Middletown transcript., 1917-10-06

mS, nerVe-tenSlOneQ naSte Sne fuHl-
mayed the top drawer. Gloves, wells,
handkerchiefs were ruthlessly upset In
the feverish search.
When did she have 1t last? Tuesday
night she had worn it to the theater.
But she remembered distinctly taking
1t off when she undressed, for 1t had
caught in the lace of her gown.
Wednesday and Thursday they had
not gone out. Both evenings she had
worn her white voile for dinner-and
had not worn the pin.
"Dora," excitedly, rushing out to
the kitchen, ~ can't find my diamond
pin! When did you see it last?'
81 never took notice." holding up a
steam dripping lid while she tested the
boiling asparagus.
81 had it Tuesday night, but can't
remember whether put it in the Jewel
case or left it on the pincushion. Did
you see It Wednesday when you
cleaned? Try to thinkv'
ut might a been there-but 1 never
took notice." clamping on the lid.
Baffled. Helen ran back to another
futile search Of the top drawer. 1t
must be in the house somewhere. She
had not worn it since Tuesday night
Of that she was positive.
She called Dora to help move out the
dresser. The pin might have dropped
back against the wall.
With flushed face and lowered eyes.
the girl dragged out her side Of the
dresser-but there was only hairpfn
caught on the dusty molding.
, "Get a cloth and wipe off that dust
while we have this out" ordered
Helen, her housewife instinct opera
tive even. in her anxiety.
I Though the heat of cooking always
yeddened Dora's face, there was some
thing in her heightened color and
evasfve eyes that suddenly struck
Helen with disturbing suspicion.
She had never doubted the girls
honesty, but now as Dora wiped off the
molding there was furtive conscious
ness in her manner.
After she had escaped to the kitchen,
Helen stood thoughtfully thrusting a
hatpin into the darkened pin wounds
of the lace-covered cushion. Dora's
references had been excellent, and in
the nine months she had been with
them she had seemed scrupulOusly hon
est.
Feeling that her suspicious were I'M
Just, Helen now began a systematic
search of the whole apartment. She
was interrupted by the telephone. A
foreigners voice-a mans voice ask
ing for Dora.
! "D6ra, some one wants you on the
phone" noting the girls still redeemed
face as she drained the salad in the
sink.
Even from the bedroom Helen could
hear the intensity in Dora's rapid, gut
tural Norwegian. Though the words
were unintelligible, the girls voice
vibrated with anxiety, pleading and
fear.
Had this something to do with the
pin? Helen's intuitions were working
fast Was this the man who had been
calling on her every Sunday?
It was a relief when the haH door
slammed and Warren swung in with
brisk vigor.
"Well. how goes everything?"
Breathlessly Helen poured out the
story Of her loss and Of her growing
suspicious. With incisive tapid-fire
questions, he came back at her.
"When did you wear 1t last? How'd
you know you had 1t when you got
home? Where'd you put It? Haven't
worn it since? How'd you know you
haven't?" Then his curt verdict, Lost
It nt the theater."
'But I tell you remember taking 1t
off-it caught in the lace"
'Huh, might've been some other
night. You're pretty hazy about the
rest of it. Can't accuse the girl on
that sort Of evidence"
"I shouldn't dream Of accusing her
ff she didn't act so suspicious And
her voice when she talked to that man
over the phone! If she has taken it
he's put her up to 1t. Oh. I'm sure
there's something wrong-you watch
her at dinner!"
Although Dora always had dinner
promptly at seven, tonight it was al
most twenty minutes late.
Helen's distress over her loss had
taken her appetite. but she watched
the girl keenly. That something was
wrong was evident, for Dora served
with awkward self-consciousness. A
fork fell Gathering to the floor, and her
hands trembled noticeably as she
placed the roast on the table.
Dear, you know she was never like
that" whispered Helen. "Can't you
see she looks guilty? Won't you have
a talk with her after dinner? She isn't
really dishonest-it's all this man."
"Hold on-not so fast. It's a mighty
serious thing, l tell you. You can't ac-
cuse a person of theft unless you've
got darned good proof"
"What better proof could we have"
shrilly impatient, unless I actually
saw her take it?'
But 1t was Dora's MANNER more than
Helen's insistence that made Warren
grudgingly consent to speak to her
after dinner.
'It's rotten job" he growled, with
masculine aversion for scene.
When they rose from the table, with
grumbling reluctance he strobe out to
the kitchen. Helen. breathlessly intent.
. y ,