Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-04-20
PAULINE'S
PENDANT
5S5 i NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.;
''Father, it has disappeared!"

er, Pauline, rushed in with a white
face.
MY dear little girl, what has disap-
Deared?" inquired her father in
soothing tone.
MY pearl and diamond pendants
The one you gave me just before the
weddingI Oh, father, who can have
taken IT."
Sir NeviI smiled. you have mis-
laid it. that's all We don't have any
thing SO exciting as buglaries here"
But, father, here is the empty case,
which l found in the drawer where L
locked it up yesterday morning with
the pendant safe inside"
Sir Nevil looked grave. "That
sounds odd" ne said slowly. "Tell US
All about it, little girl"
The little girl was fine, tall
young woman of two and twenty. Her
mother had died when she was child,
and Sir NeviTs eldest sister, Miss Pris-
ella Masterton, had played hostess at
the prfOry while Pauline was growing
I'D. She adOred her niece, and Pauline
could always get her own way so far
as Aunt Prissy was concerned.
A few months ago the household
had received a shOck-the announce
iment of Sir Neyil Masterton's second
marriage. Every one had come to
look upon him as a confirmed widower.
The new Lady MastertOn was the
famous stage beauty, Miss Lydia
Beaugarde. She was principal show
girl at the Majestic Theater, where
her lovely face and matchless figure
brought her admiration and a hand
some salary: while her strong COM
nonsense and excellent capacity for
looking after herself had kept all adj
smirers at a respectful distance until
NeviI ALasterton placed his baronetcy
and his rent roll at her feet
Pauline tearfully explained to her
father the exact circumstances OF her
loss. She was in the habit of locking
her iewelry in a certain drawer, ana
then hiding the keys in the corner OF
another drawer The fact that the
keys and the case of the pendant were
both in their proper places seemed
evidence that the pendant had been
removed BY some one intimately &C
quainted with its owners habits.
Her father tried to comfort her, and
added: Leave me to talk it over with
Mr.. Carter, here. If your pendant has
really been stolen he is more likely TO
get it back for you than any one else!A
I realized that to possess a reputa-
ton as 4 sort of amateur Sherlock
-HoInes involves one occasionally IN
awkward responsibilities; but 1 has
tened to reassure her as far as pos
sibIe.
you are in for it now, Carter!"
said Sir Nevil, grimly.
THAT'S all right" / said. Just
JeIr me a little about the history OF
the pendant before we go any fur
ther''
well, you see," he began, I'VE have
a good many family jewels, which
Pauline had come to look upon as her
own particular property. So that when
/ brought my wife here, month or
two ago. Pauline did not altogether
like parting with what she considered
her treasures.
ct was to make up for this" con-
tinued Sir Nevil, that l bought her
a pendant, a diamond crown with two
fine pear shaped pearls hanging down
on little platinum chains. And it is
this pendant that has now disap-
-peared."
4 see 1 said, thoughtfully. What
about yoIr servants, Masterton?"
'sThey have all been with me for
years" he said warmly. Il should
never suspect any of them!"
What about Lady Masterton's
maid?"
ooh. yes-Rayner! l forgot ahout
her. She is a girl whom my wife has
known for a long time and in whom
she has every confidence.
| began to perceive that was co.
ing TO have a rather unpleasant time.
At lunch every one was talking about
the pendant, and Lady Masterton in
particular seemed much concerned at
her stepdaughter's loss.
It was difficult to SEE what posi-
bic motive Lady Masterton could have
had for being concerned in the mys-
terious disappearance of ner step
daughters ornaments.
/ found myself wondering whether
this brilliant beauty might not have
some poor relation in desperate need
of money, for whom she might haze
committed the theft, not daring 20
mart with any of her own jewelry
for fear of being discovered. Person
ally. however, l was much proposes
sed in Lady Masterton's favor.
Then another wild conjecture came
info nv mind Had Pauline herself
simply hidden the jewel to bring dis
credit upon her newly acquired STEP
mother?
I was sitting alone in Sid Nevil's
.studv after lunch, when the door was
softly opened. 1 was a good deal sur
arised to see Miss Priscilla, or Aunt