Charlevoix county herald., 1914-05-30
CHAPTER XVII.
ShannOn's Jess.


the permission. Don't move-not
even the direction of your eyes," he
added hastily to the model who was
posing for him.
He wore a loose blouse that had
been made stiff by paint where he
had wiped his brushes against it.
The thumb of his left hand was
grasping a palette-his right hand
held a brush that was performing
wonders upon a canvas in front of
him.
Shaughnessy entered, closed the
door, and stood still, waiting. He
seemed to have dropped the bearing
of a plain-clothes man outside the
door. He was the courteous. gentle
manly operative who had gone ont
to The Fells, at Monterey, with
Bingham.
He shot only one comprehen-
sive glance toward the model whose
back was turned to him. That was.
perhaps why he thought it wise not
to speak until Moreaux's eyes had
been withdrawn and turned in his
direction. He did not care to startIe
her by the sound of his voice so long
as the eyes Of the artist were upon
her
Moreaux seemed equally deter
mined not to speak, or else his in
terest in the work he was doing made
him forget. Shaughnessy became
uneasy and cleared his throat tenta
lively, but softly. Moreaux turned.
Hello, Shaughnessy," he said
with cordiality, and went forward
with extended hand. Over his shout
der, but without turning, he added:
you may rest, Miss Stacey"
Stacey was the name over the hell
at the fiat where Shaughnessy's wife.
"Shannon's Jess" wore diamonds
and expensive gowns while she read
trashy novels.
as there something new in regard
to the lost fortune? You wouldn't
! have looked me up otherwise, would
you ?"
Jess, relieved of her uncomfortable
attitude, walked around behind the
artist, and then looked past him to-
ward Shaughnessy, closing one eve
in a definite wink as she did so
| Then she paid no more attention to
either of them, but strolled about
with apparent aimlessness, looking
at the paintings and curios until at
last she passed into another room
and disappeared.
"Mr. Branton has received a let
ter offering a return of the stolen
money upon conditions. | thought
you might care to see it. Here it is.
1t was stamped Madison Square at
five o'clock yesterday"
The Operative spoke loud enough
for Jess to hear him in the adjoining
room.
Moreaux read the letter through
and gave it back.
You will respond to it, of course
nc said. You've only to insert two
words in the newspaper named, to-
morrow morning, to do that. But,
really, Mr.. Shaughnessy, | have no
interest in the matter. you know.
And-er-I'm very busy"
1t was plainly a dismissal, but
Shaughnessy came step nearer to
the artist. He jerked his thumb to-
ward the open doorway, past which
the model had disappeared.
Where did you get herr! he
asked.
"Her? Oh, you mean Miss Sta
cey. That's rather an impertinent
question, isn't it, Shaughnessy
"Do you know who she is, and
what she is-or was, rather? Her
name isn't Stacey. It's Shannon.
She was Shannon's Jess. She's the
woman ! referred to when you heard
me say, in speaking of Shannon, that
even his wife went back OH him. She
was Shannon's wife all right, and
she's been on the level so far as we
know, since she left him. But that's
who she is, all the same"
"How did you know that she was
here posing for me ?"
81 didn't, till / walked in and saw
her. She's a handsome woman, all
right, and | don't wonder that you
wanted her for model-an1 ] guess
she's quit the graft for good. You
needn't tell her"
He stopped abruptly in what he
was saying, and crossed the room
swiftly toward a small table that
was Uttered with a confusion of
things, among which were two shin
ing brass clock-weights. He took
them in his hands and turned.
Where did you get these ?" nc
asked sharply and in a tone that was
a demand rather than a question.
Nov that's odd" Moreaux re-
piled, struggling his shoulders. miss
Stacey asked me the same question.
| don't see anything remarkable
about them; do you Except that
it's remarkable that they should
hive been thrown away"
He stepped forward and took them
from Shaughnessy's hands.
They're rather curious, too
Look" He twisted one of them be-
tween his hands and so unscrewed
the bottom of it, revealing the fact
that it was hollow within. 81 discov-
cred that quite by accident, too" he
added.
do you mean to say that you
found those weights ?" Shaughnessy
asked, with difficulty controlling his
eagerness. Where? And when p
Exactly what Miss Stacey asked
me when she saw them. Today is the
9th of August, TRANSPORTATION day
as you should know. Sometimes
go to church, and ] prefer the early