Page:Houdini - The Right Way to Do Wrong An Expose of Successful Criminals.djvu/40

34 valuable gems is missing. The proprietor is summoned, the detectives rush in, and an officer is called. The women, who both declare their innocence, are carefully searched, but the diamond has absolutely disappeared. Eventually both the women are released, but the diamond is never recovered. The way the trick was played is this:

One of the women (both of whom are members of the gang) deftly concealed the diamond in a piece of chewing gum and sticks it on the under side of the front edge of the counter.

There it remains safely hidden away while the frantic search is going on. A third member of the gang slips in afterward with the crowd of curious and removes the gum containing the diamond and makes off with it.

Said the fond mother: "Never would I call a boy of mine 'Alias' if I had a hundred to name. Men by that name is al;us cuttin' up capers. Here's Alias Thompson, Alias Williams, Alias the Night Hawk—all been took up for stealing."


 * How many of my scholars can remember the longest sentence they ever read?


 * Please, mum, I can.


 * What? Is there only one? Well, William, you may tell the real of the scholors the longest sentence you ever read.


 * Imprisonment for life.