, 1913-01-09

Cd that the pearls refuseu 10 lie ohii's
ted. To my mind. however. Mt that
time. the issue seemed n double one
/ believed that some one. perhaps Har
nv wardrop. had stolen the pearls. MD
den them in the secret closet. ana dis
posed of them later | made a mote &c
try to follow up the missing pearls.
Then / chung TO the theory that MISS
Maitland had been abducted and was
being held for ransom But-and !
stuck here-the abductor who would
steal an old woman and take her out
into the May night without any cover
ing-not even shoes-clad only in heI
night clothes, would run an almost Ger
tain risk of losing his prize by pneu
monia. For a second search had
shown not an article OF wearing ap
parel missing from the house.
lust before dinner | made a second
round of the grounds. About a hun
dred feet beyond the boundary hedge
l found circular tracks. broad n
deep, where an automobile had backed
and turned. The lane was separated
by high hedges of Usage orange from
the properties on either side. and each
house in that ne%ighborhood ID drive
Of its own. which entered from thu
main street, circled the house and went
out as 1t came.
There was no reason. or, so far as }
could see. no legitimate reason why a
car should nave stopped there. yet II
stopped and for some time. Deeper
tracks in the sand at the side of the
lane showed that
felt that ! had made some prog
ress. had found where the pearls
had been hidden after the theft. and
this put Bella out of the question. AND
1 had founder thought ] had-ths
way In which Miss Jane had beer
taken away from Bellwood
l came back past the long rear wing
of the house which contained, ! pre-
sumed. the kitchen and the other mys
terious regions which only women and
architects comprehend. A long porct
ran the length of the wing. and as |
passed I heard my name called.
'In here in the old laundry" Mar
gery's voice repeated. and | retraceG
my steps and went up on the porch
At the very end of the wing. disman
tied, piled at the sides with firewoo,
and brok en- furniture. was an old laun
dry. Its tubs were rusty. its walls mil
dewed and streaked. and 1t exhaled tn.
musty odor OF empty houses On the
door in the middle of the room. unde
niably dirty and ~disheveled. sat Mar
gerry Fleming
II thought you were never coming
she said petulantly. "T have been here
alone for an hour"
I'm sure ! never guessed It." ! apol
ogized. 81 should have been only to
glad to come and sit with you"
She was fumbling with her hair
which hung. loosely knotted, over one
small ear.
al hate to look ridiculous she said
sharply. land | detest being laughed
at I've been crying. and | haven't
any handkerchief"
proffered mine gravely, and she
took 1t.
"Now," b said when she had jab-
bed the last hairpin into place and
tucked my handkerchief into her belt,
'if you have beer sufficiently amused
pCLuupo you Will hcip hc u VI hCiC'
She brushed aside her gown. and /
saw what had occurred. She was sit
ting half over a trapdoor in the floor,
which had closed on her skirts and held
her fast.
81 was sure Robert had no< looked
carefully in the old wine cellar" she
said. land Their ! remembered this trap.
door opened into 1t. 1t was the only
place we hadn't explored thoroughly.
put a ladder down and looked
around"
Couldn't you-er-get out of your
garments. and-I could go out and
close the door?" l suggested delicately.
"You see, you are sitting on the trap.
door and
But Margery secuted the suggestion
with the proper scorn and demanded u
pair of scissors. She cut herself loose
with vicious ships, while l p%araphrased
the old nursery rime, "She cut heI