The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1911-03-20

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
strange maid appeared.
Twill you send louise, my maid"
asked Elsie.
al do not think she is here, miss"
returned the girl bluntly. II saw her
running across the lawn shortly after
your arrival. She went toward the
river"
Elsie's eyes sparkled dangerously at
this evidence of the peridy of the
trusted Louise. She turned TO the
staring servant with a gesture OF dis
missal and when she was alone pro-
ceeded to dress for the approaching
meal.
When her golden hair was gathered
into its 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 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 tattered bit Of lace evil
IDENTIFY torn from cheap handkerchief
"a fragment from which dangled n
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 n few japanese charac.
tiers in dead black across one corner,
The characters were too large for q
laundry mark and must represent the
owners name, and that owner was
probably 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
fat surface of which n golden initia
: was finely inlaid. Elsie studied the
twisted "V" with little puzzled
frown knitting her brows. Why haC
: Harvey Ventnor's name sprung S,
: quickly to her mind in such an un
pleasant connection. Perhaps 1t wa
because he was never far from he
, thoughts or for the reason that there
are few names that begin with tn
letter V, not that for one instant III
might be associated with anything
that was dishonorable.
The dinner bell rang then, and Elsi,
I obeyed its summons, first taking pain
to hide her jewel case in the remotes
corner of her wardrobe. She went re
q luctantly down the broad stairs con
: sclous that this visit she had anticl
pated must be inaugurated by the vi
pleasant features surrounding a jewe
robbery. While she realized that tn
thief must be making successful es
cape and that every moment los
strengthened the difficulty of captur,
!. Elsie hesitated to disturb the equG
: nimity of her genial host, now 4
. one of the happiest moods. Nea
the drawing room door two men wer
talking in low tones, and as Elsi
passed one of them was saying:
:, heard Ventnor was hard hit toda!
That drop in y. and u. must hav
crippled him."
Elsie bit her trembling lips in a
angry effort to gain composure. 81
u hated herself for the lightnin
thought that had connected Ventnor
pecuniary difficulties with the pea
q cuff link and the missing emerald
e In that instant she vowed to seek 4
= further for the thief. The Hallida
n emeralds must go.
= "You look troubled, DEAR" whispere
Mabel ormond in her ear. HAS an
d thing gone wrongY
IT Everything is lovely" smiled Els
brightly. "How dear of you to gi'
IS me the rose roomw
e 81 knew you were charmed with
lie last year. All. Katuru is little la
ID tonight. Rather unusual In our In
% peccable Japanese"
re Ii was not Harvey Ventnor WI
Is took Elsie In to dinner; she heard h
n voice at the end of the procession
lie she walked I'm beside young Fred Q
mond, Dicks brother. When she s
down ventnor was opposite. listenir
attentively TO the chatter of son
* strange girl. Elsies swift CLAN
al noted his slightly disheveled appea
lie ance, and then she saw with sin
IN ing of the heart that the sleeve Iii
was gone from one of his cuffs-t
e left one. The other, plainly visib
/" was of pearl inlaid with gold.
ventnor. watching her now n
then, seemed to be aware of her su
III den GOODNESS toward him. A ha
ne look settled around his pleasant Ill
and his sunny eyes clouded.
ID To Elsie II was a miserable dim,
and II dragged TO tedious close VIII
her overstrained nerves seemed on
10 point of giving way altogether. S
go resolved TO plead illness and return
>. New York the next morning. We
nor's presence made Il impossible
her to remain.
90 After dinner she had fed to the c.
servatory for seclusion, and 1t v