Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-04-05
and tell Miss LLOYD about it,"

dIlu tell MISS 1%iOtQ dDOut H.
Not this morning: I've another engage
ment. And besides. the little lady won't
get around so soon.''
"Why little lady?" I asked. smiling.
"Oh, the whole tone of the letter seems
to imply little yellow-haired butterfly
of woman
Just the reverse Of Florence Lloyd"
| I said, musingly.
Yes: no one could imagine Miss Lloyd
writing letter like that. There's lots of
personality in womans letter. Much
| more than in a mans
Parmalee went away, and, prompted by
| his suggestions, l studied the letter l had
| just received. 1t was merely an idle
| fancy. for if Mrs. Cunningham was going
| to tell Miss Lloyd her story it made lit
| tie difference to me what might be her
| stature or the color Of her hair But.
I probably because of ParmaleeS Sugges-
ton, l pictured her to myself as pretty
young woman with that air of half inno-
cence and half ignorance which so we'll
becomes the plump blonde type.
The broad veranda of the Sedgwick
| Arms was pleasant place to sit, and
had unused there for some time. when
Mr. Carstairs came out to tell me that |
! was asked for on the telephone. The call
proved to be from Florence Lloyd, ask
| ing me to come to her at once.
Only too glad to obey this summons,
| went directly to the Crawford house. Won
dering if any new evidence had been
brought to light.
Lambert opened the door for me and
ushered me into the library, where Flor
ence was receiving a lady caller
Mrs. Cunningham said Florence. as
I entered. may 1 present Mr.. Burroughs
Mr.. Herbert Burroughs. sent for
you,' she added, turning to me, because
Mrs. Cunningham has an important story
to tell. and 1 thought you ought to hear
it at once
1 bowed politely to the stranger and
awaited her disclosures.
Afrc
lous-looking woman. with appealing blue
eyes and manner half childish, half
apologize.
smiled involuntarily to see how nearly
her appearance conceded with the pic
ture in my mind, and ] greeted her al
most as If she were previous acquaint
ance.
II know I've done very wrong" she be-
gan, with nervous little flutter of her
pretty hands; but I'm ready now to TESS
up. as the children say"
She looked at me-. SO sure of an an
swering smile. that 1 gave it and said:
Let us hear your confession, Mrs. Gun
ningham; / doubt If it's very dreadful
one
Well you see she went on, that
gold bag is mine''
Yes" I said; chow did it get here?"
1--WE no idea. she replied. and 1 could
i'm the sensation she was creating. II
went to New York that night, to the
theater. and I carried my gold bag, and
left it in the train when L got out at
the station
West Sedgwick?'' asked.
No; live at Marathon Park, the next
station to this
Next on the way to New York?''
Yes. And when I got out of the train
I was with my husband and some other
people-we had been to a little theater
party missed the bag. But I didn't
tell Jack. because / knew he'd scold me
for being SO careless. 1 thought I'd get
it back from the lost and found depart
ment. and then. the very next day. 1
read in the paper about the-the-awful
accident, and it told about gold bag be-
ing found here"
''You recognized it as yours?''
'Of course; for the paper described
everything in it-even to the cleaners ad-
vertisement that I'd just cut out that
very day"
Why didn't you come and claim it at
once?"
''Oh, Mr. Burroughs, you must know
why l didn't! Why, I was scared most
to death to read the accounts Of the ter
rtble affair: and to mix in it myself-ugh,
couldn't dream of anything SO horrible"
1t was absurd, but I had desire to
shake the silly little bundle of feminin-
1ty who told this really important story
with the twitters and shippers of a silly
schoolgirl.
And you would not have come If had
not written your"
She hesitated. Il think I should have
come soon even without your letter.
why, Mrs. Cunningham
We'll, kept it secret as long as 1
could, but yesterday Jack saw that 1 had
something on my mind. I couldn't fool
him any longer"
"As to your having a mind.' I said to
myself. but made no comment aloud.
$50 told him all about 1t, and he said
must come at once and tell Miss Lloyd.
because. you see. they thought it was her
bag all the time"
Yes 1 said, gravely; ct would have
been better If you had come at first with
your story. Have you any one to sub
stantiate it, or any proofs that it is the
TRUTH"
(To be continued tomorrow.)