The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1917-06-02
SHEDS
AUTHOR "THE ONE
WOLF" THE BRASS
BOWL."ETC
ar lOuS .0sFpn vAncr

$500 "aN
look ready for the eyes that her hostess
then lifted from the carpet.
you've met this-ah-Mrs. Merri-
lees, no doubtf" Mrs. Ellsworthy
queried Unexpectedly. us she then
such a beauty as they sayf"
"She's very beautiful" Lydia re-
turned, "and I'm very fond Of her. But.
If you don't mind, Mrs. Ellsworthy, I
have another appointment; in fact.
with Mrs. Merrilees and my father"
"Oh, I beg your pardon, my dear"
Mrs. Ellsworthy assumed a convincing
look of contrition. $50 t~hougbtless OF
me. / quite forgot to tell you: Mr..
Craven wants you to wait for him here,
rather than keep the appointment at
the Margrave."
The Margrave again.
1.-The Plaza" Lydia corrected absent
ly then in a breath remembered. I'm
sorry" she said, rising, "but / can't
wait. If daddy's coming here, he'll
get the answer from you personally;
so there's no need" here Mrs. Ellswor-
thy rose In her turn. "And-I left a
friend waiting in the taxi"
"A friend?"
II was none of Mrs. Ellsworthy's af-
Z. :, but quite automatically Lydia an
swered, Mr.. Trait"
but really hadn't you better waltz
I'm sure Mr.. Craven won't be long
now"
Mrs. Ellsworthy was moving slowly
toward the door, as II she didn't really
: expect her objection TO avail, an effect
heightened by her manner, which con-
tinued to be perfect, lacking anything
but gracious interest.
Lydia, however. was quite settled in
her determination to wait no longer.
Craven could lose nothing by being
obliged to follow her TO the Plaza and
anyway, In all fairness, she owed his
wishes little consideration-he who
was little enough considerate to her
and below In the taxi all earthly hap
piness waited.
I'm sorry" she repeated mechanic
ally. you're very kind; but / really
don't think"
At this point she was interrupted by
a shrill-tongued electric bell down.
stairs. Mrs. Ellsworthy started nerv-
ously, eyed the girl fugitively with
what seemed a trace Of doubt and
darted toward the door.
1.-THE telephone !" she said indistinct-
1y. Forgive me II T."
Her hand caught the knob as IL
thoughtlessly but the slam of the door
cut short her words emphatically
enough to have wakened her to appre-
citation. had her act been really
thoughtless.
For an instant Lydia paused in
amazement. The thing was incredible,
preposterous, o~utrageousl
None the less the door remained OBJ
durately shut, mutely t~estifying that
the incredible was an accomplished
fact.
With a little cry of indignation the
girl tried the knob. 1t turned freely,
but without engaging the latch. Infuri-
ated, she caught II with both hands,
braced a knee against the wall, and
pulled with all the strength of her 1.-THE
and vigorous young body but failed to
bulge the door by so much as a hairs
breadth. And the only d~iscoverable
keyhole al In the knob itself-a thin,
irregular slit for q combination latch
key, lacking which the door, once
closed, could never be opened, but only
hewed or battered down.
Examination proved the room a
veritable stronghold. 1t had only the
one door. The sashes OF the two win
dows were guarded with locks requir-
ing a key; through the panes closed
steel blinds with hasps and padlocks
were to be seen. There was not a bell
button on the walls ; and the telephone
on the desk yielded no response to the
girls manipulation of the receiver
hook-evidently an extension cut or
from the main line.
At length Lydia yielded to the newt
able. sat down. composed herself to the
best OF her ability. and strove to ut
some reasonable explanation to this
atrocious and high-handed act. There
was but three:
She was the victim OF q nightmare.
Mrs. Ellsworthy was insane.
Or else Craven had never meant her
to restore the necklace to Mrs. Merri-
leesi
Bending forward, an elbow digging
into her knee, her chin clipped between
knuckles and palm, her mouth muffin
Gus, her eyes smoldering, a hot spot In
each cheek. moti6nless, Lydia brooded.
A key grated almost inaudibly in the
lock. Lydia started; but before she
could move the door swung open far
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-