Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-11

one OF those convenient but old fash
/ ioned devices, n mirror set at an angle
projecting from the house, which enabl
! the hostess to decide whether or not sh,
Is at homo
TITS woman with a big leather bag.
he announced shes young and sh,
} looks harmless. Come and see"
She came. and their heads almos
touched, as she peered out. one glance
and she gave a little cry OF delight: tn,
next moment she was speeding acros,
the room and down the stairs
"Sophiel Sophie! am so glad
thought YOU were not cominR!" her voice
was heard exclnlmng In the lower hall
Rutherford guessed from the humblS
delighted manner or the young woman
who now entered that she was the maid
to whom Mrs. Taleott had previously al
luded
"Mndcmoiselle, when they fight your
dear"
Yes, yes. Sophie. you may tell me
later! 1t is enough that / have you
agaln!" her mistress interrupted, evident
lv not desiring any further disclosures at
this time.
Sophie, however, was lrrepressibe
''Ah, Mademoisele! | come on the ship
to YOU, follow you here. You are my
heart. To escape, to get to you | have
| made myself like a mouse!"
Without having as yet seen the girl,
! Craig found her efusiveness unpleasant.
] II HTOuSeu n spirit OF Suspicion anu VIZ
! easlness within him She seemed to pro-
| test too much But her mistress was al
! most childlike In her delight at having
/ a companion for the loneliness she must
endure in the ancient house.
Come. Sophie, we must get settled. 1t
will seem a great deal more like home
when / see you In cap and apron"
The maid followed her mistress up TO
the second floor. and as she passed
Rutherford she gave Il quick sdewise
glance at him. Rutherford knew that II
was one of those keen, inquiring looks
by which a clever observer gains much
information.
Presently Mrs. Talcott returned to the
study
You cannot imagine how relieved
feel, to have my maid with me agar!
she said.
Her excitement and fright seemed all
to have gone. She was again the self
possessed woman, and now seemed I'M
bued with an added dignlty-that of hos
tess. Rutherford would not have been at
all surprised if she had asked him
courteously to stay to lunch. or form a
fourth at a game OF auction
Yet there lay the diamond necklace In
plain sight gathering most of the light
rays which seeped in through the WIN
dow, and brilliantly giving the lie TO any
appearance of the commonplace that Mrs.
Talcott might assume.
Rutherford picked up hat and gloves,
and turned to say good-by.
MFR Rutherford. l wish ] could tell
you how much | have appreciated your
kindness. I wish I could say wish
could explain
Mrs. Talcott, | do not wish you TO ex-
plaln-until the proper time. But please
remember, I have tried to help you be-
cause it was you, and not because
approve of-well, of this"
He had meant to say "of what you
have done" but looking into her serene
trustful eyes he couldn't possibly say IT,
Instead, he mutely Indicated the dia-
mOnds
"Why. ! do not understand YOU she
said, eyes wide and troubled Have |
done something to offend you?'
al am afraid 1t is Uncle Sam you have
offended"
"The spoils of war" he said with
bow.
She looked up at him, surprised and
half-indiGnant.
II don't understand you.'
Aren't these diamonds yours ne
asked pointedly.
II never saw them before! How can
you be so absurd? You produced them
from your own pocket
ALSO the blue buckle, You do not
deny ownership of that, I suppose
the only way I felt 1t would be safe,
after that attack. I was afraid that the
persons who seemed to know about 1t
might try to get it again. But we are
at cross purposes about the gems. Please
state plainly what you mean"'
She was confused, hurt. angry. Ruther-
ford knew that the best way out Of the
tangle was in plain speech.
Mrs Talcott, didn't you place those
diamonds in my pocket?'
"How could I? I never owned such
necklace"
Innocence never looked more confident
~ from two flashing eyes.
''You know nothing whatever about
this recklace?" he exclaimed again
amazed and at the same time overioyed
at the prospect of clearing her skirts
of smuggling.
"Nothing" she answered. please do
anything you like with it-except leave
Rutherford looked at the flashing
stones, as though they were unreal or
he were in a trance Evidently she
knew nothing of the smuggling that had
agitated the ship: It was indeed, quite
easy to see that the persons most sus-
pected had heard least-in fact, nothing
at aIl-about the gossip and accusation
which had buzzed all about them.
Rutherford crumpled the stones to-
gether and was dropping them in his
rocket, when a peremptory voice halted
him.
stop
He whirled around. A man sprang into |
the room and seized his arm In an at
tempt to secure the Jewels.
wen trouble YOU for that" a second |
man asserted, also approaching Ruther-
ford,
but the latter, with the trained in
stinets and muscles Of an athlete. had |
not waited TO parleY. With one swift |
wrench he escaped the grasp of the FIRST |
intruder and retreated until he stood |
with his back against the desk.
Mrs. Talcott ran swiftly toward him,
but her first object was apparently to |
secure the blue buckle, which she |
pressed tightly against her breast, This |
movement attracted the attention OF the /
two member convulsive clutch upon the |
buckle That they saw the buckle was
quite evident. Their eyes Travelled quick |
~ toward IL and for a moment they de- |
serted Rutherford and made a concerted
me ton toward the woman and the |
buckle This movement startled her ex-
eeedingly and she darted swiftly out of |
reach
For the present they abandoned her.
But Craig noted during the ensuing in |
In fact during the entire !
fracas that ensued-that not for one in |
stant did the two interlopers lose sight |
of that blue buckle. clutchsd tightly as II |
was in Mrs Taleott's hand. Now. how
aEf fa ba