The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-07-03

Jim thrust a hand In his pocket, |
pulled out the jewels, and then stared
at them with mouth agape.
These we're not emeralds that drip |
ped with blue fire and fame from his
ingersl It was a magnificent sap
phire necklace that put his Aunt Ma
ria's famous emeralds to shame.
you said emeralds, Aunt Maria?"
he questioned weakly. you are sure
you didn't mean sapphires?"
You are crazy, JIM OF course, |
meant emeralds. l always believed
you were color blind-now l am con
WINGED of it."
Jim was pulling up the mattress
no emeralds. The pocket in the head
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 therel I'm going to give these to
your bride, Jim, when you select
one!"
Thanks, Aunt Maria" said Jim
miserably. Il 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 1t
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
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 s,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've heard me speak of
him. All the Kindletons are color
blind" She laughed at Jim's quick
blush. Jim, you've always known
about the ANYWAYS, 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!"
"Yes?" faltered Jim, uncomfortably
aware that this charming guest must
have been his prisoner of the night
before.
'In the night / 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 a 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, l am sorry!" burst
out Jim contritely, 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
q walk with Hester Janway, when
Aunt Maria called him back into the
hall.
"Jim," she said impressively, re
member, l told you l would give the
emeralds to your bride"
Jim blushed. "Tll 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.