DOUBTS AND DIFFICULTIES
The Stanton girls and Mrs. Montrose came in early that afternoon. They
had heard rumors of the arrest of Jones and were eager to learn what had
occurred. Patsy and Beth followed them to their rooms to give them every
known detail and canvass the situation in all its phases.
"Goldstein has been an angel all afternoon," said Flo. "He grinned
and capered about like a schoolboy and some of us guessed he'd been
left a fortune."
"He ought to be ashamed of himself." Patsy indignantly asserted. "The man
admitted to Uncle John that Ajo is the biggest stockholder in the
Continental, the president, to boot; yet Goldstein wouldn't lift a finger
to help him and positively refused to obey his request to go to him after
he was arrested."
"I know about that," said Aunt Jane, quietly. "Goldstein talked to me
about the affair this afternoon and declared his conviction that young
Jones is really a pearl thief. He has taken a violent dislike to the boy
and is delighted to think his stock will be taken away from him."
Maud had silently listened to this dialogue as she dressed for dinner.
But now she impetuously broke into the conversation, saying:
"Something definite ought to be done for the boy. He needs intelligent
assistance. I'm afraid his situation is serious."
"That is what Arthur thinks," said Beth. "He says that unless he can
furnish proof that he is not Jack Andrews, and that he came by those
pearls honestly, he will be shipped to Austria for trial. No one knows
what those foreigners will do to him, but he would probably fare badly
in their hands."
"Such being the logical conclusion," said Maud, "we must make our fight
now, at the examination."
"Uncle John has engaged a lawyer," announced Patsy, "and if he proves
bright and intelligent he ought to be able to free Ajo."
"I'd like to see that lawyer, and take his measure," answered Maud,
musingly, and her wish was granted soon after they had finished dinner.
Colby entered the hotel, jaunty as ever, and Arthur met him and
introduced him to the girls.
"You must forgive me for coming on a disagreeable mission," began the
young attorney, "but I have promised the judge that I would produce all
the pearls Mr. 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."
"Can't you prove he is not Jack Andrews?"
"Not if the identity of the pearls is established," said the lawyer. "If
the pearls were stolen, and if Jones cannot explain how he obtained
possession of them, the evidence is _prima facia_ that he _is_ Jack
Andrews, or at least his accomplice. Moreover, his likeness to the
photograph is somewhat bewildering, you must admit."
This gloomy view made them all silent for a time, each thoughtfully
considering the matter. Then Maud asked:
"Do you know the cash value of Mr. Jones' stock in the Continental
Film Company?"
Colby shook his head, but Uncle John replied:
"Goldstein told me it is worth millions."
"Ah!" exclaimed the girl. "There, then, is our proof."
The lawyer reflected, with knitted brows.
"I confess I don't quite see your point," said he.
"How much were those stolen pearls worth?" asked the girl.
"I don't know."
"You know they were not worth millions. Jack Andrews was an adventurer,
by Le Drieux's showing; he was a fellow who lived by his wits and
generally earned his livelihood by gambling with the scions of wealthy
families. Even had he stolen the Countess' pearls and disposed of the
collection at enormous prices--which a thief is usually unable to do--he
would still have been utterly unable to purchase a controlling interest
in the Continental stock."
She spoke with quiet assurance, but her statement roused the group to
sudden excitement.
"Hooray!" cried Patsy. "There's your proof, Mr. Colby."
"The logic of genius," commented Uncle John.
"Why, it's proof positive!" said Beth.
"It is certainly a strong argument in favor of the boy's innocence,"
asserted Arthur Weldon.
"Maud's a wonder when she wakes up. She ought to have been a 'lady
detective,'" remarked Flo, regarding her sister admiringly.
Colby, at first startled, was now also regarding Maud Stanton with open
admiration; but there was an odd smile on his lips, a smile of indulgent
toleration.
"Le Drieux's statement connects Andrews with two other pearl robberies,"
he reminded her. "The necklace of the Princess Lemoine is said to be
priceless, and the Grandison collection stolen in London was scarcely
less valuable than that of Countess Ahmberg."
"Allowing all that," said Mr. Merrick, "two or three hundred thousand
dollars would doubtless cover the value of the entire lot. I am quite
certain, Mr. Colby, that Miss Stanton's suggestion will afford you an
excellent line of defense."
"I shall not neglect it, you may be sure," replied the lawyer. "Tonight
I'll try to figure out, as nearly as possible, the total cash value of
all the stolen pearls, and of course Jones will tell us what he paid
for his stock, or how much it is worth. But I am not sure this argument
will have as much weight as Miss Stanton suggests it may. A bold
gambler, such as Andrews, might have obtained a huge sum at Baden Baden
or Monte Carlo; and, were he indeed so clever a thief as his record
indicates, he may have robbed a bank, or stolen in some way an immense
sum of money. Logically, the question has weight and I shall present it
as effectively as I can; but, as I said, I rely more on my ability to
disprove the identity of the pearls, on which the expert Le Drieux lays
so much stress. Jones will have a thorough and formal examination
within a few days--perhaps to-morrow--and if the judge considers that
Andrews the pearl thief has been captured, he will be held here pending
the arrival from Washington of the extradition papers--say two or
three weeks longer."
"Then we shall have all that time to prove his innocence?" inquired Maud.
"Unfortunately, no. There will be no further trial of the prisoner until
he gets to Vienna and is delivered to the authorities there. All our work
must be done previous to the formal examination."
"You do not seem very hopeful," observed Maud, a hint of reproach
in her tone.
"Then appearances are against me, Miss Stanton," replied the lawyer with
a smile. "This is my first important case, and if I win it my future is
assured; so I mean to win. But in order to do that I must consider the
charge of the prosecution, the effect of its arguments upon the judge,
and then find the right means to combat them. When I am with you, the
friends of the accused, I may consider the seamy side of the fabric; but
the presiding judge will find me so sure of my position that he will
instinctively agree with me."
They brought him the pearls Jones had presented to them and then the
lawyer bade them good night and went to his office to master the history
of pearls in general and those famous ones stolen from Countess Ahmberg
in particular.
When he had gone Uncle John remarked:
"Well, what do you think of him?"
They seemed in doubt.
"I think he will do all he can," said Patsy.
"And he appears quite a clever young man," added Beth, as if to
encourage them.
"Allowing all that," said Maud, gravely, "he has warned us of the
possibility of failure. I cannot understand how the coils of evidence
have wrapped themselves so tightly around poor Ajo."
"That," asserted Flo, "is because you cannot understand Ajo himself. Nor
can I; nor can any of us!"