The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1910-07-29

ala not speak TO any OF US,
but turned and helped in a bundle
of red and yellow silk comfort
that proved to be Aunt Selma,
also feet first. l had a glimpse
of a half-dozen heads outside,
guards and reporters. Then Jim
jerked the shade down and I'M
swathed Aunt Selina's legs so that
she could walk, offered his arm,
and stalked past us and upstairs,
without a word!
None of us spoke. w eturned
out the lights and went upstairs
and took off our wraps and went
to bed. 1t had been almost a
fiasco.
Suspicion and Discord.
Every one was nasty the next
morning. Aunt Selma declared
that her feet were frost-bitten and
kept Bella rubbing them with ice
water all morning. And Jim was
impossible. refused to speak
to any of us and he watched Bella
furtively, as if he suspected her
of trying to get him out of the
house.
When luncheon time came
around and he had shown no in
dication of going to the telephone
and ordering it, we had a conclave,
and Max was chosen to remind
him of the hour. Jim was shut
in the studio, and we waited to-
gether in the hall while Max went
up. When he came down he was
somewhat ruffled.
'fHe wouldn't open the door,"
he reported, land wnen I told
him it was meal time, he said he
wasn't hungry, and he didn't give
whoop about the rest of us. He
had asked us here to dinner: he
hadn't proposed to adopt u.s."
So we finally ordered luncheon
ourselves, and about two O'Clock
Jim came downstairs, sheepishly
and ate what was left. Anne de.
clared that Bella had been scoldine
him in the upper hall, but l doubt
ed it. She was never seen to
speak to him unnecessarily.
The excitement of the escape
over, Mr.. HARRISON and l re.
manned on terms of armed neu.
trality. And Max still hunted fol
Anne's pearls, using them, the
men declared, as a good excuse
to avoid tinkering with the fur.
mace or repairing the dumb-waiter
which took the queerest notions
and stopped once, halfway vi
from the kitchen, for an hour
with the dinner on it. Anyhow
Max was searching the house sys
tematically, armed with a copy Of
Poe's "Purloined Letter" and Ga
boriau's Monsieur Lecoq." He
went through the seats of the
chairs with hatpins, tore up the
beds, and lifted rugs. until the
house was in state of confusion
And the next day, the fourth, he
found something-not much, but
1t was curious. He had been in
the studio, poking around behind
the dusty pictures, with Jimmy
expostulating every time he moved
anything and the rest standing
around watching him.
Max was strutting.
1--WE got ii by elimination" he
said Importantly. "The pearls be.
ing nowhere else in the house
they must be here in the studio
Three. parts of the studio having
yielded nothing, they must be in
the fourth. Ladies and gentle.
men, let me have your attention
for one moment. I tap this can
vas with my wand--there is moth
ing up my sleeve. Then / prepare
to move the canves--so. And ]
put my hand in the pocket of this
disreputable. velvet coat. SO. Be
holdi"
Then he gave a low exclamation
and looked Mt something he held
in his hand. Every one stepped
forward. and on his palm was the
small diamond clasp from Annc's
collar!
Jimmy was apoplectic. He tried
to smile, but no one else did.
well. I'll be flabbergastcd.s
he said.< II say. you people. you
don't think for a moment that
put that thing thcre7 Why.
haven't worn that coaN. for 9
month. It's a trick OF yours,
Max"
BUT Max shook his head; he
locked stupefied. and stood Eaz-