rge
black dress-suit case, who sat at the window in a slump of dejection. He
raised his head for a moment when they were summoned and let it sag down
again as they left.

Average Jones greeted his guests cordially. Their first questions to him
were significant of the masculine and feminine differences in point of
view.

"Have you got the necklace?" cried Mrs. Hale.

"Have you got the thief?" queried Kirby.

"I haven't got the necklace and I haven't got the thief," announced
Average Jones; "but I think I've got the man who's got the necklace."

"Did the thief hand it over to him?" demanded Kirby.

"Are you conversant with the Baconian system of thought, which Old Chips
used to preach to us at Hamilton?" countered Average Jones.

"Forgotten it if I ever knew it," returned Kirby.

"So I infer from your repeated use of the word 'thief.' Bacon's
principle--an admirable principle in detective work--is that we should
learn from things and not from the names of things. You are deluding
yourself with a name. Because the law, which is always rigid and
sometimes stupid, says that a man who takes that which does not belong
to him is a thief, you've got your mind fixed on the name 'thief,' and
the idea of theft. If I had gone off on that tack I shouldn't have the
interesting privilege of introducing to you Mr. Harvey M. Greene, who
now sits in the outer room."

"H. M. G.," said Kirby quickly. "Is it possible that that decent-looking
old boy out there is the man who stole--"

"It is not," interrupted Average Jones with emphasis, "and I shall ask
you, whatever may occur, to guard your speech from offensive expressions
of that sort while he is here."

"All right, if you say so," acquiesced the other. "But do you mind
telling me how you figure out a man traveling under an alias and helping
himself to other people's property on any other basis than that he's a
thief?"

"A, B, C," replied Average Jones; "as thus: A--Thieves don't wander
about in dressing-gowns. B--Nor take necklaces and leave purses.
C--Nor strip gems violently apart and scatter them like largess from
fire-escapes. The rest of the alphabet I postpone. Now for Mr. Greene."

The man from the outer room entered and nervously acknowledged his
introduction to the others.

"Mr. Greene," explained Jones, "has kindly consented to help clear up
the events of the night of August sixth at the Hotel Denton and"--he
paused for a moment and shifted his gaze to the new