eman replied,
glancing at the glittering gems, "for I think that only an expert could
detect the fact, they are such a clever imitation of genuine gems."

"I cannot believe it," the lady persisted, "for Mrs. Bent was not out
of my sight a moment, from the time the expert in Boston pronounced his
verdict, until they were delivered to roe in my room at the hotel."

"Nevertheless," Mr. Palmer positively affirmed, "the woman must have
adroitly managed to change the crescents on the way back, substituting
the bogus for the real ones, for these are certainly paste."

Mr. Cutler's counsel here stated that his client had an important
statement to make, whereupon that gentleman related that Mr. Arnold, the
Chicago expert to whom the real crescents had been submitted, had made a
private mark upon the setting, with a steel-pointed instrument, and if
such a mark could be discovered upon Mrs. Vanderheck's ornaments they
were doubtless real.

He produced the card which Mr. Arnold had given him, and the crescents
were carefully examined, but no mark of any kind could be found upon
them, and the general conclusion was that they were but a skillful
imitation of genuine diamonds, and that Mrs. Vanderheck had only been
another victim of the clever adventuress, whose identity was still as
much of a mystery as ever.

Mr. Palmer and Ray now began to feel quite uncomfortable regarding the
cross which Mr. Rider had also taken in charge. They consulted a few
moments with Mrs. Vanderheck's counsel, and then the cross was quietly
submitted to Mr. Palmer's examination.

He at once said it did not belong to him, although it was very like the
one that had been stolen, for he also was in the habit of putting a
private mark upon his most expensive jewelry; and he further remarked
that he very much regretted that Mrs. Vanderheck should have been
subjected to so much unpleasantness in connection with the unfounded
suspicion.

The case was then dismissed without further discussion, and the lady
behaved in the most generous and amiable manner toward both Mr. Cutler
and Mr. Palmer.

She said it was not at all strange that she should have been suspected,
under the circumstances, and she bore them no ill-will on account of the
arrest. She was only annoyed that any publicity had been given to the
matter. She even laughingly accused Ray of having suspected her on the
evening of Mr. Merrill's reception, and then she explained the cause of
her own stra