Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-10-28

her cheeks under Testers bold scrutiny.
IT'S "a sort of a joke
"A joke? You pound that typewriter
| for joker
| Hester studied Betty silently. then, in
| cold. even tone, Say. lady. you'll have
| to show me. I'm in bad myself and-1
| want to know about you. Amt this Mr..
Baxter that you're tryin' to help. amt
| he rich MANI"
Eyes, but-Mr. Baxter has had losses
in business. and-he has enemies, and
Oh. you wouldn't understand! You can't
| understands
| Hester turned away and walked toward
| the conservatory. She must think After
all 1t was none of her business why
| Elizabeth Thompson was doing Baxters
| secretary work. Hester was at Ipping
House for the golf bag and for nothing
her original plan Of propitiating Miss
Thompson and thus establishing herself
in the Baxter household.
"All right. lady she said, softening
buff you've had troubles yourself you
| know how I feel and-all / ask is "a
chance to work and-nake living
What kind of work can you do?'
trim hats. 1 make all my own things. 1
| made this dress and this cloak
| Really! 1 think your cloak is very
smart" and Hester reflected that it
might well be, seeing that she had paid
| 500 francs for it OH the Rue de Ia Paix.
II suppose I could recommend you to
Mrs. Baxter and the other ladies' hesi-
tated Betty. for sewing and mending.
| only-there's our meeting on the train
| it's very awkward
"Why is it? We don't have to tell
| them about the train. do We? I'm here.
| anyway. The Rev. Merle got me here
All L ask you to do is to let me fix over
some dresses and shirt waists"
n cd hn
"I'll do that"
Say. will you let me begin right away?
Will you? So I can satisfy that she
dragon down at the lodge?'
Mrs. Potter"
Hester nodded, with expressive panto.
mime indicating the nature of the dragon.
IF that old thing knows I'm sewing for
the ladies here she'll let up on the scrub
bling talk. Why should 1 scrub when 1
can sew"
This sounded reasonable and Betty be-
gan to feel that she had been not quite
kind to Hester.
IT'S good time now she said. with
increasing friendliness. i've nearly fin
ished this work and, If you don't mind
going to my room, Wen see what we can
find
The Storm girl gave a little gasp of
JOY. Was there ever anything as easy
as this? Would She mind going to Miss
Thompson's room! Would she mind TAX
ing $4,000 on g. gold spoon? Oh, dear!
Oh, dear!
But she simply answered with a CRATE
full, innocent look, I'll be glad to GO
So they climbed the winding stair, Hes
ter thrilling with expectation. She had
no doubt the bishops purse was still in
the golf bags depths where she had
dropped it. and the golf bag itself was
probably in this very room where they
were going: or. If not there, it must be
knocking about in some odd corner or
dusty closet, where she would quickly
find it, now that she had the run of the
house. and, having found it
oh" she cried, suddenly, and stopped
short at the open door, unable to speak
or to move. for there, in plainest sight.
resting against a, tall chest Of drawers,
! was the coveted object, the treasure
holding golf bag.
What is it?'' asked Betty
Nothing. lady. II was a little out
Of breath" stammered the girl, recover
ing herself quickly. Here was her golden
opportunity and she must not spoil it by
any queer behavior
And now Hester's luck attended her.
for not only was Betty quite ObliviOus to
her protege's agitation. but. after some
perfunctory wardrobe investigation. she
remembered, with miSgivings. those let
tiers that Bob had sent to be copied. and
she fell in readily with an artful sugges-
| ton that the sewing girl be left here in
the chamber to repair torn skirt while
Betty descended to her duties in the Ii
brary. 1t really was too easv.
AS soon as she was alone Hester moved
swiftly toward the golf bag. then paused
and glanced cautiously about her. Every
moment was precious, but she must make
no mistakes. A chance like this wouldn't
come twice to girl and-what was that?
She listened intently. afraid of her
own breathing. Silence! 1t must have
been a creaking timber. Absolute 81
clicking! A good thing Miss Thompson
had left the little door ajar! She could
hear any slightest sound from the Ii
brary, any step on the stair.
Very carefully Hester lifted the golf
bag by its supporting strap She remem-
bered how the clubs had ratified that day
in Charing Cross station. They ratified
a little now. Should she take them out
or try to reach down into the bag? Bet
ter see where the purse was first. No.
she couldn't see. There We're too many
clubs-packed in close together and 1T
was all dark-down at the bottom. Per-
haps she could see better by the window.
or-ah! the electric light! There by the
dressing table! She could hold the bag
right under it.
4 momert later. with a smothered
click, the lamp gave forth it's yellow
glare, and. quivering with excitement,
One glance was enough. There at the
very bottom. nesting comfortably be-
tween q niblick and cleek. lay the fat
brown purse. held tight in its elastic
ible hoard Of banknotes. The thing was
done! The trick was turned! She had
only to lay the bag softly On Betty's bed
there, and reach her arm in and-what
was that?
With a swift. instructive movement
Hester stood the golf bag back in its
corner. then turned slowly, and, as her
eyes swept the mirror, she saw that she
was deathly pale. What was that creak
ing noise? A step? She strained her
ears but there was no sound save the
steady typewriter murmur from below.
Then. still looking in the mirror. she
gazed fascinated, at a door on the far
Their side of the chamber. not the door
to the library stair, but another door, a
green door. and. as she looked, this door
opened slightly and she saw distinctly
the reflection of a mans face, a man
with a slightly twisted nose and a shock
Of black hair. He was standing there
in the green door staring at her. and it
seemed to Hester that she had seen this
man somewhere before.
CTo be continued ton, 1rrow.)