Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1917-09-13
81 lEEpS
QOTf\h ING
AUTHOR Of THE LONE
WOLF. THE BRASS
BOWL,"ETC.
COPYRIGHT er LOUIS JOSEPH VANCE


glare sufticed. AS pale in mystifca.
ton as she had previously been with
wrath, Mrs. Merrilees returned.
Il owe you an apology" she in.
formed the appraiser In a shaking
voice. "Its palpable imitation"
The box slipped from her grasp and
went to the floor with bump. splitting
Its trashy contents, and Mrs. Merri.
lees Topped incontinently to a con.
venicnt trunk - Lydia's ready arm
round her shoulders.
"But, my DEAR" Betty walled. 'It's
perfectly prepOsterOus
The appraiser looked at once bored
and dubious. Peter Trait batted be.
wildered eyes. then with helpful air
picked up the box and replaced its
contents. The inspector swung sharp.
~ round and made off. with every evl.
dence Of inspired haste, toward a dis.
tant quarter Of the pier.
LET me think! !" Mrs. Merrilees said
In stifed voice. Indenting her lower
lip with knuckle, she fastened an
distracted stare on the polished tips
Of her shoes.
Lydia. at a loss, found nothing to
say. She couldn't dece1tly express
too great concern over the disappear
ance Of something that had been dcdl.
Gated to her on her wedding day
however remote that event. Yet she
was gravely II unintelligibly dis.
tressed. Beneath her ready sympathy
stirred q Qunlm of peculiar uneasiness.
Distracted by the rumble of mems
voices, she looked up. to find that
Quoin had added himself to the group
and was studiously attending to Pc
ter's account Of the counterfeit collar.
Their eyes met presently. and Lydia
was surprised by the look he bent upon
her, regard somehow family remi-
niscent Of their parting subsequent to
her adventure of the night before Inst.
She favored him with her shadowy.
enigmatic smile, now vaguely tinted
with solicitude.
Nodding briefly. with a thoughtful
air, Quoin returned his consideration
to Peter and the article de Paris.
Il simply cannot understand 1t ~
Betty declared. abandoning the puzzle
as hopeless. Then. catching sight of
the detective, she hailed him. "Quoin,
do come here at Once!" and immedi-
ately, needless of bystanders, began
to detail her perplexity In q high,
Querulous voice.
After moment or two Lydia rose
and Joined Peter Trait. "Poor dear |"
she said gently. with a slight nod to
correct any possible misconception as
to the object Of her sympathy. "1m
so sorry for herr
"Well," said Peter, impresslvely
judgmaticul, "of course Betty can af-
ford to lose these trinkets by the gross !;
but, granted she isn't taking, it's a
pretty puzzle, isn't it?"
"Fnking!" Lydia echoed resentfully.
snow don't get huffy-please
Bettys darling, and everything like
that; but she's got no conscientious
scruples about smuggllng-none that
you'd notice-nnd don't mind telling
you she isn't above turning trick like
this-acting up to 1t too. She's one
wonderful young Coincidence, if you
don't know it."
"'Turn trick like this! What does
that mean" Lydia demanded stifl:
"Have her dog collar duplicated in
paste and fish scales. substitute it for
the original article, and pretend she's
been jOckied like one o'clock. Mind
!on. don't say she has done that but
the lfrtle devils got 1t in her"
II don't believe your
~rhcre!" Peter complained. "Nc.q
you're sore. Didn't tell you the other
day the foolishest thing chap could
do was to take things seriously, es.
pecially out loud?"
"Youre-horrid
The adjective was childish; bu,
Lydia wasn't in mood to search for
one more dignified. She turned frosty
shoulder to the young man; but the
seed Of suspicion had been planted in
the mind Of one who couldn't forget
how lightly Betty had confessed to
prior exploits in the gentlewomanly
art of smuggling, and her laughing con
fession that nothing but sheer frigh,
would prevent her attempting again to
0utwit the custom house.
And even while this memory was
troubling her the affair took a turn tc
fix doubt Of Betty firmly in Lydia's
mind.
1t began with the return of the In
spector, accompanied by the custom
house official In charge Of the pier-s
middle-aged man, this one, with 9
rather consequential manner, gold
trimmed eyeglasses, and a not unkindly
expression.
Mrs. Merrilees, I believe" he asked
! with much urbanity.
Mrs. Merrilees interrupted hersel,
abruptly to turn and examine the
deputy with the eye Of dlsfavor. "Yesf'
she asked brusquely.
| The deputy introduced himself. 1.-THE
inspector has Just informed me Of this
-er-unfortunate matter" he pursued
"And thought might possibly be able
tn helm Sfraighfen II ont"