The Washington times., 1909-08-20
CHAPTER V.
A THEE IN THE NIGHT.

A THEE IN 4GA4 -fA1AAAe
~ URNING. my wife stared with me
at the girls face. framed in the
gloom of the doorway.
Her words and appearance, at
the psychoIogicaI moment when her
name had shot into my wife's and my
mind IN answer 10 the question CT who
the shadowy form seen coming out Of
the nursery could be, was a shock to Us
both.
Instinctively we had thought Of Lizzie
when Mrs. Anderson and her com
panion had broken the news OF the loss
OF their trlnkets from the tmprovised
cloak room in the nursery. Who, of ali
those above stairs at the time, would
be more likely to visit that room In the
house tn n the nurse girl? And Who
too. would suspicion fan quickest upon
than upon the girl abO1t whose charac-
ter we were IN doubt through lgnOf-
ance? And, besides that, there was the
burden of responsibility I bore for her
that made me fearful Of Lizzie-caused
me to receive with an open mind every
suspicion of her possible misconduct.
Evidently my wife's brain had fol-
lowed a train of thought similar TO my
own-which occupied but a second or
two or time-fOr she now stepped Tor
ward toward the. door, exolaiming:
Nothing has happened. Lizzie. Go
Up stairs 10 bed"
The girls wOndering-and frightened
face disappeared in the shadow Of the
doorway. And instantly the room IN
which our party scatteringly stood was
the scene Of q very bedlam Of motion
and sound, as our guests gathered, IN a
h Rnss4so9 Su s89 9s B T1q99 ao0u' MIS-
did you look all around on the hoor
for your purse7'
was there any money IN it?'
"Are you sure Miss Davidson sou
fastened your diamond brooch In your
Lets all go I'D stairs and search
the roOmi'
Such we're the questions and sug-
I overheard as ] skirted the group to
join my wife at its fringe.
What shall we DOR she whispered
anxiously as I came to her side. This
is terrible-awful!
Cant we slip upstairs, I asked with
equal perturbation, and look around
among the clothes in the nursery Per
/ haps the missing vaIuables ere not stOl-
en- but lost somewhere in the room
Nv wife agreed, and together we slip
ned. 11nnoticed. from the room. Swiftly
| we sped upstairs and into the darkened
nursery.
7 snapped on the electric lights.
This IS terrible-terFiblet whispered
Patricia. standing in worried inactivity
/ In the center Of the floor. What VIII
they think-those people downstairs
anything has been stolen here In the
/ house 2''
but it's impossible that anything
could have been stolenr' l exclaimed
Inervously. "a burglar would have made
I d clean sweep OF everything IN sight
and look" I gestured swsepingly to-
ward the pile OF wraps lying on chairs
land couch, "eveTything-or nearly every
thing. If the pocketbook and brooch are
/ gone-is here"
Ny wife started forward deter
/ minedly-
Lets make sure that the things
missing are really gone" she said. III
/ search among the clothing, and YOU
/ look over every inch Of the floor
/ I dropped to my knees where ] stood
nv wi e picked Up Mrs. Anderson
/ gray ev v,ing wrap
/ 'sDon't miss a single crack or crevict
/ where anything may have slipped out ol
! sight" she directed.
/ "And don't you leave unturned sin
/ gle garment or hat" I ordered in turn
! "under which that beastly purse or Dir
l NAV be hidden.
| N crawled about the -four. to the de-
/ stTuctlon Of the creases in my best even
] inc trousers, while my wife rustied dill
! gently among the ladies Cicaks, 1ackeL'
/ and other discarded outer garments.