“Do you think you can fill the position, Miss Baxter?” asked the proprietor, doubtingly. “Oh, I, am sure of it,” answered the girl. “I have long wanted a place on a well-edited paper like the _Bugle_.” Again Mr. Hardwick smiled grimly. The proprietor turned to him, and said, “I don’t quite see, Mr. Hardwick, what a lady can do on this paper outside of the regular departments.” “I hardly think there will be any trouble about that, Mr. Hempstead. For example, who could be better equipped to attempt the solution of that knotty question about the Princess von Steinheimer’s diamonds?” “By Jove!” cried Hempstead, his eyes glittering with excitement. “That is an inspiration. I imagine that if anyone can unravel the mystery, it is Miss Baxter.” CHAPTER IV. JENNIE LEARNS ABOUT THE DIAMONDS OF THE PRINCESS. “What about the diamonds of the Princess?” asked Miss Baxter, her curiosity piqued by the remark of the editor. “That is rather a long story,” replied Mr. Hardwick, “and before I begin it, I would like to ask you one or two questions. Can you manipulate a typewriter?” “That depends on what make it is. The ordinary typewriter I understand very thoroughly.” “Good. Have you any knowledge of shorthand?” “A workable knowledge; I can write about one hundred words a minute.” “Admirable! admirable! Your coming to this office was indeed an inspiration, as Mr. Hempstead remarked. You are just the person I have been looking for.” “You didn’t seem to think so yesterday, Mr. Hardwick,” said the girl with a sly glance at him. “Well, many things have happened since yesterday. We are now dealing with to-day, and with the Princess von Steinheimer.” “She is a German princess, of course?” “An Austrian princess, but an American woman. She was a Miss Briggs of Chicago; a daughter of Briggs, the railway millionaire, worth somewhere between twenty and twenty-five millions--dollars, of course. A year or two ago she married Prince Konrad von Steinheimer; you may remember having read about it in the papers?” “Oh, yes; the usual international match--the girl after the title, he after the money.” “I suppose so; but be that as it may, she is the only daughter of old Briggs, and had spent a good deal of her time in Europe, but she spent more than time; she spent the old man’s money as well, so during her stay in Europe she accumulated a vast stock of diamonds, some of them very notable stones. I don’t know what the whole collection is worth, some say a million dollars, while others say double that amount. However that may be, Miss Briggs became the Princess von Steinheimer, and brought to Austria with her a million dollars in gold and the diamonds, which her father gave as dowry; but, of course, being an only child, she will come in for the rest of his money when the railway magnate dies.” “Is he likely to die soon? I don’t suppose the Prince gave himself away for a mere million.”