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 strange behavior on that occasion.  She had read of the Palmer robbery and the circumstances of his being kidnapped, and she realized at once, upon being introduced to him when he had mispronounced her name, that his suspicions had fastened upon her.

She shook hands cordially with Mr. Cutler, and remarked that, while she experienced some vexation and mortification over the discovery that the crescents were spurious, the imposition had taught her a lesson, and she should henceforth purchase her diamonds of a reliable dealer in such articles.

“But,” she added, gayly, “I shall never see a diamond crescent after this without asking the owner to allow me to examine it.  I believe I shall turn detective myself and try to ferret out the original ones if they are still in existence.”

She bowed smilingly to the three gentlemen, and passed out of the room, leaning upon the arm of her husband.

“Well, Ray,” Mr. Palmer remarked, as they wended their way to the store, “we may as well give up our diamonds once for all; I have not the slightest hope that we shall ever see them again.  If we ever do find them,” he added, with an arch glance, “I’ll present them to your wife on her wedding day—­that is, if they come to light before that event occurs.”