Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-08-10

And presently Mrs. Beggarstaff re-
turned the brooch to the top of the
highbay and went her way, one fine,
thoughtful wrinkle marring the habit
ual serenity of her forehead.
The DOwager Dragons deck chair
stood in the shelter of jog near the
entrance to the forward promenade
deck companionway-a most advan-
Of seafaring humanity. Here, after
a hurried dinner, Mrs. Beggarstatf
mounted guard in the blue cleaning,
narrowly reviewing the postprandial
parade with eyes whose brightness
was as yet undimmed by age.
At length she sat up with a quick
movement and called imperatively,
"Quoinp'
A man who, walking alone, had been
on the point Of passing, jerked a ciga-
rette stub over the rail, and moved to
the lady's side.
"Sit down. Three mortal days I've
been mOping round the saloons with
my tongue hanging out, parched for
bit of scandal-and you never came
near mep'
"But hate to disappOint; I'd moth
ing on tap high enough for your sea-
sOned palate"
Don't be impudent, Quoin. What
are you doing on this boat? If you
answer, Crossing the Atlantic I'll for
get I'm q lady"
QuOin chuckled. "I'm combining
business with pleasure, If you must
know. Nothing pleases me more than
to be cOoped up for q few days with
an unsuspicious subject. In such cir
cumstances your humble sleuth learns
lot about human nature"
"Then you're sleuthing! l know 1t!
But on whose trail?"
Afraid I dissent tell, Mrs. Beggar.
staff"
"What If knOwT'
'"That wouldn't surprise me; you
certainly do cOntrive to know sur.
prising number of things that don't
concern you"
"Tm not sure whether that's f1attery
or impertinence."
'The man who could flatter your ON
niscience, madam, wouldn't hesitate
tO-ah-tackle the job of teaching 8
New York head-waiter the gentle ari
of being insolent."
Mrs. Beggarstaff laughed aloud
"But suppose I do know. what game
ho1v
ing handY
charmed to humor your whim
Consider me a dOcile little suppOser
And then?"
The Dowager Dragon glanced fore
and aft; but there were no other pas
sengers within earshOt, and the ports
behind them, though aligh1 were shut
and sound-tight. "Betty Merrilees,'
she said.
you're warm-as the children say
in hide-and-seek."
"Aha!" the lady cried in triumph
swell. then! Betty doesn't mean to
try to beat the customs. She told me
so herself. The row that man Loci
has kicked up about smuggling has
scared her SO that she's made up hel
mind to declare every blessed trinket
So you see, Quoin, you're simply vast
ing your time trailing Betty Merrt
lees"
Quoin smiled vaguely at his finger
tips. "NO, I'm not" he cOntradicted
Mrs. Beggarstaff shifted suspicious
ly. 1--WE guessed wrongY
For once in a. way. The truth is, ]
don't care whether Mrs. Merrilees dc
frauds the government Or not. Irs
over a year since l left the secret
service. I don't like the work-toO
tame-and having learned all 1T could
teach me, quietly dropped out and
returned to my old field"
Private investigation, eh?"
"There's some fun in that" Quoin
said with mild enthusiasm. "Odd
jobs-I love 'em. They're generally
so very odd-unexpected besides"
"Quein," the lady inquired with a
change of tone, "you remember the
Joachim collection?'
do I remember 1t !" Quoin protest
ed with reproachful sincerity. 81
wish l might hope ever to be repaid
for the sleep lost on that case!'
"You never got .clue?"
Never One.s That was mastery
job"
HAS none of the stuff ever turned
upY'
"Oh, plenty Of 1t, here and there
mostly in Europe. In fact, I'm told
that Joachim has reassembled most
of the collection; but it has cost him
five times his original outlay"