Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1914-02-06

which she had suppressed in public.
| What is it?" she said icily.s
Il wanted" said Tommy-"I wanted
to tell you something"
Il think" responded Betsy-Barbara
that you needn't make any more ex
planations-thank you'll"
She was turning away when Tommy
recovered himself.
"Oh, 1t isn't that" he said. Il cant
explain that, of course. I'm not trying
to explain that, Miss Lane. It's just
something something new in the line
of evidence-about the Hanska case
l think it may help"
Betsy-Barbara turned again--and
this time quickly. Her look was
startled be praised
friendly.
Something new?" she said, breath
lessly. "Oh, you angel fresh from
heaven! Shall send for Constance?
This was the point where Tommy
North became strategiet.
ut has to do" he said humbly,
with the way / was last night. You
saw mel shouldn't like to tell her."
Let's take q walk" proposed Betsy
Barbara, with her wonderful practi-
cality
III you WISH" said Tommy North
lumbly, and yet thrilled with q sense
of renewed companionship. Indeed,
by the time they reached the street,
he had recovered his spirits so much
as to propose. because the street was
80 noisy, that they take cross-town
car and walk up Fifth avenue. The car
was crowded; they must stand; 30
they did not approach the subject of
the moment until they we're treading
the street of the spender.
well, what is It? I'm dying to
know!" said Betsy-Barbara, the instant
they reached the avenue.
did l do anything strange" in
quired Tommy, when first saw you
last night?"
You nearly tumbled at my feet, for
one thing" replied Betsy Barbara.
"What-what were you wearing on
your feet?"
Betsy-B Barbara thought second on
this peculiar question.
my velvet slippers with the rhine
stone buckles" she said
Tommy nodded solemnly.
THAT was it, was reaching for
them last night-just as / was reach
ing for something the night fell at
Captain Hanska's door. And 1t brought
everything back"
"Oh. what do you mean7" begged
Betsy Barbara, Go on! Please go
on"
II had got to the head of the stairs
on the night of the MURDER" said Tom
my. THE gas was lighted in the hall
was picked. You know how your
mind gets on one little thing when
you're picked"
Il don't" put in Betsy-Barbara, in
spite Of her interest in the story-''but
please go on"
And l saw something bright in the
hallway, close to Captain Hanska's
door. / braced against a post and
looked at it. 1t was cluster of dia-
monds-the more l think of 1t, the
more 1t seems like that shoe buckle of
yours. l reached out to get it. Then
tumbled and hit-the stuff. The tum-
BILE and the sticky feeling put dia-
monds out of my mind. But I'm sure,
just the same, that l saw bunch of
diamonds or something beside that
door. You've asked me to tell you
anything l might find about the Han
ska case. And I'm telling, that's ALL"
Betsy-Barbara considered.
TT may not mean anything" she
said, land 1t may mean a good deal"
She considered again. Even IL the
diamonds were there, maybe 1t had
nothing to do with eur case. II any
body had been robbed that night. IL
there had been any signs of a burglar,
this evidence would be very important.
But the police say that the house
wasn't entered. Then again, what be-
came Of the diamonds? 1t seems no
one else noticed them"
WELL remarked Tommy North
cynically, there were a great many
policemen in the house."
Betsy-Barbara walked on, eth think
ing. Maybe. I'm afraid, though, that
1t might be only an alteration" she
said finally.
Perhaps" echoed Tommy North.
And now, having finished his introduo-
ton, he approached the subject near
est his heart.
"Of course, that's ALL" he said, "ex-
cept that owe you an apology for
for my condition last night"
1T is to yourself" said Betsy-Bar-
bara, that you owe the apology. Mr..
North, why did you do it--again?"
Now It was In Tommy North's i'm
pulses TO tell exactly why he did it.
to come out with the truth, accompa-
MED by his opinion of philandering
Spaniards. But that would have
amounted to declaration; and to de-
clare his feelings for Betsy Barbara
was leagues beyond his present cour-
age.
"Oh." he said, carelessly, desperate
lys Il got jolt. That's all. And took
1t out In booze"
you told me the other night It was
because you hadn't anything better to