The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-28
Continued from Yesterday
CHAPTER XIV.
cosyvasAt, 1909, tbs Mo'
SUSPICION AND DISCORD,

ing. Aunt Selma declared that her feet
were frost bitten and kept Bella rub
hing them with ice water all morning.
And Jim was impossible. He refused
to speak TO any of us and he watched
Bella furtiveiy. as il he suspected her
of trying TO get him out OF the house.
When luncheon time came around
and he had shown no indication OF
going IN the telephone and ordering It.,
we had a conclave. aud Max was
chosen to remind him OF the hour.
Jim was shut In the studio. and We
waited together in the hall while Max
went up. When he came down he was
somewhat fulfilled -
lie wouldn't open the door" he re-
ported. land when told him ii Was
meal time. he said he wasn't hunrgy.
and he didn't give a whoop about the
rest of us. He had asked us here to
dinner: he hadn't proposed to adop.
us
So we finally ordered luncheon our
selves. and about O'Clock Jim came
down stairs. sheepishly, and ate what
was left Anne declared that Bella had
been scolding him in the upper hall.
hut / doubted II. She was never seen
10 speak 10 him unnecessarily.
The excitement OF the escape over
Mr.. HARRISON and remained on terms
of armed neutrality. And Max still
hunted for Anne's pearls, using them.
the men declared, as good excuse
to avoid tinkering with the furnace or
repairing the dunn waiter. which took
the qneerest notions. and stopped once.
half way up from the Kitchen, for an
i hour. with the dinner on It, Anyhow,
Max was searching the house system
aficafiy. armed with n copy of Poes
.tPurloined Letter" and Garboriau's
Monsieur Lecoa." He went through
the seats OF the chairs with hatpins-
tore up the beds. lifted rugs, until the
house was IN state OF confusion.
And the next day, the 4th, he found
something much. but 1t was curl
GUS. He had been in the studio, polk
ing around behind the dusty pictures
with Jimmy expostulating every tihs
he moved anything. and the rest stand
ing around watching him.
Max was struting.
we get X by elimination, he said
irtFe rtaatly. THE pearls being no
where else in the house. they must be
here In the studio Three parts Of the
studio having Welded nothing. they
rnst be In the fourth. Ladies and
gentlemen. let me have your atten-
sien for one moment. j tap this can
vas with my wand there is Moth
lag up my sleeve. Then / prepare to
move the canvas-so. And l put my
hama In the pocket If his disreputabls
ye.vet coat, so. Behoin!"
Then he gave Iow exclamation and
locked at something he held In his
hand Every one stepped forward. and
On his palm WAS the amall diamond
clasp from Anne's collar!
Jimmy was apoplect'c. He tried TO
ssEiie, but no one else did
'sWeil. I'll be fiahbergasted." he said
"I say. you people. you don't think for
minute that ] put that thing theref
Why. / haven't worn that coat for a
month. lists a trick of yours,
Max"
But Max shook his head; ne looked
stupefied. and stood gazing from the
clasp to the pocket OF the old painting
coat. Betty dropped on folding stool,
that promptly collapsed with her and
: created welcome diversion, while
- Anne peHnee6 en- the clasp greeaHy
with little cry.
-we will find il all now she said
excitedly did you look in the other
pockets, MAXI"
Then for the first time, | was con-
4 scious of an air OF constraint among
the men. Dallas was whistling softly,
and MIR, HARRISON, having rescued
BETTY, was standing silent and aleof,
watching the scene with non commits
tai eyes. Ii was Max who spoke first.
after a hurried inventory OF the other
pockets.
Nothing else" ne said constrained
~. -'Ili move the rest OF the can
vases"
But Jim interfered.. to every ones
surprise
: There's nothing back there. had
Fem out yesterday" He was quite
pale.
/ It's a practical joke. Jim, why don't
you TESS mp? Anne has worried
enough
1.-THE pearls are not there. tell you"
Jim began. Although the studio was
cold, there we're little fine beads of
a moisture on his face. II must ask oyu
not to move those pictures" And then
Aunt Selma came 10 the rescue she
stalked over and stood with her back
against the stack Of canveses
"A far as l can understand this.'
she acclaimed. you gentlemen are try
ing 10 intimate that James knows
something Of that young woTnans jew
elry. because YOU found part OF II In
his pocket Certainly you will not
move the pictures. How do you know
that the young gentleman who said
he found 1t there didn't have II up hts
sleeve2"
She looked around tr1umphantly, and
Max g,owered. Dallas soothed her
however.
Exactly So" he said. How do We
know that Max didn't have the clasp
up his sleeve? My dear lady. neither
my wife nor care anything for the
- peaEis. AZ compared with the priceless
pearl OF peace i suggest tea on the
roof those in favor II y arm Miss
s Garuthers."
II was all well enough for Jim TO
say later thst he Didn't dare TO have
ID. the cSny@aesp moved. forY he had stuck
bshind them al sorts Of chorus girl
photographs and life- class crayons
tiiet were not for Aunt seiina's eye
besides four empty siphons. two fuu
ones, and three bottles Of whiskey.
Net a. soul believed him there WAS
new element OF suspicion and discord
in tine house.
Every one went UP on the roof and
left him to his mystery Anne drank
her tea In a preOccupied silence, with
h2U-ciosed eyes. an attitude that
BODIED Ill TO somebody. The rest were
fevertshly gay. and Aunt Selma, with
pair OF arctics on her feet and q hot
water bottle at her back. sat in the
Middle or the tent and told me ia
miiiar anecdotes OF JimIny's early
youth chad he known, he would have
slain herr. Betty and Mr.. Harbison
had found a medicine ball. and were
running around like a pair OF children,
~ was quite certain, that neither HIS
<ecApe from death nor nay accusation
NeiEbsd heavily on him
< III