Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1916-10-17
Continued From Yesterday }

| IHere was the wire. wire Hke lHdl
had done terrible damage. A selfish
old man, to carry out fancy, had
endangered a lot Of people, night after
night
Then I got to thinking of Hazel.
She had earned the money for all this.
Lenses were expensive. Shed done
without things to get them for him.
But why should the blithe individ-
ual with the handkerchief over his
face think I was carrying something
valuable away from there? Had he
expected to find the jewels? IL he
| had stolen them, why didn't he know
where they were? Then, perhaps, af-
ter all, he had not expected to find
the loot in the case. What had be
expected to find? He had not known
about the motor, clearly. He had cal
led it a kitchen stove.
had got to this point, which wasn't
far, I'll acknowledge, when the Mater
knocked at the door.
II thought I heard you, Oliver"
she said And instead of giving me
her cheek. she kissed me herself. I
put an arm around her. and there we
were, apology made and accepted, and
family relations restored. I'm fond of
the Mater, and, while l haven't said
much, it had hurt like thunder to be
bad friends.
your father and have been talk
ing things over, Ollie" she said. She
hadn't called me Ollie since I was q
kid. "The superintendent told him
to-day that your ideas for putting in
new machinery were very good, and
WELL it pleased your father. He
hadn't thought-he says he will take
YOU into the firm, il you'd care about
1t. He needs help, and with Mr..
Martin leaving"
Martin leaving"
HE and your father have had a
few words. II think it was about
you. Mr.. Martin thinks your father
/ has not been quite just
| George, there We're tears in the
Matters eyes. THAT if you had more
responsibility you would take more in
terest 1t started with that, but it
went on to other things, and he re-
signed"
/ Suddenly the Mater stiffened, and
stared at the suitcase. "Oliver!" she
said. Where did you get that?"
l couldn't very well tell her. I
didn't want to revive the Hazeltine
matter just then.
It's an old one of mine, Mater"
She gasped Then she sat down
suddenly on the side of my bed, with
her hand over her heart
Not yours!" she said wildly. "Ollie,
don't say that, I would know it any
where, the name scratched off the
end. the-Ollie, that is the suitcase
the man at Boisseau's put the jewels
! in"
OF course you who read this have
guessed the whole story by this time.
I'm not much at making mysteries,
and l haven't made much of an effort
to delay what Sis calls the denoue-
ment I've told the thing as it hap
pened. If I had sat down and read
it at one sitting, I'd have seen it, too,
like a picture.
1 didn't see it, any more than a
chap with his nose glued to a wall
can admire a fresco.
Where did you get that suitcase?"
said the Mater. And her face was
gray.
why do you want to know?"
ITO tell the police. Ollie, you must
tell me. II can't bear it."
Mater"
II don't mean-of course I
know"
Well, I couldn't tell her, could I?
And she was right about the suitcase
l knew that. She's very keen, is the
Mater. But if you think that 1 ac-
cused Hazel for a minute, even OF
completely, you haven't got what I've
tried to convey about the little girl
that you couldn't look at her and be-
lieve she'd do wrong thing.
How do you know this is the suit
nearlN
all suitcases look alike"
will you open it?''
I wasn't keen about that, either
The junk inside would require ex-
planning, and that might lead tc
trouble. She might tell the police
and then where would we all be?
There is strap inside. mended
: with wire" said the Mater, almost
Historically. "Ollie, let me call your
father"
l didn't want the governor in it
| had to think pretty hard, and l hit
on something at last. 1t was pure
bluff at the time, but it answered. II
gave me time.
Mater" l said, do you wait your
pearls back?"
Did she?
Because, if you do" I went on
impressively, you've got to keep out
for few hours. I'm not going tc
show you what is inside, but If you
will turn your back, I'll tell you, or
mended with wire"
Certainly l will not turn my back.
the Mater snapped. But I will close
my eyes"
We must have looked rather odd
the Mater and l, she with her eyes
shut, sitting bolt upright on the bed
and me opening the suitcase and
fumbling among the junk. Oh, she
was right enough. I'd never reall,
! doubted her. The strap was there and
mended with fine wire. Piano wire
probably!
Do you get it? Do you wonder that
for about ten seconds my very SOU
was sick in me? The bag that the
robber had used, and Hazel had got
me to take 1t away from the house
on the hill!
ITS the suitcase all right, Mater y
said. I've been on the track of it,
"And-the jewels?'
They're not inside"
What is insde?"
/ Junk. Stuff put in to make II
heavy. Possibly to fool somebody in.
to thinking he had the loot"
Il have right to see it, Ollie. Yor
are shielding some one"
Well, what could 1 say to that?
was.