Williams news., 1917-11-22
"nO, don't know him. I-he-some- how reminded me of something very unpleasant
CHAPTER xI. l.

From the manner of the room clerk Lydia inferred that the name of Thad- deus Craven was well esteemed by the management of the Great Eastern. Nor | was this impression at all modified by the rooms to which she was shown-a suite so complete and luxurious in ap- pointments that it's appeal was strong to the sybaritic strain with which heredity had endowed the girl. Toward six o'clock she dropped, worn | out, into an armchair beside an open window in the living room. Wearily the girls eyelids dropped. Insensibly she drowsed, drifting into a sort of halfwaking nightmare, wherein she with her father waged incessant war against powers of darkness, shapeless, featureless, inscrutably malign- The last rays of the sinking sun food ed her face, even as it impregnated her dream, with the hue of blood. Twilight, succeeding, caught together the gap ing arras of the sky. Minutes wove a web of hours
 Abruptly Lydia found herself on her feet, a low cry shuddering in her throat, aware that the room was ablaze with light, that she was no longer alone. Then, calming, she realized nothing more terrible than Craven's return.
 He stood near the center of the room staring, evidently at loss to account for her agitation, his face slightly flushed yet lowering.
 "Well?" he demanded sharply. 'What the deuce Is the matter with you?"
 ~'You-you startled me-" she fal- tered with a tremulous smile. "I must have fallen asleep, waiting for you and then had horrible dream"
 Craven's look swept her from head to foot, captious and ugly. "You haven't dressed" he said-meaning that she hadn't changed for dinner. Been asleep 1ong"
 ''Why-some hours, presume. What time is it? It was just sunset, the last I knew"
 After nine o'clock now. Then you've had no dinner?"
 Lydia shook her head. "I was wait ing for you"
 ''You shouldn't have" he grumbled. Thought I told you not to count on me. I've been busy of course, flying round all afternoon, getting Betty set tied. Otherwise should have been home long ago."
 'T have been worried about Betty Mrs. Merrilees-"
 "Oh. that business! He smiled grimly. 'tIt was over sooner than ex- pected. Unpleasant for her-to submit to being searched by a female inspec- tor. But of course they found nothing, and had to let her go. And now she's threatening all manner of trouble"
 ''Then the necklace was really stolen? I'm so sorry!"
 "Yes." Craven eyed her curiously for an instant. 'sYes, 1t was stolen, right enough, and a clean-cut job,. if you ask me. The thief must have been laying for somebody to buy the thing. He had the counterfeit all ready, of course"
 "But that's what don't understand"
 Simplest thing in the world. Chance is he found the copy ready made to his hand. Nine out of ten of these smart Frenchwomen, like the original owner of the collar, have their best pieces duplicated in paste for public wear. Somehow or other he must have got hold of that. The only question is, when did he make the substitution? Betty swears it was the genuine ar ticle she received, and it hasn't been out of her possession since, except while in the purser's safe. and when I brought it to her, up there in the veranda cafe, day before yesterday. Looks as if it was up to the purser- unless you care to point the well-known finger of suspicion at me-or Peter!''
 "How absurd !''
 "Think so? Well, I'm glad you do, my dear" His humor had softened. Drawing near, he pinched her cheek affectionately. Mot that there's any