Detective and mystery stories; Stone, Fleming (Fictitious character) -- Fiction
The lawyer smiled. "Nonsense!" he said, "they're not after that pin!
They're after something else."
"What?"
"I don't know, but probably the jewels, or memoranda or information as
to where the jewels are."
"Where can they be?"
"I've not the slightest idea. I wish now I'd insisted more strongly on
having Mrs. Pell's confidence. But she told me that her whole fortune
was left to Iris and Win Bannard, and that it was all disclosed in the
will's directions. She gave me to understand that the box for Iris and
the pocket-book for Win held directions for the possessing of her
fortune."
"Was her money all in the jewels?"
"All but a few shares of stock, and a little real estate. Those,
however, will help along, for they belong to Iris and young Bannard as
her immediate heirs, aside from her will."
"Well, I should think you would have insisted on knowing a little more
about things than that!"
"Why should I? I drew her will, I attended to such matters as she asked
me to, and it was not my affair where she chose to conceal her wealth,
especially as she had given me a sealed box to hand over to her heiress
at her death. And, too, Miss Darrel, you didn't know my late client as
well as I did. Indeed, I doubt if many people knew her as I did! A
lawyer often has queer clients, but I'm sure she set a record for
eccentricities! I suppose I drew up a score of wills for her, and Lord
knows how many codicils were added! Then, too, I never knew when she
would perpetrate one of her silly jokes on me. I've been called over
here late at night, to take her dying testamentary directions, only to
arrive and find her perfectly well, and laughing at me! I've been given
an extra fee for some trifling service, only to find that payment had
been stopped at the bank before I could present the check."
"And you stood for such treatment?"
"What could I do? She was an old and valued client; she paid well, and
the checks were always honored later, after she had had her fun out of
me. And, of course, her tricks were merely tricks. She never did
anything dishonest or dishonorable. Then, too, I liked the old lady.
Aside from her one foolish fad, she was intelligent and interesting. Oh,
Ursula Pell was all right, except for that one bee in her bonnet. Now, I
am perfectly certain her hoard of jewels is safely secreted and I
think--I hope, she has left directions telling where they are. But if
she hasn't, if, dying so unexpectedly, she has neglected to leave the
secret, then I fear Iris will never get her inheritance. Why, they may
be within a few feet of us, even now, and yet be so slyly hidden as to
be irrecoverable."
"I think that's what the man was after last night."
"I daresay. But who was the man?"
"Not an ordinary burglar, for Iris declared he was a gentleman----"
"Gentlemen don't conduct themselves as----"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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