The Jasper news., 1917-10-25
d.
LoU1SJoSEpH
VANCE
CHAPTER xVI-Continued.

enough to admit Craven, and was at
once slammed behind him.
A pace or two from the wall the man
pulled up and stared at his daughter,
his face dark with temper.
Slowly Lydia rose and confronted
him, hard eyes challenging his relent-
'lessly.
N&hat's this" he demanded abrupt
- lX imam ugly voice, "what's this hear
about YOUR bringing Peter Trait here
in a taxi2"
..Whatkdoes this mean," the girl re-
a forted,, Wat you send me here to be
1oesed pbs'as though 1 were thief to
'~"heP shssldsfA the police"
= He ignored, If he was sensible to, the
stressed pronoun. II want an answer
to my question" he said threateningly.
- Il depian1 an answer to mine," she
returned, uhyielding.
WITH ,tn *iiKbhtient gesture Craven
advanced as. 1ff ffmeaning to seize her
and enforce Obedience. But halfway
he paused. let ,htsAhand fall, with OBJ
/. Vious effort relaxedtamustered a flick
ering and uncertain smile, meant to be
ingratiating .moderoted.his tone. "Oh,
come now !" he said in Strained indul-
gence. 1--WE CANE 90, on forever quar-
reling, you and 1, udaSr'
. 81 agree,p, she, replledSos4iy. ANY
explanation you can mako
ITS all mistake: 'Ellsworthy,
a most Jealous woman ,inmah-our
SERVICE. msinteEpreted my message,
believed it imperative you should be
detained, and when you showed temper
committedsfir an objectionable error.sPll
see she apologies; meantimeg1, your
~ father, express my sincere regret" -
Briefly Lydia analyzed wordsiPand
tone, and found both hollow with insin-
cerity. She shook her head wearfly.
you're not telling me the truth. I've
learned too well to know when you're
-inventing. If you mean what you
say, if you wish to prove you didn't
instruct that woman to lock me up,
open that door and let me leave this
house at once"
Craven sighed, shrugged tolerantly.-
Every WE'LL" he urged. "I've. no wish
to detain you. Just one thing-and
We'll go together. First be good
enough to give me that puzzle box"
"Now Lydia cried out in a round
full voice. mol" -.....
"What's that?" he said incredulous.
II said no." Lydia told him. II will
not give you the puzzle box. 1t belongs
to Mrs. Merrilees."
In a breath his face was suffused
+hot ctrlo ta
it?" he stormed, advancing. "Well,
We'll have this out here and now, my
lady Pm your father-I order-I COM
mand you to hand over that boxl Un-
less, of course, you prefer me to take
1t by force"
He had come within two feet, was
menscing her with face and gestures
of uncomfortable wrath. But she
didn't yield step.
"You can't" she said evenly.
"What the DEVILS to prevent?"
Because Mrs. Merrilees has 1t now"
The man fell back as though she had
raised shape of horror between them !;
stammering and aghast he jabbered
repetition, Mrs. Merrilees has it
inow!"
Lydia affirmed with nod.
"You-you're not fooling me, Liddy?"
asked Craven in a stricken voice.
"Pm telling you the truth, If you've
the wit to recognize it," she said with
the brutal intolerance of youth for age
allied with depravity. "Sheer chance
fooled you. My cab broke down at
Fifty-fifth street. 1 walked two blocks
north to get another at the Margrave-
where Mrs. Merrilees wasn't stopping,
and where you didn't mean to meet me
after I'd called here-and by down.
right good luck found her with Mrs.
EBeggarstaff. So / gave her the neck
lace, and came on here-Mr. Trait es-
Icorting me, though not at my request"
"Good heavens" said Craven again,
his accents quavering. "Do you know
what you're saying, LiddyT
''Tm afraid know too WELL" =
With an inarticulate groan' Craven
sank into q chair and buried his face in
his hands. you've ruined mel"
"Pve saved you, you mean."
"You don't understand. What" He
looked up eagerly. "What did they say
when you-when you gave back the
Enecklace"
''They were kind enough to say moth
ing, to pretend Mrs. Merrilees had in
,stigatad the smuggling swlndle that