The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-07-08
fContinuea from Yesterlay.) }

three or four hAndFeu ptpPit+ VHe
suspicion had To be divided among
ten And OF those ten. at least eight
OF us we're friends. and the other two
had been vouched for ny the Browns
and Jimmy II was horrible mix
up. Fer the necklace was gone
there couldn't he any doubt Of that
and although as Dallas said, it
couldn't get out Of the house, still,
there were plenty Of places to hide
the thing
The worst of cur trouble really orig
mated with Max Reed. after all
For il was Max who made the silly
wager over the telephone. with Dick
Ragiey. He bet five hundred even
that one OF us at least, would hire. ,
. quarantine within the next twenty
four hours. and. Of course, that set
: tied IL Dick told 1t around ths clu-
as a joke. and man who owns a
newspaper heard him and called up
4 the paper IAneh the paper called up
the health office, after setting up a
naming care-head. "WiIl Money Free
Them? Board Of Health versus Mil
iionaire.''
1t was almost three when the house
8 settled down--nobody had any night
efethrs, although finally through
Dallas. who gave them To Anne, who
gave them to the rest. We got some
things of Jimmy's--and | was stil
iresEed The house was perfectly
quiet. and. after listening carefully
& went slowly down the stairs. There
was a light in the hall, and another
back In the dining room, and / got
along without any trouble. But the
pantry, where the stairs led down.
WIS dark. and the wretched swinging
deer would not stay open,
/ caught my skirt in the door and
as ! went through. and / had to stop
to loosen it. And in that awful min
ute ! heard some one breathing Just
u beside me. I had stopped to my
gown, and ! turned my head with
out Strengthening couldn't have
raised myself to an erect posture for
my knees were giving way under me
and just at my feet lay the still
glowing end of a mafcn'
had To swallow twice before /
could speak. Then / said sharply
who's there ?''
The man was SO close it Is a Won
der I had not walked into him; his
voice was right at my ear. -
II am sorry / startled you" he said
quietly. Il was afraid to speak sud
denly, or move. for fear / would do
what j have done"
1t was Mr.. HARRISON.
I'll thought you were~-it is very
late" / managed to say with dry lips.
.Do you know where the electric
switch tsp
Mrs. wilson" 1t was clear he had
not known me before why no;
don't YOU"
Il am all confused" l muttered, and
beat a retreat into the dining rooIn
There. In the friendly light. we could
Mt least see each other, and ] think
. he was as much impressed by the fact
N that / had not undressed as | was by
the fact that he had. partly. He
wore a hideous dressing gown of Jim
my's. much too small, apd his hair,
parted and plastered down in the
II early evening, stood up in a sort OF
brown brush all over his head He
was trying to fatten il with his hands,
TT must be three O'Clock" he said,
with polite surprise, and the house
IL like barn. You ought not to be
cunning around with your arms I'M
covered. Mrs. Wilson. Surely you
could have called some or US
II didn't wish to disturb any one
sAid, with distinct truth.
II suppose you are like me" he
81 said. "The novelty of the situation
and everything. l. got to thinking
things over, and then 7 realized the
Mtudio was getting cold so ! thought
III would come down and take a look
@s Mt the furnace, / didn't suppose any
q one else would think of 1t. But
Jost myself In that pantry, stumble
against haif-open drawer, and near
~ IL went down the dunn waiter. = And,
Is liz in~judgment on me. at that in
slant came two rather terrific thHmps
from somewhere below, and inarticu-
u late words. shouted rather than spok-
81 en- IT was uncanny, Of course, com
ing as 1t did through the register at
cur feet. Mr.. HARRISON looked star
tied.
.sOh, By the way" I said. as care
# leasiy as could. In The excite
ment, forgot to mention It, There
Ii q policeman asleep In the furnace
B the furnace room. II suppose Nre
viii have TO keep him now" l I'm
isiaed rs airily as possible.
"Oh, policeman the cellar"
he repeated, staring at me. and he
moved toward the pantry door.
|S 'sYou needn't go down" 1 said
feyerishly. with visions Of Bella
Il Knowles sitting on the kitchen table,
surrounded by soiled dishes and all
s the cherries aftermath Of dinner
party please don't go down l.
an IT'S one OF my rules--never to let a
stranger go down TO the kitchen. l.
I'm pecuiiar--tf1at way-and besides,
& Fists mussy."
Look here, Mrs. Wilson, he said
resoiutAly. What do ! care about
81 the Kitchen I'm gong down anc
M Arrest that policeman for disturbinb
the peace. He will have the pipes
down.
eYou must not go" said. with
s desperate ffrmness. 'He--he is prob
ably In a very dangerous state just
now. We--r-locked him in"
The HARRISON man grinned and
Aa then became serious
why don't you tell me the whole
thing ~ he demanded. You've been
III trouble all evening. and--you can
trust me- you Know. because l am
S stranger: because the minute this
quarantine is raised / am off
M the Argentine Republic fperhaps
M NJ said Chilli land because / don't
NSs know anything at all about you. You
81 nee, have to believe what you teli
me. having no personal knowledge OF
Any OF you to go on. Now tell me-
ss whom have you hidden in the cellar
beSideS the policeman"
There was no use trying to de-
ea5F3 him. he was looking straight
& Into my eyes. So / decided to make
1he beet OF a bad thing. Anyhow. IL
Nas going TO require strength 10 get
a H. Yh~sst hn T..