University Missourian. [volume] (Columbia, Mo.) 1908-1916, 1915-06-30
LOVE INSURANCE
BY Earl DER BtggerJ-
,pyrishted by The Bobbs- Merrill Company

Aiohe! crled MI. stacy. YOU
alone%
Absolutely alone"
Mr.. Stacy leaned over.
Are you leaving town-in a hur-
rgy?' he asked.
Gloomily Mr.. Wall shook his head.
HE put me on my honor" he COM
planned. Left me in charge of the
shop. Can you beat it? OF course
after that, I-well-you know, some-
how l couldn't do 1t. | tried, but
couldn't"
Mr.. Stacy threw back his head, and
his raucous laughter smote the lazy
summer afternoon.
Il can't help it," he gasped. 1.-The
funniest thing | ever-you-the best
stone thief in America alone in charge
of three million dollars worth of the
stuff"
Good heavens, man." whispered
Wall "Not so loud" And well might
he protest, for Mr.. Stacy's indiscreet
and mirthful tone carried far 1t car
ried, for example, to Mr.. Richard
Minot, standing hidden behind the
curtains of his little room overhead
Come inside Martini said Stacy.
"Come inside and have a bracer. You
sure must need it, after that"
Il do" replied Mr.. Wall, in heart
felt tones. He rose and followed Tom
Stacy.
Cheeks burning, eyes popping, Mr..
Minot watched them disappear into
the Manhattan Club.
Here was news indeed Lord Ha--
rowby's boon companion the ablest
jewel thief in America! Just what
did that mean?
Putting on coat and hat, he hurried
to the hotel office and there wrote a
cablegram:
Situation suspicious are you dead
certain H. is on the level%
An hour later, in his London office,
Mr.. Jephson read this message care
fully three times.
CHAPTER VII
Chain Lightning's Collar
The villa Jasmine. Mrs. Bruce's
xpinf In, nf
palms and shrubbery some two blocks
from the Hotel de la Pax. Mr. Minot
walked thither that evening in the re.
splendent company of Jack Paddock
You'll enjoy Mrs. Bruce tonight" +"
Paddock confided. 1--WE done her
some rather good lines, if | do say
it as shouldn't"
"On what topics?" asked Minot.
with a smile.
international marriage-jewels-- =
by the way. l don't suppose you know
that Miss Cynthia Meyrick is to ap-
pear for the first time wearing the fa
nous Harrowby necklaceT
81 didn't even know there was a
necklace" MinOt returned.
"Ah, such ignorance. But then. you
don't wander much in feminine so
ciety. do you? Mrs. Bruce told me
about it this morning. Chain Light
ning's Collar"
"Chain Lightning's what?"
"Ah, my boy" Mr.. Paddock light
ed cigarette. You should go round
more in royal circles. List, common
er, while I relate. 1t seems that the
Earl Of Raybrook is a giddy old sport
with gambling streak a yard wide.
In his young days he loved the Lady
Evelyn Holloway. Lady Evelyn had
a horse entered in a derby about that
time-name. Chain Lightning. And
the Earl of Raybrook waged a dia-
mond necklace against a kiss that
Chain Lightning would lose"
Wasn't that giving big Odds?' in
quired Minot
"Not if you believe the stories of
Lady Evelyn's beauty. Well, it hap
pened before Tammany politicians be-
gan avengiag ireland on Derby Day.
Chain Lightning won. And the earl
came across with the necklace. Af-
terward he married Lady Evelyn"
ITO get back the necklace%
"Cynic. And being a rather racy
old boy. he referred to the necklace
thereafter as Chain Lightning's Col
lar. 1t got to be pretty we'll known
in England by that name. I believe
it is considered a rather neat piece
of jewelry among the English nobility
whose sparklers aren't what they
were before the steel business in
Pittsburgh turned out good thing"
Chain Lightning's Collar" mused