Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1915-07-01

jim thrust a hand in his pocket,
pulled out the jewels, and then stared
al them with mouth agape.
These were not emeralds that drip
/ ped with blue fire and fame from his
fingers Il was magnificent sap
phire necklace that put his Aunt Ma
ria's famous emeraIds to shame.
You said emeralds, Aunt Maria?"
he questioned weakly. You are sure
you didn't mean sapphires ?"
You are crazy, Jim! Of course. l
meant emeralds. I always believed
you were color bIind-now I am con-
WINGED Of it
Jim was pulling up the mattress
no emeraIds. The pocket in the head
board was empty, but in the toe of
a white satin slipper, whi~l was too
| small for Aunt Maria, worse luck,
were the famous Woodwork emer-
aids.
"Oh, pshawl" exclaimed Aunt Ma
ria as she ran them through her fin
gers. 81 might have known they we're
in there! I'm going to give these to
your bride, Jim, when you select
| onel"
Thanks, Aunt Maria" said jim
miserably. q guess I'll get back to
bed. I'm sorry about the burglar
| scare, but it's turned out all right"
Goodnight, boy, and don't be cross
with your old aunt for routing you out
at this unholy hour" she chuckled as
she opened the door for him to de-
part.
Jim Kindleton mounted the stairs
three at time, reached the wardrobe
| to find the door open and his prisoner
gone. Where?
Who was she. with her slender, lis
some form, her frightened little voice
| and her subtle magnetism? Whose
was the sapphire necklace? Was it
hers? And who was she? For he
was Aunt Maria's only guest.
These questions haunted him until
the morning, and then he made a lei
surely toilet and went down to break
| fast. He was late, and Aunt Maria
was seated at the table, for she never
waited for anyone. She was not
alone.
In the chair opposite Jim's seat
was a girl, slender and fair, with
| adorable face and wide gray eyes,
She was rather pale and she was tell
| ing a story to Aunt Maria with much
| animation, and Aunt Maria was
| chuckling over it in a most malicious
way.
Hester, this is my nephew, Jim
Kindleton-you'v heard me speak of
| him. All the Kindletons are color
blind" She laughed at Jims quick
blush. Jim, you've always known
about the Janways, of Overlook?
| This is Hester, my favorite of them
! all Sometimes she takes pity on me.
| She has come down now to attend
the New Years ball at Lords. She
brought some of her pretty jewels,
too. More's the pity"
S'Yes?" faltered Jim, uncomfortably
aware that this charming guest must
have been his prisoner of the night
before.
I'm the night I telephoned her that
| burglars were in the house and the
foolish child picked up her sapphire
necklace-it's her most precious pos
| sessiOn-and ran downstairs to my
room. She couldn't get inside and so
| she went back to her room on the
| third floor. and at the head of the
| stairs she met a tall man with muir
| derous voice, who commanded her to
hand over her jewels, which she did.
He locked her in the hall wardrobe,
and later"
| Good heavens, I am sorry!" burst
| out Jim contriteIy, and Miss Janway
! looked quite bewildered until Aunt
Maria explained all about it in her
| own way. Then Jim sheepishly pro-
| duced the sapphire necklace, and told
his side of the story, much to the de-
| light of the heroine and much to his
| own satisfaction, for an acquaintance
began in this unconventional way
| could never be commonplace.
| After breakfast he was starting for
a walk with Hester Janway, when
Aunt Maria called him back into the
| hall.
"Jim," she said impressively, IRE
member, I told you I would give the
emeralds to your bride"
jim blushed. "Tu hold you to that,
Aunt Maria" he laughed.
"And don't forget-Td rather they
belonged to Hester than any one
else"
at won't be my fault if they don't,
lie called over his shoulder as he
fastened to join his erstwhile pris-
oner, who had now imprisoned him
in the meshes of her sweetness and
| charm
| Copyright, 1915. by the Mcclure Newspa-
| per Syndicate.)
FeIding's Tomb at Lisbon.