The Elk Mountain pilot., 1917-10-04

AAos4 aefosf' ofne With disorder
Ing, nerve-tensioned haste she rum
naged 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
II off when she undressed, for it 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, "I can't find my diamond
pin! When did you see 1t last?"
81 never took notice." holding up
steam dripping lid while she tested the
boiling asparagus.
"I had it Tuesday night, but I can't
remember whether put it in the Jewel
ease or left 1t on the pincushion. Did
you see 1t Wednesday when you
,leaned7 Try to think!"
at might a been there-but never
took notice." clamping on the lid.
Baffied, Helen ran back to another
futile search of the top drawer. 1t
must be in the house somewhere. She
had not worn 1t since Tuesday night
IF 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
1resser-but there was only hairpin
caught on the dusty molding.
"Get a cloth and wipe of that dust
while we have this out" ordered
Helen, her housewife instinct opera
live even in her anxiety.
Though the heat Of cooking always
Redeemed Dora's face, there was some
thing in her heightened color and
evasive eyes that suddenly struck
Helen with disturbing suspicion.
She had never doubted the girls
honesty, but now as Dora wiped on the
molding there was furtive conscious
, ness in her manner.
After she had escaped to the kitchen.
Helen stood thoughtfully thrusting n
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 un-
lust, 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.
"Dora, some one wants you on the
phone" noting the girls still reddened
face as she drained the salad in the
sink.
Even from the bedroom Helen could
hear the intensity in Dora's rapid, gut
sural Norwegian. Though the words
we're unintelligible, the girls voice
yibrated with anxiety, pleading and
fenr.
Had this something to do with the
min? Helen's intuitions were working
fast. Was this the man who had been
calling on her every Sunday?
It was relief when the hall 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 rapid-flre
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 it7 Haven't
worn 1t since7 How'd you know you
haven't1" Then his curt verdict, 'Lost
1t Mt the theater."
"But I tell you remember taking 1t
nff-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
TINT sort of evidence"
'I shouldn't dream of accusing her
II she didn't act so suspicious. And
her voice when she talked to that man
nver the phone! II she has taken it
he's put her up to 1t. Oh, I'm sure
there's something wrong-you- watch
her Mt dinner!"
Although Dora always had dinner
promptly at seven, tonight 1t was al
most twenty minutes late.