Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1911-04-25
CHAPTER XVII.
A Discovery.

gay terrace of a palace of rejoicing.
Mr.. Goldberg, one of the most AMI
mated among those sauntering and
talking here, radiated satisfaction; MS
wife's countenance shone with kindred
emotion: his daughters aspect was the
antithesis to that of a dropping Niobe
Miss Marjorie Wood and Sir Archibald
surveyed them in some surprise; Mr..
Wood was not so observant.
We called" he remarked in his hne
stately manner, as the car drew up
near the front portico, Ito tender our
condolences, and incidentally, our SER
vices. AS one of the oldest residents
at Comscot, allow me to observe the
neighborhood has heretofore enjoyed
an unimpeachable reputation"
That's all right" said Mr.. Goldberg
waving his hand lightly. I'VE don't
mind little episode like that OF last
night" with airy jocularity. Pearls?
Poof!"
Mr.. Wood stared in mild amazement.
Sir Archibald inserted monocle.
Miss Goldberg, unable to contain her
self longer, burst forth with the glor-
ious news. DO not mind him.! she
said indulgently. The pearls have
been found!"
"Eh? What l mean, congratula-
tions!" murmured Mr.. Wood.
BY Jove! Oh, say!"-The single
glass fell from the Englishman's eye;
his surprise, now, seemed even great
er than that of the others; his jaw
sagged.
Yes; Mr.. Bolger found them" The
speaker was Miss Flossie; she directed
her words to Sir Archibald, rather
than to the others.
He did not reply; slight contrac-
ton manifested itself on his brow. Ot
course, there could be no mistake; the
faces around him were more eloquent
than words, and proclaimed the tld-
ings with irrefutable certainty. Ano
yet?-Here, again, was chance inter-
fering with his checker-board, mus
tering the pieces with new fantastic
groupings. The pearls found!
Don't you believe those women
folks," interrupted Mr.. Goldberg IN
colossal high spirits. It's only one OF
their little hallucinations!
Whereupon the feminine contingent
referred to, laughed; happy laugh
The host Of Comscot mansion might
he in as facetious mood as he wished
at that moment; they humored him
gladly.
will you kindly unravel this tangle'
Miss Burke?" said Sir Archibald slow
ly.
Miss Flossie looked at him, then at
Marjorie Wood. Il will try to- she
answered. But first, tell me-" with
light irrelevancy. somewhat forced'
how is your gallant rescuer' TINS
morning. Miss Wood?"
I've did not see Mr.. Bruce before
leaving the house" replied the other
with a touch of constraint. 1T was
hest not to disturb him, you see."
No doubt he passed a restless
enough night" put in Sir Archinalo'
with a casual glance at Marjorie
Woods profile.
"Yes?" Miss Flossie's green eyes
seemed to gage more than casually the
speaker: his face, however, was mask
like.
"As YOU did here" he observed, stu
diving her in turn-"unless l am mis-
taken. But the story-and from the
beginning, if you please. Coi's'oer ou'
impatience. Miss Burke"
She told of the nights happenings,
with reservations. Occasionally ne IN
terjected a question, in a seemingly
careless tone, but his queries were
pertinent, once or twice, in the least
disconcerting. Her lids narrowed; she
experienced a vague wonder. he set
little traps in cross examination Tor
her: she evaded them with feminine
adroitness.
No. she had not seen the intruder's
race. Well, any part of him-his back,
his feet. his hands? The key-hole, Sir
Archibald buoyantly suggested, had
been there; was she above the weak
ness of certain of her sex? That Ger
tain" she laughingly replied, constl-
tuted for him a saving clause; but,
with scOffing accent, he had only just
escaped seriously offending her. A
key-hole. forsOoth!
Yet even as, without actually dis
claiming, she lightly waved the sug-
gestion aside, he could not hut note how
she forbore to answer directly. Nor
Il inc
force an issue; deftly she eluded him.
as a winged creature the too eager
entomologist. And, at the same time
he felt the green surface lights of her
CAV glance prying into his eyes; she
was a very deep young woman, he
mentally concluded. But what motive
could be hers in holding back, for only
the moment perhaps, anything, how
ever small? In what way did the
thread of her personality Intervene
itself in this already complex and
many -colored tissue of events?
He reverted from the question of the
identity of the intruder to the surpris-
ing sequence, the climax which had
first greeted them on the bright lawn
today. Personally, he had felt like one
who reads the act of a play backward
The scenes leading to the elimination
were very simple; Miss F1Ossie mar
mated them with graphic ease.
After the miscreant had fled from
the Page house (fancy his having found
refuge i'm her uncle's placeD he got
into the grounds next door. There Mr.
Rolger caught up to him. but the fel-
low again fought desperately and got
away. But in the tussle. he dropped
or lost. the pearls; anyhow, the detec-
tive afterward found them and brought
them with him Ia Mr.. Goldberg. who
Miss Flossie's light head nodded to-
ward that last named gcntleman) al
this moment had them once more
safely i'm his possession.
Sir Archibald pOndered; where was
tho weakneSS i'm the story" There