He looked up, suddenly, and saw a pretty girl, dressed in picturesque Italian costume, holding a basket filled with roses, pinks, and other cut flowers. Mr. Isburn was pa.s.sionately fond of flowers and kept a vase filled with them upon his desk. He selected a large bunch of flowers made up of the different kinds.

At that moment the door was opened and a clerk appeared: "Mr. Isburn, there is a call for you on the long distance telephone."

"I will be back in a moment," he said to the flower girl, as he went into an adjoining room. The telephone bell was being rung continuously, and he called "h.e.l.lo" several times before the tintinnabulation ceased.

The call was from a town some fifty miles away. The operator informed him that No. 42 wished her to tell him that she had a valuable clue in case T 697 and would not return for several days. Mr. Isburn knew that No. 42 was Miss Dana.

He returned to his office. The young Italian girl still stood by his desk holding the basket of flowers. He gave her more than the amount she asked for, and, bowing low and smiling, she left the office: Referring to his call index, he found that T 697 was that of a young man, Tarleton, belonging to a wealthy family, who was the buyer for a manufactory of electrical machines. In their construction, a large quant.i.ty of platinum was used, a metal more valuable, weight for weight, than gold. His purchases had been very heavy, but a checking up of stock used showed that not half of it had been applied to actual construction.

The question was--"What had become of the missing metal?" and that question it was No. 42's business to answer.

Mr. Isburn was a frequenter of clubs and social functions, partly because he enjoyed them, but, princ.i.p.ally, because many valuable clues had been run across while attending them.

He had been invited to be a guest at a reception tendered to an Indian Maharajah. He knew that the East Indian princes were profuse in their use of gems and he decided to wear the ruby, for it was a beautiful stone and would be sure to attract the Maharajah's attention. On opening the bra.s.s apple he found, to his astonishment, that the ring was gone.

Three days later Miss Dana returned and made her report on the Tarleton case. The young man had stolen the platinum, sold it, and lost the money in speculation. His rich father had made good the company's loss, and there would be no prosecution.

"He'll be a bigger criminal some day," remarked Mr. Isburn.

"Money saved him," said Miss Dana. "While I was in the town a workman stole a pound of bra.s.s screws--he is a poor inventor and needed them to complete a model, and he got six months in jail."

"Miss Dana, what punishment would be adequate for the thief who stole my ruby?"

She laughed, and said: "Anybody smart enough to do it, should have a reward."

"The reward," said he, "will go to the one who finds and returns it."

"You are joking, Mr. Isburn."

"I wish I were. No, it is gone. I cannot imagine how it was possible for any one to get possession of that ring. Only you and I knew how to open the bookcase doors, and I would as soon suspect myself as you."

"I am glad that you have that opinion," said Miss Dana. "I have thought several times that I was sorry that you told me about it, for I have felt that if anything happened I should be an object of suspicion."

"Oh, no," cried Mr. Isburn. "No such suspicion ever entered my mind. I could not be so mean and ungenerous as to think such a thing. The only person I suspect is an Italian girl who came in here to sell some flowers. It was the day I received the long distance telephone message from you in regard to the Tarleton case. I was only out of the room a few minutes, and when I came back she was standing just where I left her."

"It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack to find that girl,"

said Miss Dana.

"Yes, those Italian girls look very much alike. She was one of medium height, as a great many women are. You are of medium height, Miss Dana, so that is a very poor clue to work upon. She had dark hair."

"Mine is light," remarked Miss Dana.

"I did not notice the colour of her eyes--probably black."

"Mine are blue."

"Her complexion was dark."

"Well, I surely have not a dark complexion."

"What do you mean?" asked Mr. Isburn.

"You talk as though you were, in some way, connected with this affair."

"But I am."

"How so?" and Mr. Isburn's voice betrayed his astonishment.

"Don't you remember saying if the ring was lost or stolen that you should call upon me to recover it?"

"Why, yes, I do remember. If you find it, you shall have a big reward.

If found, I am going to give the ring to a young lady."

"Who is she? Pardon my hasty inquisitiveness."

"My niece, Rose Isburn. She is my only brother's daughter. He has just died and left her in my charge. Nothing has happened since I began my professional career that has so puzzled and disgusted me as the loss of that ring. I thought myself acute, and I am outwitted by a chit of a girl. I think I'll sell out, take my niece to Europe and marry her off to a Prince or a Duke."

"Don't do it!" laughed Miss Dana. "Leave her your money, and let her choose some honest, clean, young American."

"Well, I think you are right," answered Mr. Isburn, laughing at Mary's half serious, half comic air, "but I must first sell my business. Will you find me a purchaser? I want to travel, and loaf the rest of my life.

I've had my fill of adventure and excitement."

"Perhaps you can find a purchaser while I'm finding the ring. As you say, your description of her is very meagre. But she was a flower girl and that is one point gained."

"But she may be selling oranges or dragging a hand-organ to-day."

"True," replied Miss Dana, "and she may be selling flowers again to-morrow," and the conversation dropped.

About a week later, Miss Dana entered Mr. Isburn's private office. There was a smile upon her face, as she cried:

"I have been successful!"

"You usually are," Mr. Isburn remarked, not comprehending to what she alluded.

"You will be somewhat surprised, no doubt, when I tell you--that I have recovered the ruby!"

Mr. Isburn sprang to his feet.

"I know that you are a truthful young woman, Miss Dana, but, pardon me, I shall disbelieve your statement, until the ruby is once more in my hands."

"I have not only recovered the ruby, but I have induced the Italian girl who took it--"

"By George!" cried Isburn, "I always suspected her."

"I have induced the culprit, Mr. Isburn, to come here and place it in your hands."

"Well, you're a wonder, Miss Dana. You should give up being a detective and become a teacher of morals."

Miss Dana ignored his suggestion. "I have her in my office and the door is locked. You see, I have the key here," and she held it up for his inspection.