Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-12-22

romances, perhaps. Eli. it's great Il
be summer girl. Miss Holcomb. 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. II the imitation Ii %
pretty"
He stirred the contents On the boz
idly. Nothing else remained to be
searched. He had ransacked che init,
mate sanctity of the girls room. He
felt bafhed 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 up
the scattered jewelry. placing II IN
Donnelly's hand to be returned to the
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 thisi" exclaimed DON
nelly, rolling the fairy parcel between
finger and thumb you won't mind
II peep in the paper. young lady?
OF course you won't And this Is only
say, what the mischief is tit
Oh gloryi'
Even Carson was startled into an
echoing obi" and the three women
almost screamed. Tor. nesting in the
folds u the tissue. its facets twink
ling in the tnsistent green glow Of the
vacuum lignss. flashed diamond-an
unmistakable iismond--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 It was a diamond even q
novice could tell was genuinei
All the blo5d left Elinor's face. The
muscles Of her throat leaped and knot
ted rs II she were strangling. She
swayed for moment, then to.,k .
long step toward the detective and
stood trembling. covering her face
with quivering hands. Donnelly. hold.
ing the diamond to the light. vas
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 b
the tone IN which he said:
WED better 90 back to the library.
l guess. VIII you go with my si1e
partner. Miss HolcombY"
Casson's advance to the secretary
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
were benumbed- Astonishment, large
and compelling, was all she could feel
for the moment Still, she took e.
inor's imploring hands In hers and
stood motionless, listening to the
girls passionate entreaty not 70 b.
ifeve the evidence of her eyes, not to
believe her kindness could BE- out
ragged In such q way. not to believe
that EliDor 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 OWE
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 Elinof
not to give way to such torturing
emotion.
But. Elinor Holcomb. shaking. sch
bing. wildly beseeching. was oblivi0as
to the silent watchfulness OF the cent
raj Office men. the covert glances from
Blodgett's mask1ike countenance, the
amazed stare OF the liveried youth IN
the elevator. All the way to the room
in which Sands and Griswold ana
Ranscome waited. all the way across
the old English library 10 the ruddy
zone before the fireplace, she csn-
tinued her prayers to Mrs. Missioner
to hold Der guiltless. That was the
one thought that shaped her thoughts:
that the woman to whom she Owed
the shelter Of her later youth shoulS
not think her capable Of such ignokis
ingratitude. There was no slightest
shade Of appeal to the detectives. n
regard for the conclusions others IN
the room might draw. But that Mira
Missioner should give credit to the
cold accusation that glittered In ths
diamond Donnelly had found-that
plainly was the unbearable thing h
the wretched young woran's pressnt
position.
You won't have to telephone the
chief. Mr.. Man." said Donnelly -
Sands with as direct a sneer as ~
thought advisable. This has bees
one of our easiest cases"
His fat hand was extended toward
the millionaire. In the crease Of IL
palm, the diamond blazed as II ~
dignant at such setting. Sands
glared at the stone. Griswold gazed a
1t az II spelibound. Ranscome Pei
Ished his glasses with much delibsr
alton and. adjusting them with eQua
precision. looked at the gem fxedly.
"This ones the goods. chr" the a.
tective went on. Ranscome. win |
marked fasudiousness. took the iewsi
from his hand and examined II a. d |
his reputation as an expert dependsf
on his test Reluctantly. he returned
the gem 20 Donnelly and said, gently,
with a plying glance at Eifnore
eTo BE co1rxfwuEDS
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