The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1919-01-02

touch a thing, Paulinep
he cried as he held his hand over
the transmitter.
She looked up and then, as she
saw him turn back to speak into
the instrument, she stopped swift
ly and, picking up something
from the floor, she hurried from
the room.
She found Anita on the couch
in the hall and, speaking some
what sharply, Pauline said
Where's EstelleY"
mercy! / don't knowp and
Anita's blue eyes stared coldly.
How should | know anything
about Estelle4"
"But she must have brought
that tray an hour ago. Did she
upset it, or whof"
Pauline, why do you act as if
| knew anything about this mat
ter. Is it because you dot"
The blue eyes, cold like steel,
and the dark ones, flashing fire
from their shadows, looked stead
lily at each other.
Gray Haviland came hurriedly
out to the hall.
"The doctor will be here at
once" he said; "and he will call
the coroner
"Coroner!' screamed Anita /;
and ran away to her own room.
"Let her Alone said Pauline,
CONTEMPORARY "but, Gray, we
must nerve ourselves up to this
thing. Don't you think we ought
Toto put away the jewelsY It's
wrong to let any one come into a
room where a fortune in Jewels
is displayed like that"
"But DIR. Stanton said to touch
nothing-nothing at all. You
see, Pauline, in a murder case"
"Oh, / know; nothing dis
turbed till the coroner comes
and all that. But this is differ
ent, Gray. DIR. Stanton didn't
know there are $1,000 900 worth of
jewelry on that-that-on her."
How do you know so ex-
actly9"
"I'm not exact, but she has
told me times enough that the
rope of pearls cost 100000, and
that corsage ornament she is
wearing and her rings and ear
rings are easily worth the same
sum. / tell you there will be po-
licemen here, and it isn't right to
throw temptation in their way
Besides" and Anita's voice
spoke again as she reappeared in
the doorway, "besides, Pauline,
they are all yours now, and You
should be careful Of themi"
The tone more than the words
conveyed a Yelled incidence, and
Pauline accepted it for such. With
a sudden determined movement
she went swiftly to her aunt s side
and unfasteHed the long rope of
pearls, the wonderful g~litteri1g
sunburst, and a large diamond
and emerald crescent that held
together the glistening silk folds.
The rings and al rings she could
not bring herself to touch.
cit is only right she contend
ed, as if trying to persuade her
self. "These are too valuable to
risk; no one could fail to be
tempted by them"
why don't you finish your
task" said Anita, smiling I'm.
pleasantly. VIII leave so
muchH
"No one would attempt to take
the rings or ear rings" said Paul
inc steadily, "and that scarab
bracelet is not of great value"
ct thought that was a most
valuable antique that her nephew
sent her."
She thought so, too" said
Pauline, carelessly, "but Carr
told me it was an imitation. Not
one expert in 100 can tell the .iif-
ference, anyway"
AS Pauline placed the mass Of
gems in the safe the doctor came.
"What does it meant" cried the
bewildered man, coming into the
room. miss Carrington--"
Words failed him as he saw the
astounding sight. For, surely, no
one had ever before see a muir
dered woman, sitting before her
dressing table, staring but s,dil-
ing, and CARRIED as for a fancy
dress balli
DIR. Stanton touched the icy
cold hand, felt for the silent heart
and then turned his attention to
the disheyeled hair and broken
comb.
fractured skull" he said, as
his skilled fingers thridded the
auburn tresses. "Killed by a
sudden, swift blow on the head
with q heavy hlunt-un with a