Charlevoix county herald., 1915-09-18
CHAPTER II.
The Missing Wedding Presents.

"This is Lieutenant Muchmore, Bev-
eIly," MoreauX replied calmly. "He
was sent here from headquarters,
and has been in this room all the eve
ming. You had better tell him what
is missing-but do it quietly. l should
advise not attracting the attention
OF others to your discovery"
'What is missing, Mr.. Beverly?"
the lieutenant asked quietly. II made
the round Of the room just before you
came in this last time. I discovered
nothing wrong"
Beverly had regained his compos-
IRE He replied as quietly as the Of
ficer had spoken:
The lavalliere-it was one of my
own presents to my wife,"
! He fingered over that last word
The use of it was new to him. you
would not be likely to notice its abb
sence, for the reason that it has been
replaced by another another that is
not even a pretended duplicate, but
yet which is sufficiently similar in
construction to deceive an unprac-
tised eye"
You have been in this room twice
before, within the last half-hour, Mr..
! Poverty. Was the missing article in
its place both of those times?"
at was"
"You are positive about that, sup
pose?"
81 am"
"Will you make tour of the room
and determine, if you can, if anything
else is missing?"
Certainly. Will you go with me?"
mo. 1 will stay here with Mr..
Moreaux"
But instead of doing that he
crossed the room and began convers-
| ing in low tones with Crandall, the
agency man, and the artist was left
alone.
Whereupon he began an inspection
Of his own, starting in the opposite
| direction from that taken by FitZ-
| gerald Beverly. They met presently,
and Beverly raised pair of troubled
| eyes; but Moreaux interrupted him
before he could speak.
"Say nothing here" he told him.
"Wait until later" and passed on.
Each had just completed the circuit,
and the lieutenant was crossing the
room toward them, when servant
| appeared in the doorway and an
nounced in the usual perfunctory
manner that the guests were expect
ed in the drawing-room to form in
line for the wedding supper.
There was no help for it. There
was no time for further discussion,
then; but Moreaux managed before
he went out to say to Lieutenant
Muchmore:
"You and Crandall will have ample
time to go thoroughly over your lists
and to make cereful inventory be-
fore We can return. Do that. / will
come to you again as soon as l can"
At table, Moreaux found ample OPP
portunity, in spite of conversation,
toasts, and speeches, to study the per-
sonnet of the company. Several times
LIE caught the eyes of the bride as she
fixed them upon him inquiringly; and
each time he returned the gaze with
reassuring smile and nod.
But he was glad when it was over;
more pleased still when the bride
and groom had taken their departure.
Nevertheless, Lorna Beverly found
opportunity to say to him hurriedly:
Papa and Jerry both know that
some of the presents are missing.
They have not said so, but / can read
it in their manner. Please, please,
MIR. Moreaux, find them for me-"
The artists smiled down upon her.
81 will do the best 1 can," he re-
Piled. ut is rather out of my line;
bIt-possibly can think of somebody
who might find them. There is man
named Crewe, whom / know, who
may be able to help us. will appeal
to him-perhaps."
ooh, do! Is he a detective"
"Well, not exactly. AS matter of
fact, he is on the opposite
side of the fence. have a
fancy that one of Crewe's &C
quaintances was here tonight. It was
only fancy, but ! shall satisfy my
self on that point later. I am sure,
Lorna, that your jewels will be recov-
cred"
A moment later Beverly slipped a
card into the artists hands, saying
hastily as he did SO:
Here is a list, SO far as could
determine, of what is missing. OF
course, I am not as well informed as
Lorna concerning what was there;
but could not bear to spoil her pleas
ures this evening by telling her of the
theft" "a 100, s.,iy !, a.