The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1913-06-14
to display Mr.. Dicks ability as a re-

to display Mr.. Dicks ability as a re-
porter. He wrote let and said moth
ing. but ended with a clever allusion
to the emerald bracelet and Winthrop
The story breathed hope in every
line, out it did not find 10; and that's
all l wanted-to find her.
The thieves had gone away empty
handed. Plainly they had come back
for the jewels, not knowing of course,
the jewels had been conveyed to
town and locked in good strong
boxes in various banks But 10 knew
it. and she did not follow in the hope
OF getting back anything. Just where
or how they had made her prisoner
we could only conjecture After all,
l couldn't see that it made any diff
ference where, for our only idea was
to get her back, to know she had not
been harmed, but the police and the
reporters gave a great deal of thought
and space to this matter told John
or the pistol when he came once dur
ing the afternoon to say there was
nothing new. but he only groaned. She
had not defended herself.
When the dinner-gong sounded,
Lone Oak, for once, was demoralized.
John had not come back; Hap was
disheVeled and tired and refused to
dress. He dined on coffee and sand
Wlches which Mrs. Hazard directed
Burrows to serve in the smoking
room to anybody who wanted to eat.
l was in my room, dry-eyed and hope
less, with Laura consoling me; and
poor, dear Mrs. Hazard was trying
to be everywhere and see everybody,
while an immaculate, muchly-starched
nurse from town only got in every
Dody's way and added to the con-
fusion. No one would let her nurse.
Natalie constituted herself hostess.
| don't think anybody gave a
thought to His Grace or cared how
he amused himself. He came upon
the terrace once during the afternoon.
and photographer snapped him, not
for any particular reason, but just
because he was duke and was lying
around loose. 1t was an awkward
situation for a house-party. The din
ner must have been a hideous affair.
The women were left alone after din
ner, for all the men, except His
Grace, changed to rough clothes and
went to see what could be done to
help. Not that they had any partic
ular hope, but they chafed at being
Idle in such a crisis. The billiard
room was deserted, the card-room
dark, and one by one lanterns began
to fit in the direction of the ninth
hole. where JOS slipper had been
found.
1t was quite dark when John came,
and besides the horror of its being
dark, there was no news. He knocked
softly, came in, spread out his hands
helplessly. He was tired and dusty,
and his clothes were torn where evil
IDENTIFY he had struggled through gaps
in wire fences. When l met his clear
gray eyes and the look in them l
moaned. Then he gave way, too, and
sat down, burying his face in his
hands. knew the truth; he loved
her! He had waited a long time to
love, then had tumbled in pell-mell,
and the woman was 10. l obeyed an
impulse and put my hand on his bowed
head.
We'll find her," l whispered brok-
emily.
Yes, We'll find her!" he repeated
grim.y.
"One of the newspapers suggests
that perhaps she was abducted and
is being held for ransom. In that case
there's a chance"
He came to his feet with an excla-
nation and eagerly scanned the paper
l gave him.
IF they are holding her-if only