eturn to New York, and my physician
warns me that it will be several days before I can leave my room.
Will you do me a great favor? Forget that I ever disparaged the
detective force of which you are undoubtedly a brilliant member, and
take this case in hand. I will give you one thousand dollars if you
will recover the jewel, which is only a small reward considering its
value. I send you a check for two hundred dollars, which you may use
for expenses, and if more be needed let me know. I wish you could
run over to Philadelphia to see me. A conversation with you would be
a great satisfaction to me. Will you oblige,
Yours very truly,
"ROBERT LEROY MITCHEL."

Mr. Barnes read this no less than three times, and then said aloud,
though there was no one to hear him: "Well!" That was all, but the tone
was rich in suggestiveness. What he thought, but did not put into
words, was: "That man has the coolest audacity I ever met. Here he
actually offers me a thousand dollars to recover that ruby, when he
knows that I was right by his side at the time of the theft. Is he so
egotistic that he dares to guy me? Is he so sure that he cannot be
convicted? I know that he was not in Philadelphia any way, as my man
found his room empty. His _alibi_ is broken, at all events, clever as he
thinks himself. Will I go to Philadelphia to see him? Well, I should
think so! A conversation with him will be as satisfactory to me as it
possibly can be to him. But first I must obey the call from Miss Remsen.
There may be much to learn there."

It was nearly an hour before Mr. Barnes's duties in connection with
other cases made him at liberty. He went straight to Miss Remsen's, and
was shown into her presence.

"You sent for me, Miss Remsen," he began.

"Yes, Mr. Barnes," she replied. "Will you be seated?" The detective
accepted her invitation, and she continued: "To come to the point at
once, I wish to see you about my lost ruby. It was a present from Mr.
Mitchel to me, and besides being very costly, I attach a sentimental
value to it. I want you to undertake to recover it, and I will give you
a thousand dollars if you succeed."

Mr. Barnes had never had so many thousand-dollar offers made to him in
so short a time before. He smiled slightly, and said:

"Your offer comes too late, Miss Remsen. I have a letter from Mr.
Mitchel himself, m