The Tupelo journal., 1911-03-17
CHAPTER vi. (continued.)

AT DdI-pdSI lOuT ClOCk we gave up.
Its gone" l said. Il don't believe
you wore it here. No one could have
taken it. There wasn't a soul in this
part of the house, except the police
man and he's locked in"
At five o'clock we put her to sleep
in the den. She was in a fearful tem-
per. and / was glad enough to be able
to shut the door on her. Tom Harbi-
son-that was his name-helped m
to creep upstairs, and wanted to get
me a glass of ale to make me sleep.
But l said it would be of no use, as
/ had to get up and get the breakfast.
The last thing he said was that the
policeman seemed above the average
in intelligence, and perhaps we could
train him to do plain cooking and dish
washing.
/ did not go to sleep at once. |
lay on the chintz-covered divan in
Bella's dressing room and stared at
the picture of her with the violets un-
derneath. I couldn't see what there
was about. Bella to inspire such indy
ing devotion. but ! had to admit that
she had, looked handsome that night,
and that the HARRISON man had GER
tainly been impressed.
AT seven o'clock Jimmy Wilson
pounded at my door, and I could have
choked him ~joyfully. / dragged my
self to the door and opened it, and
then / heard excited voices. Every
body seemed to be up but Aunt Selma,
and they were all talking at once.
Anne Browne was in the center of
the group, waving her hands. while
Dallas was trying to hook the back OF
her gown with one hand and hold a
blanket around himself with the other.
No one was dressed except Anne, and
she had been up for an hour, looking
in shoes and under the corners of
rugs and around the bed clothing for
her jeweled collar. When she saw
me she began all over again.
Il had it on when | went into my
room she declared, land | put it on
the dressing table when ! undressed.
] meant to put it under my pillow, but
I forgot. And l didn't sleep well: l
was awake half the night. Wasn't l.,
Dial? Then, when the clock down
stairs in the hall was Ginning five,
something reused me, and sat up in
bed. It was still dark, but | pinched
Dial and said there was somebody in
the room. You remember that, don't
you. DALI"
81 thought o had nightmare" he
said sheepishly.
Il lay still for ages. 1t seemed to
me, and then-the door into the hall
closed. / heard the catch click. /
turned on the light over the bed then,
and the room was empty. / thought
of my collar, and although it seemed
ridiculous. with the house sealed as
1t is. and all of us friends for years
we'll. l got up and looked, and it was
gone!"
No one spoke for an instant. 1t al
a queer situation, for the collar was
gone; Anne's red eyes showed it was
true. And there we stood, every one
Of us a miserable picture of guilt. and
tried to look innocent and debonair
and unsuspicious. Finally Jim held up
mis- hand and signiied that he wanted
TO say something.
Its like this" he said: Until this
thing is cleared up, for heavens sake.
let's try to be sane! II every fellow
thinks the other fellow did it, this
house will be a nice little hell to live
in. And II anybody"-here he glared
around-'if anybody has got funny
and is hiding those jewels. want to
say that he'd better speak up now.
Later, it won't be SO easy for him. It's
4 mighty poor joke
But nobody spoke.