“Ye-es; but responsible parties must vouch for her,” Mr. Rider answered, with some hesitation.

The woman seized the suggestion with avidity.

“Oh, then, I have a dozen friends who will serve me,” she cried, eagerly.  “Come back to the ball-room with me and you shall have security to any amount.” and with a haughty air she turned back and entered the brilliantly lighted building which she had recently left.

The policeman conducted them into a small reception-room, and Mrs. Vanderheck sent her card, with a few lines penciled on it, to a well-known banker, who was among the guests in the ball-room, requesting a few moments’ personal conversation with him.

The gentleman soon made his appearance, and was greatly astonished and no less indignant upon being informed of what had occurred.

But he readily understood that the matter in hand must be legally settled before the lady could be fully acquitted.  He therefore unhesitatingly gave security for her to the amount required by the detective, but politely refused to receive, as a guarantee of her integrity, the costly ornaments which Mrs. Vanderheck offered him then and there for the service so kindly rendered.

She, then, without a murmur, delivered over to the detective, in the presence of her friend, the policeman, and her maid, the contested crescents and cross, and was then allowed to take her departure, with her attendants, without further ceremony.

Early the next morning the following message went flashing over the Western wires to Chicago, addressed thus: 

“To JUSTIN CUTLER, ESQ.:—­Crescents found.  Come at once to identify.  Bring bogus ones.

“RIDER.”

The detective then sought Mr. Palmer, but upon being informed that he was out of town, and would not return until the early part of the coming week, he related to Ray what had happened on the previous evening, and advised him to communicate the fact as soon as possible, to his father, and notify him that an examination would take place at ten o’clock on the following Tuesday.

Ray had already telegraphed, in answer to his father’s message, that he would come to Hazeldean on Monday for the ball, and at first he thought he would make no change in his plans.  The news was good news, and would keep for a day or two, he told himself.

But the detective’s enthusiasm over the arrest was so contagious, he found himself wishing that his father could also know what had occurred.

He had an engagement for that evening—­which was Saturday—­so he could not go to Hazeldean that day, and finally contented himself by commissioning Mr. Rider to drop Mr. Palmer a message, giving him a hint of the arrest, and then arranged to go himself to explain more fully, by the Sunday evening train.

It almost seemed as if fate had purposely arranged it thus, that he might find Mona alone as he did, to declare his love, and win in return the confession of her affection for him.