nto wondrous, colourful transparency as he
moved the case to and fro with jerky motions of his hands--and he was
babbling, crooning to himself like one possessed.

"Ah, the little beauties! Ah, the pretty little things! Yes, yes; these
are the ones! This is the great Aracon--see, see, the six-sided prism
terminated by the six-sided pyramid. But it must be cut--it must be cut
to sell it, eh? Ah, it is too bad--too bad! And this, this one here, I
know them all, this is--"

But his sentence was never finished--it was Jimmie Dale, on his feet
now, leaning against the jamb of the door, his automatic covering the
two men at the table, who spoke.

"Quite so, Isaac," he said coolly; "you know them all! Quite so,
Isaac--but be good enough to DROP them!"

The case fell from Isaac's hand, the flush on his cheeks died to a
sickly pallor, and, his mouth half open, he stood like a man turned to
stone, his hands with curved fingers still outstretched over the table,
over the crimson gems that, spilled from the case, lay scattered now
on the tabletop. Burton neither spoke nor moved--a little whiter, the
misery in his face almost apathetic, he moistened his lips with the tip
of his tongue.

Jimmie Dale walked across the room, halted at the end of the table,
and surveyed the two men grimly. And then, while one hand with revolver
extended rested easily on the table, the other gathered up the stones,
placed them in the case, and, the case in his pocket, Jimmie Dale's lips
parted in an uninviting smile.

"I guess I'm in luck to-night, eh, Isaac?" he drawled. "Between you and
your young friend, as I believe you call him, it would appear as though
I had fallen on my feet. That Aracon's worth--what would you say?--a
hundred, two hundred thousand alone, eh? A very famous stone, that--had
your eye on it for quite a time, Isaac, you miserable blood leech, eh?"

Isaac did not answer; but, while he still held back from the table, he
seemed to be regaining a little of his composure--burglars of whatever
sort were no novelty to him--and was staring fixedly at Jimmie Dale.

"Can't place me--though there's not many in the profession you don't
know? Is that it?" inquired Jimmie Dale softly. "Well, don't try, Isaac;
it's hardly worth your while. I'VE got the stones now, and--"

"Wait! Wait! Listen!" It was Burton, speaking for the first time, his
words coming in a quick, nervous rush. "Listen! You don't--"

"Hold your tongue!" cried old Isaac,