The Press., 1911-03-15

dressing table looking down at her Jewel case with frightened eyes and a wildly beating heart. Costly gems sparkled from every velvet lined com partment but one. The white nest that had contained the famous emer. aid necklace, the Halliday heirloom, was empty.
 She rang the bell, and after awhile a strange maid appeared.
 "Will you send Louise, my maid?'' asked Elsie.
 "I do not think she is here, miss, 2 returned the girl bluntly. ''I saw her running across the lawn shortly after your arrival. She went toward the river." =s....,.
 Elsie's eyes sparkled dangerously al this evidence of the perfdy of the trusted Louise. She turned to the staring servant with gesture of dis. missal and when she was alone pro- ceeded to dress for the approaching meal.
 When her golden hair was gathered into It's customary soft knot and she had slipped into the white chiffon dress Elsie drew forth the string of pearls and clasped it about her slender throat. Without pausing to admire the charming effect she made a care full search of the room. The chair near the open window must furnish the first clew, and Elsie was not dis appointed.
 There was a tattered bit of lace evi- dently torn from a cheap handkerchief "a fragment from which dangled a bit of gold set with drop of emerald greenland the lace smelled of that dreadful French scent which Louise persisted in using.
 On the floor near the chair was a white silk handkerchief twisted into a loose knot. Elsie lifted it gingerly and inspected few Japanese charac. terS in dead black across one corner The characters were too large for a laundry mark and must represent the owners name, and that owner was probably a Japanese. Elsie recollect- ed that the Ormonds had a butler of that nationality. Last of all, on the seat of the chair was a mans pearl cuff link, on the flat surface of which a golden initial was finely inlaid. Elsie studied the twisted "V" with a little puzzled frown knitting her brows. Why had Harvey Ventnor's name sprung so quickly to her mind in such an un- pleasant connection. Perhaps it was because he was never far from her thoughts or for the reason that there are few names that begin with the letter V, not that for one instant he might be associated with anything that was dishonorable
 The dinner bell rang then, and Elsie obeyed its summons, first taking pains to hide her jewel case in the remotest corner of her wardrobe. She went re- luctantly down the broad stairs con- scious that this visit she had antici- pated must be inaugurated by the un- pleasant features surrounding a jewel robbery. While she realized that the thief must be making a successful es- cape and that every moment lost strengthened the difficulty of capture, Elsie hesitated to disturb the equa- nimity of her genial host,- now in one of the happiest moods. Near the drawing room door two men were talking in low tones, and as Elsie passed one of them was saying: "1 heard Ventnor was hard hit today. That drop in K and z. must have crippled him."
 Elsie bit her trembling lips in an angry effort to gain composure She hated herself for the lightning thought that had connected Ventnor's pecuniary difficulties with the pearl cuff link and the missing emeralds. In that instant she vowed to seek no further for the thief. The Halliday emeralds must go.
 "You look troubled, dear," whispered Mabel Ormond in her ear "Has any thing gone wrong?"
 "Everything is lovely" smiled Elsie brightly. How dear of you to give me the rose room!
 'I knew you were charmed with it last year. An. Katuru is a little late tonight Rather unusual in our i'm peccable Japanese"
 It was not Harvey Ventnor who took Elsie in to dinner; she heard his voice at the eIAd of the procession as she walked in beside young Fred Or mOnd. Dicks brother. When she sat down Ventnor was opposite. listening attentively to the chatter of some strange girl. Elsie's swift glance noted his slightly disheveled appear ance, and then she saw with a sink ing of the heart that the sleeve link was gone from one of his cuffs s-the left one. The other, plainly visible. was of pearl inlaid with gold.
 Ventnor, watching her now and then, seemed to be aware of her sud den coldness toward him. A hard look settled around his pleasant lips. and his sunny eyes clouded.
 To Elsie 1t was a miserable dinner. and 1t dragged to a tedious close while her overstrained nerves seemed on the point of giving way altogether. She resolved to plead illness and return to New York the next morning. Vent nor's presence made 1t impossible for her to remain.
 After dinner she had fled to the con- servatory for secIusion, and it was there that Ventnor found her seated in dusky corner under arching palms. When she saw him she arose with Il little frightened sob.
 "Why-why are you here?" she de- handed brokenly.
 "Am 1 so distasteful to youY' he asked, stopping short You have not