Christopher and the Clockmakers

bbery by having Corrigan call up the firm and announce that Stuart, want

It has neither put in its appearance at any of the pawnshops nor have we been able to trace th

ony-Stuart's accomplice, either?"

am sorr

gement the senior partn

opinion we can bid good-by to those diamonds and accept our bur

ventured the optimistic Christopher, who

ead. "More likely he has decided New York is too

asserted the habitual

ssi

an air indicative that at least, so far as he was concerned, the possibility he

heavens, a grimy communication postmarked Chicago was brought to Christoph

e messenger, whose duty it was to distribute the store mail. "

urton

and Norcross

ork C

, forgetting in his excitement and curio

rding with amusement its

very dressy stationery on

that is what you're expecting," grinned the boy, n

r tore open the envelope he held and drew from it a

the sparklers will do me no good. At 184 Speedwell St. (Suite 6) I hold a room under the name of Carlton. You will find the loot hidden in the flooring under a narrow board between the radiator and the window. The police will be only too glad to help you reclaim it. There are a few other trinkets

d yet, overmastering this disbelief was a certainty that the writer of the letter was speaking the truth. Urged on by some whim of his own, some impulse so subtle it defied analysis, Stuart was returning the property he had stolen. Perhaps remorse had

ng it, could not but speculate as to how it had struggled to freedom. Through what strange hands had it passed,-what mazes of strategy and concealment? Ah, it was futile to attempt to trace its devious trail. Here it

sort of a surprise for you. He's written me!

an and interrupting my work? Have you forgotten this is my private office? Offer your

ad. I was so

you are excited. Pray calm yourself and sit down quie

s,

into a big leather chair i

rge Washington has been received, and is in every way satisfacto

ourteous and reliabl

y yo

ark Antony Bu

p and leaned back in his

Also the two cablegrams I dictated. That will be all at prese

the words, and with enthusiasm quenched, the lad silen

is?" Mr. B

an rea

er. What have you been doing

at way whe

Came fr

it and

ther beginning nor end

t came throu

his pocket, Christopher p

ver, did not hee

server less keen than his son could have detected that the major portion of his mind was still occupied by the cablegrams and dictation

hing, saw his figure become tense, an

t of his customary dignity. "It's from

d to te

you had anything as important as th

ing to, o

days' wonder if we should get those stones back. The insurance money was no compensation for them. We could not buy three such perfectly matched diamonds had we ten

eached for t

vously drummed on his desk. Then he leaned forward expectantly. "Mr. Corrigan? This is Mr. Burton speaking. I've some news for you. My son has this morning received from Chicago a letter purporting to c

oming up

way. A queer thing-that letter. I h

or

of a thief relenting an

esn't-usually," s

e?" mused Burton, Senior

xplains, he is in for a long prison term an

finding them when he gets out. If they are well concealed it i

hat Christopher dared not interrupt it, and accordingly th

see the inspector was mo

gether with the stump of a pencil. Those fellows are pretty clever; and Stuart probably got some chap whose sentence was up to mail it when he went out. He would hardly risk sending information like th

etter is genuine?"

was prompted to return the ring for the very reasons he states-he took a f

ave left them w

re might destroy it. In any of these cases the jewels would be lost to Stuart. Moreover, even if he tried to recover them years hence, it might be very difficult to do so. He weighed all these considerations, you may be sure, b

follow up t

I do. And what is more, I mean to lose no

Christopher, a

sked the inspector, turning towa

t I was goin

hink you've earned the rig

cried Ch

e th

ou hardly know what you are going to get into. It may be a trap of some

sent the note to you or to me, I should be on my guard; but as it has come to C

the sake of ever

urton. Don't you worry about t

mean to take

get my men together and the nec

g with you?" Christoph

g been mixed up in it from the first. Besides, remember we have him to thank for every clew we have succeeded in getting. It was he who witnessed the robbery; he

stations ever since he came into this store. I didn't bring him here for any such purpose. Why, he has secured mo

you thought of that? Crime isn't very a

e," agreed B

won't hurt him. It has been a grim, sad adventure in

ue. Certainly evil

the meantime they lead the lives of hunted foxes, never knowing a safe or peaceful moment. Some may call that happiness, but I don't. When you make of yourself an outlaw and cut yourself off from the big universe of decent p

med to in h

hosen. Could he start over, he would follow the other path. He as good as says so himself. They are all like that when you get them at their

his street he mentions is?

s room thought him a gentleman. He could ape one when he tried. Moreover, he had a good deal of the gentleman in him. Pr

s a

It is a tragedy," declared Corrig