now the world on both continents, this is a promising field,
in spite of the telephone system and the detectives in plain clothes
at every gate.'

'As how?'

'To the man who can speak several tongues, and is an adept at
disguise, this Fair, with its citizens from every clime, will be a
better place for concealment than London, Paris, and New York rolled
into one.'

Dave gave utterance to a long, low whistle, and jerked himself to an
upright position.

'You're right again!' he cried. 'Come, let's get down to business.
What's your idea about this robbery?'

'About the same as yours, I fancy.'

'And what's that?'

I took out my notebook, wherein I had jotted down the most important
items of testimony elicited from the Lausch attendants, saying:

'Get out your notes, Dave; let's see how they agree.' Dave produced
his own briefer notes, and I began running my finger slowly down the
pages.

'It was done during the day.'

'Of course!' impatiently.

'And slowly--that is, a little at a time.'

'How slowly?'

'Well, for instance, Lausch himself told of a young woman who was much
taken with the pink topaz display--you remember?'

'Yes;' beginning to smile behind his book.

'He said that she wore a coat with a deep cape, and that she rested
one arm upon the case.'

'Well, I did wonder what the woman's dress had to do with it. 'Gad,
but you questioned those people until I began to feel sorry for them.
What figure, now, is the dress likely to cut?'

I laughed.

'In this case let us suppose that the young woman is one of the gang.'

'Oh!'

'And let us fancy that while she peered at the pink topaz--you
remember Lausch told us that she excused her nearness by saying that
she was very near-sighted?'

'That's so.'

'Well, while looking at the gems, with her face bent over the case,
one arm upon the edge, and with the voluminous cape outspread, what is
to prevent her using the other hand and arm to draw a diamond point
slowly and heavily along the glass, close to the metal?'

'By Jove! what indeed?'

'And why may not this act be repeated, three or four times, say, by
the same woman, slightly changed as to dress, as she could have been?
Lausch, you recall, accosted her.'

'Yes.'

When Dave grew laconic I knew him to be almost convinced.

'You will recall how each of the attendants remembered one or more
instances of persons lingering long near the gems, or crowding so
close as to attract the attention