Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1915-06-05

rising out of the gloom Of the stair
case, waited until she turned the cor
ner at the newell post and then deity
| clapped his handkerchief over hel
lips.
Don't scream" he said quietly
Just hand over the emeralds!"
His left hand supporting her left
the silken ripple Of flowing hair, and
the trembling of her slender form
thrilled him.
I'm not going to hurt you," he
emeralds."
Something cold and hard was
pressed into his right hand and, look
ing down, he saw the vague sparkle
of jewels. The necklace was heavy
and he dropped it In the pocket of
his dressing gown.
Now what was he to do with his
shrinking prisoner? Turn her over
to Aunt Marias tender mercies? No,
he would give her a chance to get
away.
Half way down the corridor was a
huge wardrobe In which Aunt Maria
kept some extra cloaks and wraps
half-worn garments which she was
quite apt to give away to the needy
when help was required. Jim Pen
dleton knew about this wardrobe and
its contents and now he led his pris-
oner to it, still holding his handker-
chief to her lips.
"Will you promise not to scream If
/ take my hand away?" he whis-
pered.
81 promise!' she murmured.
His hand came away and she weak
ly leaned against the wardrobe door.
"Ill get you cloak and you can
leave at once My advice is to get as
far away from here as possible-ah,
who is that?"
A light fiickered in the hall below.
Get in here!" Kissed Jim, and he
bundled the girl into the wardrobe
and turned the key. He walked
toward the stairway and met Aunt
Maria coming up, candle in hand, a
lace boudoir cap set rakishly over
one ear and her black eyes swapping
dangerously.
"Snail!" she barked at him. II
might have been murdered in my bed
before I could hope for any help from
you, sir"
'I'm sorry, Aunt Maria began Jim
alphabetically. 1--WE been so busy
getting your emeralds for you"
my emeralds! You got them?
Good boy!" approved Aunt Maria all
in breath. Where is that MINK
"Gone!" fabricated Jim.
Good radiance to her. I'll never
do another stroke of business with
Bink's agency again! Come down
to NV room, Jim, and give me the
emeralds.'
Gust a minute, Aunt Maria" Jim
glided back to the wardrobe and I'M
locked the door. Then he went down
the long hall and rejoined his aunt.
Together they went down to the next
floor and presently the door of Mrs.
Maria Woodworth's boudoir closed
behind them.
But the prisoner in the wardrobe
had heard none of this conversation.
The close atmosphere and the sitting
smell of moth balls had been over
whelming, and she had quietly tainted
away.
Aunt Maria's boudoir was blaz-
ing with lights when they entered.
She sank into great stuffed chair
and held out her hand for the neck
lace. n
"Let me see it" she said i'm
patiently.
Jim thrust hand in his pocket,
pulled out the jewels, and then sta1 ed
at them with mouth agape.
These were not emeralds that drip
ned with blue fire and flame from his
fingers! 1t was magnificent, sap
phire necklace that put his Aunt
Maria's emeralds to shame.
"You said emeralds, Aunt Maria p
he questioned weakly. You are
sure you didn't mean sapphires?"
"You are crazy, Jim! OF course, |
meant emeralds. I always believed
YOU were color blind-now l am con-
WINGED of it."
"Tell me where you keep your
emeralds. Aunt Maria" persisted Jim
obstinately, as he dropped the neck
lace back in his pocket. Something
was wrong somewhere, he argued
dazedly.
"Goose!" she complimented him. Il
either keep them in chamois bag
under the mattress of my bed, in the
shoe bag in my closet-in the toes OF
the white slippers that are too small
for me, worse luck-or in that little
pocket in the carving Of the head.
board of my bed There, Mr.. Detec.
tive, are you satisfied
Jim was pulling up the mattress
no emeralds. The pocket in the
headboard was empty, but in the toe
of white satin slipper, which was
too small for Aunt Maria, worse luck