The Elbert County tribune., 1911-09-15


other little souvenirs-huh!-of old
romances. perhaps. Eh. it's great to
be a summer girl, Miss HoIcomb. II
only you had Jewels like Mrs. Mission
er's. you'd shine with the best OF
them. Gee. but that must be beauty.
that necklace. If the imitation Is SO
pretty"
He stirred the contents of the box
idly. Nothing else remained to b
searched. He had ransacked the init
mate sanctity Of the girls room. He
felt baffed and sorely irritated. At
the thought Of failure he thrust his
fingers into the box with such vio-
lence that everything It held fell to
the floor. Carson stopped to pick MP
the scattered jewelry. placing It In
Donnelly's hand to be returned to tho
box. After recovering several bits Of
jewelry he laid in his big colleagues
greedy clutch small, round object
wrapped In silk tissue. :
Hello. what's this," exclaimed Don
nelly, rolling the fairy parcel between
finger and thumb. You won't mind
II I peep in the paper. young ladyf
OF course you won't And this Is only
a-say, what the mischief is itf
Oh. glory!"
Even Carson was startled into an
echoing "Ohl" and the three women
almost screamed. For. nesting in tho
folds OF the tissue, its facets twink
ling In the insistent green glow Of the
vacuum lights, flashed a diamond-an
unmistakable diamond-which Mrs.
Missioner and Dorothy and Elinor rec
ognized as one of the lesser gems
from the Maharanee necklace-much
smaller than the Maharanee diamond.
but twice the size of an ordinary
stone. And 1t was a diamond even
novice could tell was genuine,
All the blood left Elinors face. The
muscles OF her throat leaped and knot
ted as If she were strangling. She
swayed for moment. then took
long step toward the detective and
stood trembling. covering her face
with quivering hands Donnelly, hold
Ing the diamond to the light, was
about to speak--in what words. what
manner. one can guess. But the mis-
cry in the girls attitude struck the
triumphant grin from his face. and
there was momentary compassion In
the tone In which he said:
Wed better go back to the library.
guess. VIII you go with my side
partner. Miss Holcomb?"
Carsons advance to the secretary's
side was checked by the violence with
which she whirled toward Mrs. Mis-
sfoner, again with outstretched hands.
This time the widow was slower in
meeting the appeal. She was stunned
by the detectives discovery. ALI the
finer sensibilities OF her womanhood
were benumbed. Astonishment, large
and compelling. was all she could feel
for the moment Still, she took FL
inor's imploring hands in hers and
stood motionless. listening to the
girls passionate entreaty not to be-
lieve the evidence of her eyes, not to
believe her kindness could be out
ragged In such way, not to believe
that Elinor for all the jewels in the
mines OF the world could be tempted
from the high honor in which she had
been reared. Clasping the younger
woman's locked fingers in her own
soft palm. she slipped her arm about
Elinor's waist and walked with her
to the lift. Dorothy. crying almost
childishly, controlled her voice once
or twice long enough to beg Elinor
not to give way to such torturing
emotion.
But Elinor Holcomb. shaking. sob
bing, wildly beseeching. was oblivious
to the silent watchfulness of the cent
raj office men. the covert glances from
Blodgett's mask-like countenance, the
~ hn La fx,
the elevator All the way to the room
in which Sands and Griswold and
Ranscome waited. all the way across
the old English library TO the ruddy
zone before the fireplace. she con-
tinued her prayers to Mrs Missioner
to hold her guiltless That was the
one thought that shaped her thoughts;
that the woman to whom she owed
the shelter OF her later youth should
not think her capable OF such ignoble
ingratitude. There was no slightest
shade of appeal to the detectives, no
regard for the conclusions others In
the room might draw. But that Mrs
Missioner should give credit to the
cold accusation that glittered in the
diamond Donnelly had found-that
plainly was the unbearaSle thing In
the wretched young woman's present
position
You won't have to telephone the
chief. Mr.. Man." said Donnelly to
Sands with as direct a sneer as he
thought advisable. This has been
one of our easiest cases"
His fat hand was extended toward
the millionaire. In the crease OF the
palm. the diamond blazed as II In
dignant at such setting. Sands
glared at the stone. Griswold gazed at
It as If spellbound. Ranscome pol
ished his glasses with r,,sch deliber-