The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-18
Something
On This
Continued from Saturday. }

The lights came out across the
river and made purple and yellow
streaks on the water. and one Of the
motor boats camt painting back to the
YACHT club. coughing ana gasping as
If IL hs-Awverdoue Down an the
street automobiles were starting ana
sfopning. cabs rolling. doors siam
ming. all the maddening. delightful
hustle nf people who are fcotfree To
K dine out 10 dance, TO go 10 the the
4 atrs TO do any of the thousand pos
sibilities Of long February evening
4 And above them ! sat on the roof
sud cried--yes cried
l was roused by some one cough ing
Just behind me. and ] tried to
Strengthen my face before turned
ii was E,ta.4H4saEs, hiss *ieHhi+ Ftsa- "a
brass buttons cleaning In the t@t-
light
Excuse me. miss" he said ana
blv, .sbut they boy from the hotel
has left the dinner en- the doorstep
and run, the cowardly little diVil'
What'il / DO with it, I ~ent to Mrs.
Wilson. but she SAYS It's no concern
Of hers" Flanagan Vas evidently
bewiidered,
You'd better keep II warm Flan-
nigan" / replied. You needn't wait;
I'm coming But he did not GO.
lift YOU II excuse me. miss. he
snid, don't you think ye'd better
tell them r.
Tell them what"
The whole thing-the joke" he
said cenadentiany. coming closer
ats been great sport. now. hasn't
iss But I'm afraid they will get on
To Ii soon. and--sone or them might
not be agreeable. A pearl necklace
Is pearl necklace, miss, and the
iatiyss wild.
What do You mean" gasped,
s'You don't think --why, Flanagan
He merely grinned at me and thrust
his hand down In his pocket. When
he brought il up he had Bela's
bracelet on his palm, glittering in tho
faint light.
Where did YOU get 1T Between
= relief and the absurdity OF the thing,
was almost historical. But Flanni-
gan did not give me the bracelet in
stead. 1t struck me his tone was sud
denly severe.
Now look here, miss" he said:
you've played your trick and you've
had your fun. The Lord knows it's
only folks like you. would play April
fr,oi Jokes with n fortune. n you're
Il the sinsible little woman YOU look TO
he. yeu'll put that pearl collar on
the coal in the basement to-night
and let me find It"
6s u haven't got the pearl collar"
protested II think you are crazy,
Where did YOU get that bracelet ?"
He edged away from me, as If he
expected me 10 snatch II from him
and run. but he was stili trying in
an eiephantine way to treat the mat
ter as a joke.
II found 1t in drawer In the
pantry" he said. among the dirty
linen. And If you're as smart as |
think you are. I'll find the pearl col
& lar there in the morning--and moth
Ing said, miss
So there was, suspected of being
responsible for Aunes pearl collar.
II M Ii had not enough To worry me
before. OF coak-se / could have called
them all together and told them, and
made them explain to Flanagan what
had really meant by my delrious
speech I'm the kitchen. But tina
would have meant telling the whole
ridiculous story 20 Mr.. HARRISON, and
having him think us all mad. and me
q fool
In all that overcrowGed house
there was only one place where
could be miserable with comfort. SO
stayed on the roof, and cried
little and then became angry and
Il walked up and down. and clenched
my hands and bahbied helplessly.
The boats on the river were yellow,
horizontal streaks through my tears,
an an early searchlight sent its shaft
like tangible thing in the darkness.
Just over my head. Then. finally. |
curled down In a corner with my
arms on the parapet. and the lights
became more and more prfsmatic and
finally formed themselves into cir
VI de that was Bella's bracelet. and that