The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-10-04
HELEN TURNS DETECTIVE AND PUTS THE MAID
THROUGH A GRILLING THIRD DEGREE
(Copyright 1si7 BY Newspaper syndicate3

Hold on-not SO fast. It's a mighty
serious thing, I tell you. You can't ac-
cuse person of theft unless you've
got darned good proof"
"What better proof could we have"
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.
'Tt's rotten job" he growled, with
masculine aversion for a scene.
When they rose from the table, with
grumbling reluctance he strobe out to
the kitchen. Helen, breathlessly intent,
stood listening by the pantry door.
"Dora," Warren's voice was serious,
Mrs. Curtis has lost her diamond
brooch, and she feels sure you know
something about It,"
The girls excited, broken protest
Helen could not catch.
"No, Dora, don't believe you," with
a note of sternness. "Now If you'll
give up that pin, We'll make 1t easy for
you. But If you persist in denying 1t,
I'm afraid"
more, for Dora's violent sobbing
drowned both their voices.
When Warren came out he was
flushed and scowling. The scene had
not been an easy one.
"It was darned awkward" curtly.
"And I'm not so blamed sure the girls
guilty at that"
Helen tried to reconvince him, but
he silenced her excited insistence with
n gruff:
"Now that's enough! I don't want to
hear any more about it."
Half an hour later. he suddenly
hurled down his paper and stalked
gloweringly toward Helen's room.
''Why. dear. what're you going to
do?" following him anxiously.
"Going to have look for that
blooming pin!"
Jerking out the drawers, he roughly
tossed over her feminine furbelows.
Then. moving the things on the dresser.
he lifted up the pincushion.
The diamond brooch cleaned at
them mockingly! 1t had been lying un-
der the lace frill of the cushion. With
startled cry Helen caught it up.
'Blame the girl for your own devil
ish carelessness, do you?" exploded
Warren. 'Too blamed lazy even to
look"
"She put 1t there!" Helen almost
screamed. "She put 1t there since din
ner. looked there fifty times this
afternoon. I had everything OF this
dresser"
"Put 1t there, ehf" sneeringly.
"Pretty thin! You can't pull of any
thing like that!"
"Wait, I'll prove It," in flaming re-
sentiment. "You stay hereI" Thrust
Ing the pin under the cushion. she few
out to the kitchen. "Dora, come into
my room-at oncew
There was something In Helen's
voice that made the girl follow her
with terrified helplessness. Warren
stood at the window. his back toward
them. He had been through one scene
he would not take part in another.
"Now, Dora, you took my pint The
man who phoned you put you up to 1t
Il know all about 1t. Now II you tell
me where the pin is-nothing will be
done. II ynn don't-we'll have the de-
tectives after that man."
II haven't got your pini" sobbed
Dora Historically. I told you I
hadn'tw Then. as she edged toward
the dresser: "But I'll look for 1t. You
didn't ask me to look for it-maybe /
can find It,"
In tense silence they both watched
her us she fumbled over the dresser
and finally raised the pincushion.
Before she could speak Helen caught
her wrist in tight grasp.
Now admit that you put 1t there
quick! You did-didn't you? Say you
did-or you'll be sorryw
"Oh. II didn't mean to take !"
breaking down completely. "He-he
needed money and he was Just goin' to
pawn 1t for few days. I'd have got 1t
back when you paid me-"
you've been giving him your wages
all along!" Helen pressed her swiftly.
Don't deny it, know you have"
"He's-he's been sick-and I had to
help him. Now you'll discharge me-"
her sobs grew louder.
mot II you give up that man. But
I'll talk to you tomorrow. That will
do-you can go now"
AS the girl. still crying, skunk out,
Helen dropped in a chair, all her cour-
age gone. She had nerved herself up
to the ordeal. but now that 1t was over,
she was quiveringly unstrung.
"Buck up Kitten" Warren placed a
soothing arm about her. "You put 1t
across that time. As Mrs. Sherlock
Hawkshaw-you certainly are the
pOOd1 ~