The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1917-08-23

"And they were stolen again
you say-were they returned the
second timer"
mo. l telephoned Constance
this evening. They are offering a
reward for them-$25. 900, for in
formation about them. l wanted
to ask you-I hope you won't feel
offended = but you recall, of
course, the scene on the ballroom
floor when Mr.. Winkeppner's
buckle caught in Miss Allison s
skirt? 1t was then the jewels were
stolen the first time. And I wanted
to ask, do you remember seeing
anything unusual you were
standing very close by, l remem-
ber?"
"I?" There was just the slight
est perceptibls Stacking OF the Gig
aret on its way from her lips.
Then she resumed smoothly:
"Oh, | do recall some confusion,
and | turned that way for a mo-
ment, but l did not approach very
closely. 1t was coming out Of the
refreshment pavilion, was 1t not?"
ut was" replied Miss Cadogan,
eagerly. 81 thought you were
close enough to notice everything.
Your partner may have. Who was
he?"
Again the cigaret was halted de-
liberately while the woman eyed
it intently.. ut may seem like a
strange thing to say, 1t may sound
strange to you," she replied, but
| don't know who my partner was
just at that time. / was sitting
out the dance. A gentleman
asked me and l danced with him"
Ysobel Cadogan had struck
fire, in her clumsy fashion. She
realized it. and yet she didn't
know how to take advantage of 1t.
Because she knew, with the GER
tain knowledge by which women
understand women, that the other
in that one statement told lie.
She had watched the lady in the
Juliet costume because Winkepp-
ner had danced with her two or
three times and Miss Cadogan had
not liked that. She had inquired
casually who the Juliet was and
he had told her. This very i'm
portant information Miss Cadogan
had thus far kept to herself from
some blind instinct, simply because
Winkeppner had kept It to him
self, but now she suddenly appreci-
ated that she was laundering out
of her depth, that she was talking
to a skilled dissembler; and more
than ever did she believe that Mrs.
Pernau was in some fashion link
ed back to the pearls. She arose.
Mrs. Pernau had zen watching
her closely. "WaiS a moment"
the hostess of the tete tete said.
IL have a tea urn. I'll give you a
cup Of tea"
To herself, Mrs. Pernau was
thinking very rapidly:
This little doll has just got a
big bunch that I'm to the bad. l
got to get that suspicion out OF
her worried little Uranium. Now,
where does she come in, anyhow
Winkeppner? Sure. / remember
now. It's supposed to be his little
gel. Well, I've got to take little
gel into camp"
From which, of course, the dis
eliminating reader may under
stand, IL he has not already sus-
pected as much, that Mrs. Herman
Pernau and the young lady affec-
tionately called by Dickie the
Queen of Diamonds" were one
and the same person.
There came a rap. The woman
stiffened to rigid attention, then
recovered herself quickly, for she
felt those curiously frank eyes up
on her, and said: "Oh. will you
open the door? Say I've retired.
will you, whoever 1t ISL"
Miss Cadogan opened the door
to discover Jack flanagan.
Good evening, Miss Cadogan,"
he said, cheerfully. rs Mrs. Per
nau Within"
"TelI the gentleman I have re-