Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West
Jones gave you, not later than to-morrow morning. He wants
them as evidence, and to compare privately with Le Drieux's list,
although he will likely have the expert at his elbow. So I can't promise
that you will ever get your jewels back again."
"Oh. You think, then, that Mr. Jones is guilty?" said Maud coldly.
"No, indeed; I believe he is innocent. A lawyer should never suspect his
client, you know. But to win I must prove my case, and opposed to me is
that terrible Le Drieux, who insists he is never mistaken."
"Arthur--Mr. Weldon--says you understand pearls as well as Mr. Le Drieux
does," suggested Patsy.
"I thank him; but he is in error. I chattered to the judge about
pearls, it is true, because I found he couldn't tell a pearl from a
glass bead; and I believe I even perplexed Le Drieux by hinting at a
broad knowledge on the subject which I do not possess. It was all a bit
of bluff on my part. But by to-morrow morning this knowledge will be a
fact, for I've bought a lot of books on pearls and intend to sit up all
night reading them."
"That was a clever idea," said Uncle John, nodding approval.
"So my mission here this evening is to get the pearls, that I may study
them as I read," continued Colby. "Heretofore I've only seen the things
through a plate glass window, or a show case. The success of our defense
depends upon our refuting Le Drieux's assertion that the pearls found in
Jones' possession are a part of the Countess Ahmberg's collection. He has
a full description of the stolen gems and I must be prepared to show
that none of the Jones' pearls is on the list."
"Can you do that?" asked Maud.
She was gazing seriously into the young man's eyes and this caused him to
blush and stammer a little as he replied:
"I--I hope to, Miss Stanton."
"And are you following no other line of defense?" she inquired.
He sat back and regarded the girl curiously for a moment.
"I would like you to suggest some other line of defense," he replied.
"I've tried to find one--and failed.
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There was once an honest journeyman tailor, by name Labakan, who learned his trade with an excellent master in Alexandria. It could not be said that Labakan was unhandy with the needle; on the contrary, he could make excellent work: moreover, one would have done him injustice to have called him lazy. Nevertheless, his companions knew not what to make of him, for he would often sew for hours together so rapidly that the needle would glow in his hand, and the thread smoke, and that none could equal him.
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