The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-07-05
INV room Jim. and give me the en-

nv room Jim, and give me the en- |
eralds."
"Just a minute. Aunt Maria" Jim
glided back to the wardrobe ana 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 door closed DE-
hind them.
Aunt Maria's boudoir was blazing
with lights when they entered. Sne
sank into a great stuffed chair ana
held out her hand for the necklace.
Let me see it," she said, impa'
tiently.
Jim thrust a hand in his pocket,
pulled out the jewels, and then stared
at them with mouth agape.
These were not emeralds that DRIP
ped with blue fire and flame from MS
fingers! 1t was a magnificent sap
phire necklace that put his Aunt Ma
ria's famous emeralds to shame.
"You said emeralds, Aunt MariaF
he questioned weakly. you are sure
you didn't mean sapphires?"
"You are crazy, jim! OF course,
meant emeralds. / always believed
YOU we're color blind-now / am con-
WINGED of it,
Jim was pulling up the mattress
no emeralds. The pocket in the mead
board was empty, but in the toe OF
a white satin slipper, which was too
small for Aunt Maria, worse luck,
were the famous Woodwork emer-
| aids
"Oh, pshaw!" exclaimed Aunt Ma
ria as she ran them through her fin
gers. 81 might have known they were
| in there! I'm going to give these to
your bride, Jim, when you select
one!"
Thanks, Aunt Maria" said Jim
miserably. 81 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 a 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 lei
surely toilet and went down to break
fast. He was late, and Aunt MARI
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 wat
chuckling over it in a most malicious
way.
Hester, this is my nephew, jim
Kindleton-you've heard me speak o.
him. All the Kindletons are colo
blind" She laughed at Jim's quicl
blush. "Jim, you've always know
about the ANYWAYS, of Overlook
This is Hester, my favorite of then
all. Sometimes she takes pity on me
!, She has come down now to atten'
!, the New Years ball at Lords. Sh'
brought some of her pretty jewels
too. More's the PITY"
4 "Yes?" faltered Jim, uncomfortable
Z aware that this charming guest mus
have been his prisoner Of the nigh
5 before.
"In the night l telephoned her tina
burglars were in the house and tn
foolish child picked up her sapphir
necklace-it's her most precious poi
session-and ran downstairs to m
room. She couldn't get inside and 8
she went back to her room on tn
third floor, and at the head of tn
4 stairs she met a tall man with mu
u0TOuS NOlCc, WIZ COuiuduuCu ACI
hand over her jewels, which she di'
He locked her in the hall wardrob
81 and later"
Good heavens, am sorry" burs
Of out Jim contritely, and Miss Janwa
I'd looked quite bewildered until Aul
is Maria explained all about it in hi
own way. Then Jim sheepishly pr
is duced the sapphire necklace, and tol
to his side of the story, much to the d
@, light of the heroine and much to h
ct own satisfaction, for an acquaintant
began in this unconventional wa
a could never be commonplace.
In After breakfast he was starting Il
~ walk with Hester Janway, whe
d. Aunt Maria called him back into Il
to hall.
to Jim" she said impressively, Il
member, told you would give Il
~ emeralds to your bride"
"a Jim blushed 'Tll hold you to ths
Aunt Maria he laughed.
,at And don't forget-rd rather tn,
belonged to Hester than any Of
an else"
ret at won't be my fault if they don
- lie called over his shoulder as
fastened to join his erstwhile pr