The Huttig news., 1911-12-16

and could not know the course his
suhordinates were pursuing.
From a drawer in F7iror's Chippen-
dale secretary Donnel'v COX a box
of rare LACQUER and fitted '.er tn 1t.
He stopped to gaze searchiae'~ at
Miss He comb for few minutes. then
he unlocked the box
81 hate to pry into any Young lady's
little keepsakes" he said in a ponder
ously patronizing manner, hut. as
Miss Ho'comb hasn't been to Maiden
Lane in such long time know she
won't object Now this little box. of
course, contains nothing hnt trirkets
or ODDS and ends--love letters may
he?" F'inor's heart sickened at the
leer In his face She turned her eyes
to Dorothy's loving little face and
c'ung 70 the debutante's hand Ton
nelly. fumbling with the key for
awhile opened the lacquered box
Just what l s;.id. you see he ex-
claimed Nothing but trinlSets and
other little souvenirs-hnh,-of old
ronances. perhars Eh it's great to
he summer girl Miss Haleemb IF
only you had jewels Ike Mrs. Mission
ers. you'd shine with the hest of
them. Gee but thai must he a beauty.
that necklace, If the imitation is so
pretty
He stirred the contents Of the hox
idly. Nothing else remained to be
searched. He had ransacked the init
mate sanetity of the girls room He
felt haffed and sorely irritated. At
the thoneht of failure he thrust his
fingers into the box with such VIC
lence that everything 1t held fell to
the floor Carson stopped to pick up
the scattered iewelry. placing ii in
Donnelly's hand TO be returned TO the
box After recovering several hits of
jewelry he laid In his big colleagues
greedy clutch a small, round object
wrapped in silk tissue.
Hello what's thisl" exclaimed DON
nelly. rolling the fairy parcel between
finger and thumb. you wort mind
If | peep in the paper, young lady?
OF course you won't And this is onlv
a--.-say what the mischief Is it?
Oh glory"
Even Carson was startled into al
ethoing "Oh,' and the three womer
almost screamed. For, nesting in the
folds of the tissue. its facets twinl
ling in the insistent green glow of thc
vacuum lights, flashed a diamond
unmistakable diamond-which Mrs
Missioner and Dorothy and Elinor rec
ognized as one of the lesser gems
from the Maharanee necklace-much
mailer then he Mahararee dta~7c-e
nut twice the size of an oldinar
zone. And it was a dia,~ ord eyen a
lov ce could tell was genuinei
All the blood eft EliIor's race. Tho
muscles of her throat leaped snl knot
ed as II she were strangling. She
waved for moment, then took q
ong step toward the detective and
stood trembling covering her face
With quivefing 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. Will you go with my side
partner. Miss Holcombo"
Carsons advance to the secretary's
side was checked by the violence with
which she whirled toward Mrs. Mis-
sioner. again with outstretched hands.
This time the widow was slower in
meeting the appeal She was stunned
by the detectives discovery. All the
finer sensibilities of her womanhood
We're benumbed Astonishment large
and compelling, was all she could feel
for the moment Still, she took FL
inor's imp oring hands in hers and
stood motionless. listening to the
girls passionate entreaty not to he
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
childishiy, controlled her voice once
or twice long enough to beg Elinor
not to give way to such torturing
emotion
But Elinor Holeomb. shaking. sob
bling, wildly beseeehing, was oblivious
TO the silent watchfulness of the cent
raj Office men, the covert glances from
Blodgett's mask-like countenance. the
amazed stare of the liverieG youth in
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