The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1916-01-18


hoard that Helen did not like.
In the next drawer were an old silk
petticoat and lace yoke that only
last week she had wrapped In bundle
and put on the dumb waiter. So EN-
ma had unwrapped the bundle and ia
ken them out!
Helen turned from the bureau to the
narrow closet. AS she opened the door
an old straw hat of Warren's tumbled
down from the upper shelf. What could
the girl want with that?
A hasty search disclosed nothing
else. With a thorough distaste for
the work, Helen shut the closet door,
but roll of clothes kept it from latch
ing. AS she lifted the bundle to push
1t back-underneath, in a torn bit of
tissue paper, cleaned something pink
and satiny.
Helen caught it up. 1t was over two
yards of wide ribbon-enough to run
in a skirt.
The next moment she was in the H.
brary, shaking the ribbon at Warren
with an excited, vehement This set.
ties It! She'll have to go! Look what
found in her room!"
"Eh, what's that?" irascibly. glaring
over his paper.
II knew she took a lot of narrow
ribbon-but didn't know she took
this! She had it hidden in the bottom
Of her closet! Now do you want me
to keep herr"
"Who said wanted you to keep
her? All want is to be left alone!"
Wrought up to feverish indigna.
ton, Helen could hardly wait until
Emma returned. She would tell her
tonight that when her month was up
she would have to go. Why. the girl
was brazen-absolutely brazen.
And she had come with a reference
for honesty! That showed how little
a reference meant. Helen was walking
excitedly up and down.
"You know what I'm going to do?''
temptuously. again confronting War
rem. I'm going to call up Emmas ref
meant by saying the girl was honest"
GO ahead! Whoop it up!" with a.g-
gravating unconcern.
A hurried search through her desk,
and Helen found the address-Mrs.
Lewison, Lenox STA.
A moment later she had Mrs Lew
ison on the phone.
This is Mrs. Curtis! I'd like to
speak to you about a maid, Emma An
derson. I believe she had reference
from you?"
yes, / gave her a reference" in a
questioning voice.
"And I think you said she was hon
est. Well, I'm sorry to say haven't
found her so-that is in small things
"Was it ribbons?" laughingly.
"Why-how did you know?
THAT was Emma's weakness She
! would take ribbons to run in her un
derwear-but as long as she was with
me she never took anything else"
"Then you think She can be trusted
with the silver and other. 81.
| absolutely. She was hereeove q
year and / trusted her with every
thing. consider her very good girl
and / didn't hesitate to give her ref
erence You know most OF them have
worse faults than
! Eyes, know" murmured Helen
"only wanted to be sure"
! When she hung up the receiver she
turned to Warren with puzzled
Dear, she says it's only ribbons! The
girl has a mania for ribbons, but she's
really honest in every other way"
"Why in blazes don't you give hel
some ribbon-if that's all she wants.
| But she was SO untruthful about it,
unheedingly. "She insisted the ribbon
was hers!" Then, with sudden inten
sity, "Now I know what I'll do! III
give her another chance. I'll put thi:
piece back, and when she comes in III
ask her if she's sure she returned i,
ALL"
With deliberate care Helen put the