While the party is lr. progress, taen calls, and Is invited to Join them. Altai dinner Mortimer produces the tnie emeralds. Suddenly there is a craaa 1 i the landing outside. Phelps, the elde y butler, has apparently fallen aowff r* stairs with a tray of crockery. (Euen, iu his own ends, has previously ‘ arra, ' a °. r , ( , ibis crash with Phelps). On re-entering the room two of the emeralds are missing. ■ All are willing to be searched except Ann. Sho, on a sudden Impulse, has put a sprig or grapes Into her handbag to' taice home to her brother. The discovery ol them would be too humiliating. Clive, who has fallen In love with her, offers to escort her home. He lakes net to a restaurant and there produces one m, the emeralds from his pipe. (He himsen Is puzzled as to the disappearance of tne second stone.) CHAPTER X—(Continued.) | Nothing could have been more satisfactory to Mortimer. If Anstey recovered . and began to talk it woulc! •be the simplest matter to discredit his story- Justifiable annoyance and i talk of bringing a libel action, reluotjant agreement to let the matter drop lin view of the sad circumstances ] that would be Hie line to take up. Completely reassured, he now went ! ahead iboTdtv with his. plans. Van ! Plcyden’s agent was due Into South- ' amplon on the following Friday morning- Ralph was to do the job at Sil•Chester on Thursday night. He would deposit the chalice with Simon. Bland would take it to Southampton by the early morning train. An meanwhile, Mortimer would be just starting his honeymoon. A clever touch that! Not even the most suspicious would con- : nect a bridegroom with the planning | of such a coup on his wedding day. ■ The wedding was to lake place on Thursday afiternoion. Ho I'oulrKl it hard to realise his good fortune. When tie had urged an early wedding ho had hardly expected such complete agreement from Aim.

“ As soon as you like, Arnold." she had said.

“Then why not next week?" and ho watched for any sign of astonishment on her lace. But she bad simply nodded. “Thursday?" he suggostod“That .would do quite, well. The sooner th f e better, I suppose." , In his intoxication he failed to notice the strange Indifference in her voice and manner. It wao enough that she consented Everything was arranged. Mrs Littlejohn was to give up the flat and unitll it was possible to itake over •*. Whitelands ” again for Johnny and nerself, she would join them aftef the honeymoon at Mortimer’s country house. “ Whitelands" was within easy reach, so Ann could see plenty of her mother. Johnny was to be admitted to a nursing home as soon as there was a bejl vacant to undergo treatment by a specialist Two days before the wedding there was an unlooked for development in the Anstey affair. When a message came through from the lodge that an officer of the C.I.D. requested an Interview, Mortimer thought Clive Anstey must have recovered sufficiently to got in touch with Scotland Yard. This man, Phelps, was here to make tentative inquiries. If he had come with a search warrant he would not have “requested" an interview. Mortimer prepared to enjoy a duel of wits. "Well, what can I do for you?" said Mortimer genially, and led the visitor into his strong room office. Sergeant Phelps laid Ills hat on the table and sealed _himself. His manner was very respectful if a trifle matter-of-fact. "It’s about that burglary you had here a month or two ago.” he began. “I wasn’t on the case, but I’ve been sent to report." “I’d almost forgotten about It," said Mortimer, smiling. “That’s one for us,’’ Phelps admitted dryly. “Well, I daresay we do seem a bit slow at times. But you must admit we get there, Mr Mortimer, we pet there." "So you’ve got him then? Good work!"

“Well, no, we haven’t, sot him, but we’ve got one of the stones,” replied Phelps. Mortimer coolly offered him a cigar and lit, one himself. “Well, that’s something,” he agreed with the faintest tinge of disappointment-in his manner. “Though, of course, it wasn’t my loss. You know that, I suppose. The cross belonged to Anstcy and White’s.”

“That’s so. But I’ve been sent along to report, to you. The Paris police arrested a man who was trying to dispose of it, lie won’t say how he got it. But lie’s a well-known pickpocket, so that don’t help us much."

Mortimer was thinking swiftly. It looked as if Anstey’s belongings had been ransacked during his transit to hospital. If so, that was another stroke of luck. . On the other hand, was Phelps keeping some card up his sleeve? Had Anstey reported the theft? In that case, Phelps must have good reason for not saying so. “Thanks for letting me know," said Mortimer with a show of Interest, “But we seem to be no nearer laying hands on the man who smashed my safe. The fellow whose pockets were picked may. of course, be the thief, but' it doesn’t follow. Stolen gems sometimes pass through scores of hands before reaching a buyer, so I’m told. Tracing that one stone looks more like luck to me than anything else." “That’s about the size of it," Phelps admitted. Ho glanced around the strongroom appreciating its arrangements". “You certainly don’t Intend to be dono a second time, Mr Mortimer.” “Xo. I do not,” said Mortimer, tersely. “Was that the safe?” “No. Tint’s a. new one. The ’“vtest of its kind.”

(Author of “The Black Asp," “John Smith —Blackmailer,"

“I reckon you must keep a tidy fortune in there,” hazarded the Sergeant. “What is there—half a million? Must he to make you construct a room like this for it." .Mortimer laughed. “1 do _ sometimes have valuables to a considerable amount in my care,” he replied. “Other people’s property, of course. Hence the unusual precautions. But at the moment I have v ery little of interest or value”—he shot a keen glance at Phelps, wondering was this another move in the game-—“ Are you Interested in safes? Would ’jiou care to see the interior arrangements?’ Phelps did not seem to leap at the offer, which quickened Mortimer s suspicions that he was dying to get a look inside, but did not wish to appear too eager. “Why, that’s very kind of you, Mr Mortimer. If you really mean It I won’t refuse •such an offer. can learn.too much in our Job.” Mortimer played him like a fish. He looked at his watch. “By Jove! How the time flies," he observed ruefully. “I won’t keep you, sir, If you’ve got an appointment.” “As a matter of fact I have,’ said Mortimer. Phelps, without more ado, picked up his hat. Watching him keenly, Mortimer thought he detected a gleam of triumph in his eye. Now was the time to damp it for good. “'However,” he added, “it won t take long. And if you are interested in precious stones I can perhaps give you a few hints."

He produced keys and opened the safe. Then, with Phelps looking over his shoulder, he went through the contents, leaving no drawer or compartment untouched. And all the while he talked Interestingly about gems. He closed the safe again. "No emeralds this time, I see,” Phelps observed, meaningly. “And 1 don’t wonder. I should think you reckon they’re your unlucky stone." Mortimer scented hidden danger. Swift intuition had helped him a score ■of times before. It came to his aid now. putting the words Into his mouth before thought had time to confirm their wisdom.

“They are," ’he said. “Only a week ago I lost two very valuable emeralds here in this flat. It was the ( most extraordinary thing. . . . but they turned up again. I got rid of them a few days ago." “Yes, I heard about it," said Phelps casually. "My old man was waiter here. I didn’t take much notice of what he said. He’s getting old and wanders a bit at times. And I knew you would have reported It If there was any truth in it.

Phelps! That had been the waiter’s name. He had not even thought of connecting the two. Who would suspect a coincidence? Mortimer realised how near he had come to cracking the thin ice. As it was he had come safely across.

“Thanks for calling," he said genially. ’ “And now I’m sorry to hurry you off, hut. I’m meeting, by fiancee and it wouldn’t do to keep her waiting."

“Congratulations 1" said Phelps frrim the door. '

j'Pop round Thursday evening •ap'd you can drink our health,f invited Mortimer. “Before 7 o’clock though; our train leaves at 7.30.” “Well, if that isn’t Just my luck!" said Phelps. "I’ll be 'on duty." When he hRd gone Mortimer threw back his head and laughed. Sergeant 'Phelps might he cleverer than he looked. If so, he ,had gone away with a flea In his ear. All the same, It would he well to make sure whether Anstey was not at the bottom of it. Tie got In touch with Bland and gave him certain instructions. When he returned late that night Bland's answer was waiting for him. It was: “Stiles says ‘still no change’.’’

CHAPTER XI. Mrs' Littlejohn seldom did a thing on her own initiative without worrying herself almost sick about it afterwards. If it was a letter she was posting, no sooner was it beyond recall than all 'kinds of doubts began to assail her: had she stuck it down properly? —had she stamped it?— was the stamp on upside-down?—had she really enclosed the letter? —was it the right one?—wouldn’t, it have been better if she had worded it differently?—perhaps it would have been wiser not to have written at all. The most trivial affairs took on a tremendous significance, and where any choice was offered it. was like coming upon a cross-road in life. One way was bound to be right, and the other wrong, and would lead to certain disaster. Faced from day to day with frightening situations of this kind, she had adopted the simple expedient of closing her eyes, but no sooner had she drifted past one way or the other than a hundred logical proofs that the other way had been the right one would leap out upon her tormentingly.

But where the derisions belonged •to others it was not so difficult to see which was the right and which the wrong. Quite naturally she judg'd life by her own experience of it. It was so right that Ann should marry, and she could hardly hope to make a better match. The happiest time of her own lire had boon with Edward. It would he the same for Ann. Ann simply did no! understand. Rut one had to experience it before one could. Rite remembered how Edward had had to almost force her to the altar rails. Rite had not really loved him then. That had followed. So it would with Ann. So Mrs Eitlteiohn had reasoned, while Ann refused lo hear of marrying, lint, now that she had so suddenly surrendered. instead of satisfaction. Mrs T.illleiolm was filled with disturbing dmihls Hint grew more alarming from day to day. Such haste to gel married was most unseemly. And I lie change in Ann worried her. The difficulty once had been to get iter to keen still for two minutes on end: she was always overflowing with vitality and the urge to he up and doing: her gaiety at times had been positively reckless. Bui nowadays she seldom laughed outright, and when she did smile if. was a sad. sober-minded smite. Yet she talked without constrain!. of her marriage, and plans for the future. Never with enthusiasm though. The conviction was growing in Mrs ■Lit,lleiohn’s mind that Ann would never have accepted Arnold if she had considered only her own desires. Was it for Johnny and her mother?' That would he terrible. For how could Mrs Littlejohn ever know a moment's happiness if Ann sacrificed her own happiness in that way? (To he continued.)