Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-04

"Did YOU really get the.n?" cried Felicia,
with q little laugh, ignoring Ter usual gseet-
ing TO OvertOn.
For answer he offered her the fat mo-
rocco-covered box, content with the wei
come in her eyes.
She dropped to the rug before the fire and
struggled with the clasp. Il hope they
caught the horrid thief she ran on. 1T
was an awful thing to steal this of all
things"
From the description given by the pawn
broker" answered Overton. the police
think he must have been man who was a
passenger on one of last Saturdays steam
ers to Europe This was merely one of his
minor thefts, you know
'.Pawnbroker!" echoed Felicia. Byron
Overton, you don't mean to tell me that
Great-great grandma Alden's pearls were
pawned"'
Does seem irreverent, doesn't ft?'
laughed OVerton. He did not care where
they had been so that they were found. Fe-
licia had insisted upon postponlns her mar
riage to him until the heirloom was re-
stored.
ITS worse than irreverent," she declared;
its. Oooh-
..What's the natter" demanded Overton.
CuSnlnS 10 tie nudu!tu lIttiS HSuiN Oii ''i~
rug lie kne.t beside her, but it was some
time before he caught, in the intervals be
tween sobs that three of the gems were
missing.
That's all right, he said, soothingly
mo one will ever miss them. Why. you've
enough here now for two necklaces
Felicia sat up very suddenly, the tears
forgotten.
Byron Overton." she gasped. haven't you
a bit of sentiment about you? Don't you
know the story of the pearls? There have
been Just one hundred of them ever since
100. Great-great-grandpa Alden gave them
to his bride on her wedding day, and there
were just a hundred to remind her that it
was the hundredth year.
Gee whispered Overton, almost under
his breath: why didn't he wait year and
only have 10 give her one?"
byron gasped Felicia, with a shocked
EXPRESSION Il told you that you We're ut
terly without sentiment. Would you wait
a year for re, just to save the cost of nine
ty-nine peailS?'
Overton looked at the solitaire sparkling
on the girls finger. and remembered what
an effort it had required to purchase it, but
he made dutiful protest that she was worth
her weight in pearls, for which pretty
speech re was properly rewarded
You see" Felicia continu d, ever since
then all the brides in our family have worn
them, and l couldn't think of getting mar
ried without them
Sort of private superstition, suggested
OvertOn.
indeed. it's not" Che faced him earn
estly. you remember Elaine called 1t a
superstition and did not wear them, ana heF
husband was killed in a railroad wreck
while they were on their honeymoon.
ought 10 have the pears indicted for
train wreckiug,' he suggested.
She shook her head gravely: IT'S no
laughing matter. Unless tie whole neck
lace is found l cannot marry you"
Don't you think he urged, that
ninety-seven hundredths of luck and
strong constitution might carry me
through
you too well to marry you with three OF
the pearls gone
Suppose l cannot find them?' he sus-
gested.
to have to find only the other three
You promised he reminded her, that
if 1 found the necklace you would marry
me-
"And you said yourself that there are
only ninety-seven hurdredths of the neck
lace here
Then" he declared, q shall expect to lie
81 per cent married.
Felicia sprang up and drew herself to the
full dignity of her five feet four. Mr..
Overton," she said stiffly. since you persist
in ridiculi1g everything | say, l must de-
cline to continue the conversation. If you
are willing to recover the entire necklace,
you may take this to match them with. If
you are unwilling l never want to see you
again
She thrust the box into his outstretched
hand and hurried from the room. To her
this was a very real trouble, and Over
tons levity distressed her
Ten minutes later Overton was stridng
down the street his hand clasped over the
bulky case in his overcoat pocket. Some
thing must be done. He realized that, but
the search had already been expensive. and
in spite of his excellent family connections,
recent reverses had left him in. poor shape
to conduct n quest. He wondered what he
could do. One thing was certain-he could
not give up Felicia.
The club offered suggestion. He
might deposit the case in the safe over
them home. He turned in at the familiar
portal.
There was only one letter in the rack
for him. a strange, foreign-looking envel-
thrust it in his pocket and directed his
steps toward the cafe He felt that
thoughts would come quicker after he had
refreshed himself.
With the ice clinking in the glass before
him, he pulled out the letter. Sitting the
flap with the spoon from his glass he
pulled out the Enclosure. In a moment
the spoon. which he had unconsciously
tanned, fell with a CHATTER upon the table
The room swan before his eyes
In formal legal phraseoogy it informed
him that his mothers brother almost
forgotten black sheep, had died intestate
in Australia. AS Overton without i'm
mediate kin. the entire fortune was his
we have been appointed administrators
the letter concluded. and will pay over
to you such residue of the estate as shall
remain after the outstanding accounts have
been satisfied. Such residue will probably
be in the vicinity of f4s0,00o. Meanwhile
you are at liberty to draw upon us for
such reasonable sums you may need"
Overton let out a whoop that caused the
waiter TO regard him with deep suspicion.
OF course he was sorry to hear of his
uncle's DEATH but he had never seen him