she had no chance. And after Larch had
killed her, seeing the money, he picked up a handful, as he needed some
change. In a way the discovery of the odd coin helped in solving the
mystery, for I kept my helper, Jack Young, at the Homestead after that,
and it was hearing King and Larch talking about the diamond cross that
gave me just the clew I wanted.

"Larch had taken out the valuable diamonds from the ornament, and had
disposed of them, in spite of what he said to his wife just before his
death, to get some much-needed money. He really did send her the
crushed gold setting, promising, in the letter he dispatched to her by
the boy I intercepted, to restore the diamonds to her if she would meet
him.

"This she consented to do. As it happened, Aaron Grafton was calling
on her at the time, trying to find some means of helping her, for there
is the old-time love between them. And it was at her suggestion that
he followed her when I was shadowing Larch. Evidently Grafton didn't,
at that time, know it was only the crushed and diamondless cross that
Larch had sent back. And after he died and confessed, we found a paper
of imitation diamonds in his pocket that Larch had ready to use in
deceiving his wife if she had agreed to sign the papers he wanted her
to, so he could bolster up his failing business."

"Well, he's out of the way now, and I hear the hotel has been sold."

"Yes, Mr. Mason. And it will be, so I hear, once more the oldtime and
respectable resort it once was. As for Miss Ratchford, she has gone to
friends in California, and there, I understand, Mr. Grafton will
shortly follow. They are to be married in about a year. Mr. Grafton
is going to sell out his business. He told me he would not press the
charge against Spotty for stealing the imitation diamond cross. So
Spotty will soon be at liberty again."

"I'm glad of that. He's a sport--in his own way."

"Yes," agreed the colonel,

"One point puzzles me," went on Mr. Mason, "and that is, why Cynthia--I
call her that for I've known her for years--why she didn't make Larch
support her after the separation. She could have had a regular divorce
and big alimony--that is if he could have paid."

"Maybe that's it--he couldn't. Anyhow, she seems not to have wanted to
accept any of his money after he had spoiled her life. It was a
foolish marriage, though at the time it may have seemed advantageous to
her--or her mother. After the murder, or let us