Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-12-02

know me-. but want 10 ELI van tina,
IL your husband gives you rcar, it
is y stolen one.
What do you mean answered T,e
indiEnan, Mrs. Stokes. my husband is
here now. and dare you 20 prove any
such ace, .satio".'
Shes hung up" said linn. "rd
better 40 right up there and tell her i'm
person"
No" Harry Interrupted Tina; Is.
yes hut YOU must not go as lima Mus
iapha: you must 20 AS Il private de-
tcctive. and AS for me | will RIG NV
self M as an electric light inspector
and appear shortly afterwards. and
Harry proceeded to explain to lima the
plan by which lie hoped TO recover her
pearl.
She nodded: it WAS a clever scheme
though !" GOOD deal depended on Dery
teci cooperation; moreover. il could
not be carried out till the beginning
OF the evening. 40 that they had plcn-
~ of TYNE to prepare.
Mrs. Hamilton Stokes having hung
UP the phone. rushed TO her husband
and told him the nurport of the strange
message. lie laughed. that's Somo
crank l suppose. though how she knew
forget it
And the lady dismissed the subject
from her mind until dinner time, when
the butter announced Il caller.
I'm not in. snapped his mistress.
ITS Il private detective. nla'am."
apologizcd the servant.
Mrs. stokes looked at her husband
He nodded and the lady directed the
butler 10 admit the visitor.
AS lima was ushcred into the room
she carried large handbag promi-
nently before her. Apparently by ac-
cidcnt she brushed off "A candle which
stood on II table. and making profuSe
apologies replaced it with another from
her bag. standing with her back to the
waiting Mrs Stokes. who thus failed
20 see her quick iaanoeuvre.
lima turned and bowed. Il am a pri-
vatc detective" she said calmly. may
| see your new PEARL
II don't know that have new
pearl" countered Mrs. Stokes coidly
On. yes you have. the one Your
husband gave YOU to-day know all
about il. you see" lima treasured her.
You VIII save yourself 4 lot Of trou-
bic by letting me examine it,
oh. don't mind letting YOU sec it,
replied Mrs. Stokes. taking il from
small pocket and passing it to lima all
the while watching her sharply.
That's the stolen pearl fast enough.
I'm afraid you will have to surrender
it,"
WHAT" cried Mrs Stokes. excitcdlv.
Il shall have TO call the police II
you insist on keeping this pearl" said
TINA. calmly taking piece Of chewing
gum out OF her bag and noncha lantly
putting il into her mouth.
The raised voices of tho two had at
tractcd the attention OF Mr.. Stokes and
nc now entered and demanded to know
what WAS tho trouble. His wifc's cX-
PLANTATION caused him TO scowl darkly.
Young woman" he said TO lima,
give up that pearl or I'll take it
away from YOU"
lima held out her empty hands. You
see haven't got it,
She had it minute ago" cried
Mrs Stokes.
None of your tricks" shouted
or III search you
lima had dropped the pearl on the
floor and il had rolled under the table.
She now backed away and sciziuS =
vase retrcatcd toward the radiator on
which she tapped three times as though
by accident
Light candle" shouted Mrs.
Stokes. Her husband. producing Il
match. Eropcd for the tabl. ana lit the
substitute candle which lima had defily
placed in the candlestick. instantly
a shower Of sparks issued with "a SUI
suok, fill the room thai tho frantic
stokes had no time to get To win.
ioW-hc clutChcd at his throat and
Mrs. Stokes fell to the floor trying
wildly TO speak.
iin.a staggering away. was conscious
that stokes was falling. His body drop
ped with Il thud; then lima lost con-
sciouSncSs. The sound Of the fall
brought the servants running. but no
sooner had they entered the smoke
filled room than they, too. choked and
hastily retrcatcd.
llma's rusc had worked rather better
than She had expected The pearl lay
on the floor and no one knew where it
was. The master and mistress OF the
house were unconscious. and lima n.r-
self lay oblivious OF her SURROUNDINGS.
But all this time Harry had been per
forming his part OF the plot in accord
anc. with the plan mapped OAK earlier
in the day.
While lima had been arguing With
Mrs. Stokes he lad gained adm!ttance
10 the house and declared to the butler
that there was something wrong with
tho liGh; wire. That individual allowed
him to go TO the basement and pointed
out the meter. Harry. waiting for a
signal from lima. recognized the three
knocks ON the radiator and at once
withdrew the fuse plugs throwing the
room above into darkness.
When. however. he heard the noise.
he feared something had .son" wrOu.
and. replacing the plugs, rushed t" no
scene Of the trouble.
once there he bchcld lima just re-
covering her senses while the .Sioi,"scs
too were rcBainius consciousness. Lift.
ing lima ,cnderly he carried her to the
door and down tie steps. The fresh
air revived he: AID she va. able to
stand while he summoned "a taxi But
before ne could put her ;nsid" She
begged him 70 lot her go alone. The
pearl" she "aspcd-''it's under tn" edge
of the tahlc--sct ii quiCk--f stuck my
chewing gum on the table. YOU can say
you came for that"
i.oath as h" WAS to leave her. Harry
'aw that ii vas case of now o" never
/ i the precious pearl vas to bc saved.
10 dashed back up the S'epS. and run
ming into the room aStoniShcd tn" rc-
'upantS by declaring: p" ii" young !rdy
"ho'S just been here left her chewing
Gum. He bent down and pretended to
AXE ii from under the table. Sure
enough, there lay the pearl :, little
hidden by the CLAW o? lii. 'abl" log
larry graspcd /; with swift motion
and rising haatcncd out before the A..