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He wrote it out, so there could be no mistake, and sent it from Charing Cross on the way back to the club. Hargrave had to get two porters to carry the leather portmanteau into his room at the Empire Club. Mrs. Farmingham did not wait to receive the sapphires. She said he could bring them over to the Ritz after he had counted the money. She wanted a cup of tea; he could come along in an hour.

When the carriage stopped Mrs. Farmingham opened the door herself, before the footman could get down, and got out. It was the restless American impatience always cropping out in this woman. "Come along, young man," she said, "and tell me whether this stuff is O. K. or junk." They got in a lift and went up to the top floor of the hotel. Mrs.

Good-by, major; come along, Mr. Hargrave." And she went out of the room. The American stopped at the door to bow to the old Rumanian officer who was standing up beside the table before the heap of sapphires. They got into the carriage at the curb before Blackwell's Hotel. Mrs. Farmingham put Hargrave down at the Empire Club, and the carriage passed on, across Piccadilly Circus toward the Ritz.

Everybody knew "Alfa Baba" Farmingham, as the Sunday Press was accustomed to translate his enigmatical initials. Some wonderful Western bonanza was behind the man. Mrs. "Alfa Baba" Farmingham would be, then, one of the persons that Hargrave's house was concerned to reach. He looked again at the card.

Farmingham said nothing whatever. Hargrave stooped over the jewels and spread them out on top of, the table. There were twenty-nine sapphires of the very finest quality. He had never seen better sapphires anywhere. He remembered seeing stones that were matched up better; but he had never seen individual stones that were any finer in anybody's collection.

Farmingham got up and began to walk about the room. She seemed to speak to Hargrave, although he imagined that she was speaking to herself. "Now this is a pretty how-de-do," she said "Lady Holbert told me about this find to-night at dinner. She said Major Mikos wanted the money at once; but I didn't suppose he wanted it cash on the hour like that. She brought me right away after dinner to see him.

Hargrave did not propose to be involved in any but a straight-out transaction. He was quite willing to buy the sapphires for eighteen thousand dollars. There was five thousand dollars' profit in them on any market. He was perfectly safe either way about. If Mrs. Farmingham made the repurchase there was a profit of ten per cent.

The foreigner was composed and silent while the American examined the jewels. But Mrs. Farmingham moved restlessly in her chair. "Well," she said, "are they O. K.?" "Yes, madam," said Hargrave; "they are first-class stones." "Sure?" she asked. "Quite sure, madam," replied the American. "There can be no question about it." "Are they worth eighteen thousand dollars?"

There were one or two decorations on the coat, a star and a heavy bronze medal. The man looked to be of some importance; but this importance did not impress Mrs. Farmingham. "Major," she said in her direct fashion, "I have brought an expert to look at the jewels." She indicated Hargrave, and the foreign officer bowed courteously.

But its telegram directed her to go to the United Atlantic Express Company and receive the money. A few minutes cleared the puzzle. The office of the company is on the Strand above the Savoy. Mrs. Farmingham went to the manager and showed him a lot of papers she had in an official-looking envelope.