of the detective's glance, the man proceeded
to the table, found the object of his quest, and inserting it in the
handcuffs detached them from the hands of the still impassive Gratz.

"Now," continued the latter calmly, "I will transfer these ornaments to
that gentleman. Secure him precisely as you found me, with the exception
of the gag."

Presently this was done.

At this, turning to his subordinates, the detective said: "Leave me with
this gentleman for a while; I will call you in case of need."

As the pair passed through the doorway, Gratz, with no intimation of
triumph or exultation in his manner, addressed the unhappy Sepoy, with
an emphasis, however, which implied that he had not forgotten the
experience to which he had been subjected.

"And _now_ what have you to say?"

The Sepoy looked his questioner directly in the eyes, with a glance that
was subtle in its insinuation and eloquent of collusive suggestion, and
replied:

"The sapphire is still in my right waistcoat pocket, and the diamond in
the left."

THE END

As the beautiful reader reached this singular conclusion, which came
with an abruptness that indicated the decrepit imagination of the author
and his overworked vocabulary, she looked up from the absurd vehicle of
all this hectic style and incident and beheld in the eyes of her auditor
a suggestion of the light that is indigenous to neither land nor sea.

To Dennis, who had in his composition the material of a poet, if not the
finish, the melodious intonations of the widow had seemed like the
incongruous orchestration of birds in the treetops to some minor
tragedy among the denizens of the underbrush.

Her elocution was exquisite and provided the bizarre narrative with a
refinement which contrasted with its crudities, like Valenciennes lace
on a background of calico.

"Well," she said smilingly, after she had subjected his ingenuous glance
to the rapid analysis of her intuition, with a satisfaction which it
startled her to recognize, "what do you think of it?"

"Is that the end?" asked Dennis.

"Yes, it is the end."

With a shade of emphasis, intended by Dennis to indicate that the words
of the reply of the widow were suggestive of other finalities which he
did not like to consider, he said:

"That is no end; it looks to me as though the author has struck his
limits."

"No," objected the widow, "I fancy that he has left the subject open so
th