eart would send you adrift in a jiffy. Some say that silence
is golden. So it must be in this case. If you wish me to keep
silent, you must be ready to pay me ten thousand dollars on
Thursday night, when I shall call for it. I send my photograph,
that you may know I am the writer when I call. You see I am not
afraid to do this, because if you call in the police, I will simply
tell my story and you will be ruined. I may go to jail, but that
does not worry me much, as there are worse places. So be ready to
receive me on Thursday night. Yours truly,
"ROSE MITCHEL."

Mr. Mitchel handed the above to Mr. Barnes, who read it over carefully,
examining the envelope and postmark, both of which proved that the
letter was genuine and a year old.

"Did you give her the amount demanded?" asked Mr. Barnes.

"I must explain what I did. When I received that letter, it was plain
that there would be nothing to lose by receiving the woman and hearing
her story. I determined not to give her any money; therefore, when she
called, of course I did not have any such sum. After listening to her I
changed my mind. I found that, through certain papers which she had, and
which she did not hesitate to show me, she would be able to ventilate a
scandal which might result just as she adroitly prophesied. I mean in
the rupture of my engagement. Naturally I wished to avoid that. When I
told her that she should have the money if she would call again, she
became furious. Said I had tricked her, and now wanted a chance to hand
her over to the police, etc. I saw that I must settle with her at once,
and did so on these terms. I agreed to give her cash enough to go to
Europe, and the balance in jewels."

"In jewels?" cried Mr. Barnes, startled.

"Yes, in jewels. You are surprised; but that is because you do not know
my hobby. I am a collector of jewels. I have half a million dollars'
worth in these vaults. Therefore, whilst I had no such amount in cash as
ten thousand dollars, I could easily give her three diamond rings, which
I did, with a letter to a Paris jeweller, who would purchase them from
her. Thus was I rid of the woman, part of the agreement being that she
should never return."

"Mr. Mitchel, a man of your intelligence must have known that such
promises are not kept by that class of people."

"True, but I obtained from her all the documentary evidence