Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-04-13
CHAPTER XII. (Continued.)

I wish you would all go out" said
YEARLY. IF every man in the house
says be didn't try to get over to the
next roof last night, well and good.
But you might look and see if the
board is stu lying where it fell"
There was an instantaneous rush
for the window, and d seconds pause.
Then Jimmy's voice. incredulous.
awed:
Well. I'll be-blessed! There's the
board!"
l stayed in my room all that day
My head really ached and then, too, I
did not care to meet Mr.. HARRISON. II
would have to come; l realized thai
a meeting was inevitable, but | want
ed time to think how l would meet
him. It would be impossible to cut
him, without rousing the curiosity of
the others to fever pitch; and it was
equally impossible to ignore the dis
graceful episode on the stairs AS it
happened, however, I need not have
worried. l went down to dinner, Ian
guidly, when every one was seated,
and found Max at my right, and Mr..
HARRISON moved over beside Bella
Every one was talking at once. for
Flanagan, ambling around the table
as airily as he walked his beat, had
presented Bella with her bracelet on
a salad plate, garnished with romaine.
He had found it in the furnace room,
he said, where she must have dropped
it. And he looked at me steaIthily, to
approve his mendacity!
Every one was famished, and as
they ate they discussed the board in
the area-way, and pretended to deride
# as a clever bit of press work, to re-
viye a dying sensation. No one was
deceived: Anne's pearls and the at
tempt at escape, coming Just after.
pointed only to one thing | looked
around the table, dazed Flanagan,
almost the only unknown quantity.
might have tried to escape the night
before, but he would not have been
I'm dress clothes. Besides, he must
be eliminated as far as the pearls
were concerned, having been locked
in the furnace room the night they
were stolen. There was no one among
the girls to suspect. The Mercer girls
had stunning pearls, and could secure
all they wanted legitimately: and
Bella disliked them. oh. there was no
question about it, l decided: Dallas
and Anne had taken a wolf to their
bosom-or is it a viper?-and the
HARRISON man was the creature. Al
though l must say that, looking over
the table, at Jimmy's breadth and not
very imposing personality. at Maxs
lean length, sallow skin and bold
dark eyes, at Dallas. blond. growing
bald and forid, and then at the Harbi-
son boy, tall, muscular, clear-eyed and
sunburned. one would have taken Max
at first choice as the villain. with Dial
next, Jim third. and the HARRISON boy
not in the running.
1t was just after dinner that the
surprise was sprung on me. Mr.. Har-
bison came around to me gravely,
and asked me if l felt able to go up on
the roof. On the roof, after last
night. l had 10 gather myself togeth-
er; luckily. the others were pushing
back their chairs. showing Flanagan
the iQueur glasses to take up, and
lighting cigars
I do not care to go" I said Jelly
The others are coming" he per-
sisted and IL could give you an
arm up the stairs"
I believe you are good at that" l
said. looking at him steadily. Max,
will you help me to the roof"
Mr.. HARRISON really turned rather
white. Then he bowed tremendously
and left me
Max got me wrap, and every one
except Mr., HARRISON and Bella, who
was taking a mass of indigestibles to
Aunt Selma. went to the roof.
Where is Tom?" Anne asked, as
we reached the foot of the stairs.
Gone ahead to fix things" was the
answer. But he was not there. At
the top of the last flight I stopped,
dumb with amazement; the roof had
been transformed, enchanted. 1t was
fairy-land of lights and foliage and
colors. | had to stop and rub my
eyes. From the bleakness of a tin