Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1915-03-16
CHAPTER v1tt-(continued). /.

Then you don't know
~ haven't the remotest notion who that
/ person is"
! Not even suspicion, l suppose SAID
| leldcrman sourly. We'll. I'm older and
less beauty blinded than you, and can
| guess"
Again, as on shipboard. the financier
seemed determined to cast suspicion on
| the Ballantynes. rutherford was more
| than ever determined to get at the bot
| tom of his relations with them. lie re-
| called how Hcldcrman had studiously ue-
MED knowing the girl and avoided an
! open interview with her That last little
| tableau in his cabin. however had burned
| itself too deeply into CraiE's memory to
| be thrust aside. CraiE's working th'orE
| now was that the girl was the innocent
| tool of her unsCrupulous father, and that
| Hederman was using his knowledEe oI
| the affair for his own ends. Her mani
fest sincerity in returning the Jewels to
| him could be explained in no other way
We'll. as | had no interest In the mat
| ter" said Craig. 81 took the dlamonus
direct to the customs people, and told
them all I knew, Now I'm going to let
them-and the smuEglers-do the worry
! ing. I'm through
"And what did YOU tell the customs
people," asked Hclderman
"Why-abOut our receipt oC the wireless
message. that highland the curious part
about 1t is, that they insist no such mcs-
sage was received"
"Humphr gruntcd ITcldcrman. Did
you mention any names
Naturally. why uot?'
"The Talcotts, | presume?'
"No | think | overlooked thcm' re-
piled Craig, unConcernedly. But | spoke
of you as having received the message.
YOU spoke of me-" repeated Hcldcr-
man. glaring in spite of himself-thcn
more facetiously. "Why, my dear young
mani Lot me commend your discretion.
You take particular pains to mention j.
Baron Ilederman, to whom the ncckIac"
would be nothing, while you as carefully
refrain from mentioning an INSCRIPTIONS
man and a pretty and probably vain wom-
an who probably could use the money or
enjoy the bauhlc. II was clever OF you,
Mr. Rutherford Nothing could more sue
cesfully have kept your inamorata out OF
difficulties
Rutherford turned red the blood
mounted slowly For the first time he
was in danger of forgetting himself. His
eyes shonc under frowning brows.
please do not make the mistake of
supposing that | regard 1t as Compll-
ment to be mixed up IN an affair of this
sort" he said deliberately. 81 probably
know Mrs Talcott good deal less than
you do
THAT cannot be, my friend" Heldcr-
man replied with sudden return of his
geniality II do not know her beyond the
barest speaking acquaintance aboard
ship. That, unfortunately, is nothing. !
wish it were more. However. believe me.
my young friend. you served your coun
try n bad turn when YOU gave up the
necklace" Plainly his host was disap-
pointed.
'I cannot see it," Craig disagreed.
81 will show you. If you had kept it,
sooner or later the srIuggler would have
made an effort TO secure it, You would
have been on your guard You would have
caught the criminal red-handed and could
have made your terms with hm-or her;
or-I know your patriotic spirit-you
could have turned your criminal over to
Uncle Sam and got Carnegie hero
medal!'
"The smuggler did not make an effort
to secure it," replied Craig.
was she successful-but no, else you
would not have flown TO the arms of the
Government" observed IIelderman an
irritating laugh following his words, and
the set eye behind his monocle cleaning
spitefully. I'm afraid, Mr., Rutherford,
that you have cooked your goose with the
lady. Now, with our young and hand
some hero out of the running, an older
and perhaps wiser-man might
Rutherford arose. lie was utterly at
loss to fit any kind of theory to the facts
he knew; but he was not in shade |
OF doubt as TO his feeling for his host,
He cordially hated him,
1--WE must meet again, Mr.. Ruther- |
ford" said Helderman. with suave cour-
tesy, when ne saw his guest inclined to
end the interview. "In business, per-
haps-I am not without influence in that |
world, even If the ladies find me less in |
teresting than others We might mention
i'm business 1 may be OF service to you. |
Command me, please"
THANK you; we probably shall meet
in the business world" replied Ruther- |
ford.
As he reached the door, he glanced to-
ward the useless little balcony on the |
wall over the fireplace.
Does that unique place serve as a |
kennel for your dogs?" he asked.
Helderman laughed.
THAT is my one mistake in this house. |
I proposed to have a desk up there out |
of the way, but / was abroad at the |
time. and the architects hung the thing I
there without arranging a way to reach |
It, l have left II because of its quaint |
railing. It's treasure of carving from |
an old church in Italy, The railing is |
now an excuse for the balcony!
Craig entered the dimly lighted hall |
then stopped short.
Against the gorgeous curtain on the |
landing, under the soft glow of the ORR |
metal lamp, a slender figure in a white |
evening gown stood out as though framed. |
A light scarf shrouded the hair, and 4 |
dark cloak had slipped half of and was |
trailing fro none shoulder The features |
were indistlnct, but Craig's eyes were |
caught and held by the crystal fringes on |
the hem that shimmered and glistened In |
the light. He had seen the moonlight |
cleaning upon them. on a certain mem- |
orable night at sea.
He whirled about quickly, in time 70 |
see that Helderman was also regarding |
the statuesque figure with a frown.
II thought you said you did not |
know"
His voice rang through the hall like |
a bell The girl, who had stopped with |
bent head to loosen the trailing cloak, |
started, and without a backward glance |
ran up the stairs,
'An elderly cousin presides over my |
household" replied Helderman she egi-