The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1911-02-16
The Halliday
Emera1dS
A Story of Their Quick
Recovery
By CLARISSA MACKIE
Copyright by American Press Asso-
citation, 1911.

Elsie Halliday stood before her
dressing table looking down at her
Jewel case with frightened eyes and
h wildly beating heart. Costly gems
sparkled from every velvet lined COM
partment but one. The white nest
that had contained the famous emerl
aid necklace, the Halliday heirloom,
was empty.
She rang the bell, and after awhile
strange maid appeared.
"Wll you send Louise. my maldT'
asked Elsie.
81 do not think she is here, miss, ="
returned the girl bluntly. 81 saw her
running across the lawn shortly after
your arrival She went toward the
river"
Elsie's eyes sparkled dangerously ut
this evidence of the perhdy Of the
trusted Louise. She turned to the
staring servant with a gesture Of dis
mlssal and when she was alone pro
eeeded 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 1t about her slender
throat. Without pauslng 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 a tattered bit of lace evil
IDENTIFY torn from q cheap handkerchief
"a fragment from which dangled
bit of gold set with a drop of emerald
greenland the lace smelled of that
dreadful French scent which Louise
i persisted In using.
On the floor near the chair was a
white silk handkerchief twisted into
a loose knot. Elsie lifted 1t gingerly
and inspected few japanese charac-
ters in dead black across one corner.
The characters were too large for
laundry mark and must represent the
owners name, and that owner was
probably a 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
fiat surface Of which golden initial
was finely inlaid. Elsie studied the
twisted "V" with a little puzzled
frown knitting her brows. Why had
Harvey Ventnor's name sprung SO
/ quickly to her mind in such an I'M
pleasant connection. Perhaps 1t was
because he was never far from her
thoughts or for the reason that there
are few names that begin with the
letter V, not that for one instant he
might be associated with anything
that was dishonorable.
The dinner bell rang then. and Elsie
obeyed its summons, first taking pains
to hide her jewel case In the remotest
corner of her wardrobe. She went re-
luctantly down the broad stairs CON
scious that this visit she had antici-
pated must be inaugurated by the un-
pleasant features surrounding a Jewel
robbery. While she realized that the
thief must be making a successful es-
cape and that every moment lost
strengthened the difficulty of capture,
Elsie hesitated to disturb the equa-
nlmity of her genial host, now In
one Of the happiest moods Near
the drawing room door two men were
talking In low tones, and as Elsie
passed one Of them was saying: II
heard Ventnor was hard hit today.
That drop In X. and a. must have
crippled him."
Elsie bit her trembling lips in an
angry effort to gain composure. She
hated herself for the lightning
thought that had connected ventnor's
pecuniary difficulties with the pearl
cuff link and the missing emeralds.
In that instant she vowed to seek no
further for the thief. Fhe Halliday
emeralds must go.
You look troubled, dear" whispered
Mabel Ormond in her ear. HAS any
thing gone wrongT
Everything is lovely" smiled Elsie
brightly. GLOW dear of you to give
me the rose roomp'
II knew you were charmed with 1t
last year. All, Katuru is little late
tonight Rather unusual In our i'm
peccable japanese"
1t was not Harvey Ventnor who
took Elsie In to dinner; she heard mis-
voice at the end of the procession as
she walked in beside young Fred Or
mond. Dicks brother. When she sat
down Ventnor was opposite, listening
attentiyely to the chatter Of some
strange girl. Elsies swift glance
noted his slightly disheveled appear
ance, and then she saw with a sink
ing of the heart that the sleeve link
was gone from one Of his cpffs-the
left one, The other, plainly visible
was of pearl inlaid with gold.
Ventnor, watching her now and
then, seemed to be aware OF her sud
den GOODNESS toward him. A hard
look settled around his pleasant lips,
and his sunny eyes clouded.
TO Elsie 1t was a miserable dinner,
and 1t dragged TO a tedious close while
her overstrained nerves seemed on the
point OF giving way altogether. She
resolved to plead illness and return to
New York the next morning. Vent
nor's presence made It impossible for
her to remain.
After dinner she had fed to the con-