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left, his attention was drawn off by onc of the assistants coming to him to ask a question, and during that time he had little doubt she availed herself of the opportunity to abstract the pendant from the jewel tray upon which he had displayed the things for her mspece- tion.

On her deciding not to purchase then, he placed the tray temporarily mn the glass case on the counter, locked the case, putting the key in his pocket, and then conducted Miss Artois to her brougham. He was certamly not absent more than five minutes. By that time there were very few people in the shop, and he procecaed mmmediately to the case, took out the tray and began to sort the jewels preparatory to restoring them to thenr re- spective positions amongst the stock. It was then he missed the pendant which Miss Artois had examined with eager interest, and had asked him many questions about the quality of the stones, their intrinsic value, and ther sctting. The pendant had originally been made to the order of a lady of title from specially selected stones ; but she died before the order was completed, and her executors declined to take the pendant, and, thercfore, in order to dispose of it quickly, the firm had offered 1t for sale at the low price ol onc thousand pounds.

As soor as he discovered the loss M. Coleman ran out of the shop and down the strect, and passing a policeman on the way, he demanded his services. As it was the bustest

part of the day there was a great deal of

traffic, and Miss Artois’ brougham had been unable to proceed very far. So convineed was he in his own mind that she was guilty, that though he was fully alive to the risks he ran if he made a mistake, he did not hesitate to give her into custody, and he was quite prepared to stand or fall by his act.

Although I subjected Mr. Coleman to a very closc questioning, 1T could not shake his cvidence n any way. 1 pomted out to him that therc was onc serious fact i connection with the case, and that was, he had faled to find the pendant either in the brougham or on Miss Artois’ person; and that, however morally certain he might be that the young lady was guilty, no magistrate would convict her on such evidence.

“T am awarce of that,” answered Mr. Cole- man, “but I have employed Detective Spie- clemann, of Scotland Yard, to make some inquiries about the lady, and he informs me that on vartous occasions when she has visited the shops of well-known tradesmen, goods have afterwards been missed. The vicetims

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have almost nvariably been jewellers, and the property purlomned has generally been of great value.”

“ I that 1s correct there s prima facie evi- denee,” T answered 5 “but still) suspicion 1s not proof, and unless you have something better to offer, 1 have no hesitation in saying you will fail to sceure a conviction.”

Mr. Coleman appeared, for the first time, to be a hittle disconcerted, and T fancied that I detected signs in his face that he felt he had been somewhat hasty. Nevertheless, he reasserted his belief that the young lady was guilty, though he was utterly unable to suggest what had become of the stolen pendant. IFemale searchers had subjected Miss Artois to the most rigorous examination, and every nook and cranny of the brougham had been scarched.

“ May I ask, Mr. Coleman, if Spicglemann was present when the scarch was made?” 1 mquired pomtedly.

“Ohy, ves,” exclumed Coleman. *“ He happened to be e the Yard at the time, and conducted the scarch.”

“Indeed. And did he think of scarching the coachman who drove the brougham?”

As I asked this question, a pallor of alarm spread atsell over Coleman’s face, and he and Mr. Whitney looked at cach other, as cach saw, for the first time, that a grave oversight had heen committed.

Dectective Spieglemann was a German, who had long been attached to the force of Scotland Yard. But though he bore the reputation of being almost preternaturally acute, I had never been able to regard him m any other hight than as a very ordinary person, whose German stolidity prevented him from getting out of well-worn grooves.

Of course this expression ol opinion will be denounced as mere professional jealousy, but T shall be able to justify my view by hard and indisputable facts.

I have always mamtained that the unravel- ling of anything like a mystery 1s capable of bemg clevated to the position of a fine art. Spieglemann, on the other hand, asserted that the whole process was merely a mechanical one, and that only a mechanical mind could suceced. On these points we totally differed; and as T had frequently Lad the cood fortunce to be successful where my rival had fatled, T was entitled to claim that my process was the correct one. Mr. Coleman’s answer was another item of cvidence - my [avour. He confessed with unmistakable concern that the coachman had not been scarched, and that nobody had