Evening star., 1911-05-28

who travelled with a retinue and even in the
Jam always had cleared space about him
like charmed circle; but from the moment
he bowed low over my hand in acknowledge
ment of my name all fear vanished in a
vague idea that somewhere before l had
seen him. He was not extraordinary in ap-
pearance. He was exactly ones idea of a
French Duke,-small, dapper, distinctly
foreign in dress and manner with precise
mustache and pompadour.
l searched my memory. America! Of
course not Englando No. The Continent!
Perhaps But where? How? When! Was
the name familiar? In the first flush OF my
awe of him couldn't say Why should
remember him. couldn't answer that, and
it worried me.
The other distinct thing was little lndls-
position on the part of Miss Sargent, which
amounted to nothing at the time, but de-
veloped into mystery. She complained OF
feeling faint when dancing with his Grace,
and they came upon the balcony where MIR.
Abbott and l were talking poetical cabbages-
She recovered Immediately when Mr. Abb
bott brought glass of water; but his Grace
meanwhile was very much excited IN Jum-
BILE of awfully poor English and graceful
French. Later, when the evening was all
Overland goodly portion of the morning
too-and had gone, absolutely exhausted
and entirely happy, to my sitting room, the
door of which was open as we had lett 1t be-
tween Laura's suite and mine, l stumbled
upon rather a tense scene.
NATALIE was draped languidly on a
chair in the center of Lauras pretty
white and gold room, while Laura stood rig
idly by the window and Mrs. Hazard sat
rather upright in chair hardly proportioned
to her short legs, with pucker between her
eyes that was most unusual.
II couldn't have lost it." Natalie was say
ing. am too particular about the clasp.
It's a patent affair and has to be undone."
aBut, my dear child" expostulated Mrs.
Hazard, @even patent affairs can be defec-
tive. / had the servants search the rooms
thoroughly and the yard beneath the balcony
under the all seeing eyes of a detective; but
we will search more thoroughly tomorrow.
/ myself questioned here and there; but OF
course if anyone had found it they would
have come directly to me. You can't lmag-
inc how it distresses me!'
didn't know whether to close the door
or not. / moved a chair with bump to
let them know was there, and Laura called
to me.
aWhat is it," asked, joining them. 3Can
I help?"
aNatalie has lost bracelet" Laura an
. missed it after she was on the balcony. You
were there, Loulie."
@Why, yes, with Mr.. Abbott" looked
from one to the other, and my gaze came to
rest upon Laura's distressed face. "Mr. Abb
bott went for glass of water while his
Grace and l unfastened Miss Sargents
gloves and chafed her wrists
1t seemed an awfully long minute before
anyone said anything else.
aNatalie, do you think anyone took it,"
Laura demanded.
@Why, of course not" Natalie replied;
but as that rather belied her former state
ment no one believed her.
1My dear" Mrs. Hazard said, @there were
detectives all over the place"
@If you couldn't have lost it, Natalie"
Laura persisted, "there can be only one
other answer. And if thief. why take just
one bracelet"
Natalie rose "I'm awfully sorry, Dear,
if / said So 1t really doesn't matter. Of
course l can't get another like it, because
there isn't another like it in the world, or SO
many emeralds matched SO perfectly. 1t
came down to me from greatgreat-grand-
mother and has all sorts of history attached
to it. But if it's gone. it's gone!'
, She picked up her wraps and | hastened
forward to help her, while Mrs. Hazard, in