The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1917-11-17

MOlt street Tor Il DIOcK and q nalI.
There surely must have been some
provocation."
"There was. Taylor smoked six of
his cigars
"Six cigars oughtn't TO disturb him
like that" said Oakley. Hes the soul
of generosity. Why. the ring he gave
Mary is absolutely priceless. It's an
heirloom in his fafnily-a large ruby
set with -four brilliants. Perfectly
stunning thing-you ought to see it,"
Il have seen it,"
"What?" Oakley cried. ''Impossiblel
He only gave it to Mary yesterday aft
ernoon."
AS a matter of fact Freddy went
on calmly, Il believe | have it in my
waistcoat pocket right now"
what OIL earth are you talking
about?'
For answer Freddy took the ring
from his waistcoat pocket and tossed
it upon the desk blotter.
Large ruby and four diamonds" he
said, according to plans and speciica-
TONS"
Oakley lay back in his chair and
gasped like a landed trout.
"Perhaps.' he said at length, you'll
be good enough to explain this-this''-
"By all MEANS" Freddy replied.
This morning when | came in | found
Taylor tossing a small object in the air
and catching it again with such rapid
ty that it looked like a lot of colored
balls issuing from a Roman candle. As
soon as he saw me he pocketed it. My
curiosity being aroused. l proceeded to
knuckle him."
"Knuckle him?"
Precisely" Freddy went on. "a
%schoolboy trick. Hurts like thunder.
Old Torquemada knew his business,
Oakley, for it wasn't five minutes be-
fore | had it out of my worthy young
friend. and there you see it."
How did Taylor get hold of it?' ask
ed Oakley.
More knuckling made him tell" said
Freddy. He confessed that last night
he attended the B%envenuto Cellini cir
Gle, having made his peace with Gin
houliac. Of course he noticed Mary
wearing the ring, and when she went
into the anteroom to wash her hands
and returned without 1t he concluded
that she must have left it on the lava
tory. That's precisely what she had
done, as he found out immediately-and
there you are. Lucky | came in just
when l did"
And where is Taylor nowT"
I've fired him." said Freddy. i've
meant to do it every day for the past
three weeks, but I've always forgotten
about 1t until today"
why on earth didn't you have him
arrested?"
Whats the user Freddy yawned.
I'VE have the ring, and now let us go
and take it back to Mary"
".
The Oakleys dwelt in an English
basement residence on West End ave-
nue.. One glance at the white loaded
fanlight of the colonial front door and
the curtained elegance of the upper
windows established the Oakley re-
s~pectability as firmly as did the family
Bible and the Social Register be-
meath the big mahogany table in the
library. 1t was to this chamber that
Freddy had been ushered by Oakley
OIL their arrival
Light up while l go and find Mary
be said, and started for the door.
Hardly had he reached it, however.
when from the lower ioor came a cry.
half of rage, half of hysteria. which
at once halted Oakley and brought
Freddy to his feet.
Now, what in the world is that?'
Oakley calculated.
Another wall arose.. and then follow
ed the words:
You lost Get, you lost eet."
"Ginhouliacf' Freddy whispered.
He's got 'em bad.'
"Ah, no. no. no. nor re-echoed
through the house.
by George. he has Duse and Bern
hardt simply skinned to deatht" Fred
dy chuckled.
Give me the ring, Freddy" Oakley
said. 81 think I'll go downstairs and
kick him out"
Mingled with Mary's soothing con.
tralto and Ginhouliac's shrill hysteria
came IN expostulatory growl.
"Confound it, sir, you're behaving
like a fool" it said.
THE governor" Oakley exclaimed.
When l was a kid he always said
'Confound it, sir just before he whal-
ed the life out of me. Exertion's bad
for him, too. l guess I'll go down"
He took the stairs four at a jump,
while Freddy Went back to the library
and closed the door behind him. For
ten minutes the mufled sound of voices
came in faint ave from the ground
floor, until a decisive bang of the front
door brought the conference to a close.
Freddy had been standing by the IL
brary window, gazing idly into the
street, and he saw Ginhouliac leave the
house. For one brief moment the en-
ragged Italian stood muttering on the
curb. Between his thumb and finger