The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-07
EVENING STORY
A Necklace of Pearls.
BY VINCENT G. PERRY.


and her eyes blazing forth indigna-
ton. Rosetta was very pretty when
she was aroused, and Billy Wright
longed to kiss her, but instead he took
the ring she was extending to him.
and with just the faintest shrug of
his shoulders started for the door.
He looked back just before he went
out.
All the fire of a pent-up firebrand
soul was in the glance she gave him.
him and he could not refrain from
winking at her in the most tantalizing
fashion imaginable just before he
passed out. That was the last straw.
She flung herself on the rug before
the CRATE and wept Historically. 1t
was all ended-Billy and she were
strangers.
He had dared dictate to her and she
would not allow him to do that until
he was her husband. He had said
end her gowns were not sensible. The
wretch! The beasti She would never
speak to him again. Never.
For two weeks Rosetta was I'M
happy. She had told herself that she
hated Billy, but gradually she had be-
gun to think that she did not She
could have forgiven anything but the
wink.
He had openly defied her-tte girl
he had said he loved. She had been
that she could not control her temper.
No wonder he had lost his love and re-
spect for her, she acknowledged at
last.
If only he would telephone to her.
or do something to show that he was
anxious to take up things where they
left off, she would never quarrel with
him again, she resolved. She would
follow his advice in everything--cos-
metics and clothes included. Billy
1,rzff i,4E7 no
way. But he, did not care, she could
see plainly.
Billy did care. His peace offering
came in a neat little box, and when
Rosetta opened it and discovered a
pearl necklace shining up at her she
forgot all about the quarrel and was
ready to take Billy in her arms at
any time. She started for the tele- |
phone to ask him to come right over. |
but before she reached it Madeline |
Pratt, her chum, was announced.
Come up and see the necklace Billy |
has just sent me, the dear old soul" |
Rosetta cried in delight, before Made |
line had chance to speak He says |
it is a peace Offering
The two girls raced up the stairs to |
Rosetta's boudofr, where she had left |
tie necklace on. dressing table |
Madeline held it up to the light in
stantly. ~z-at
why. Rosetta. it's a cheap imita-
tion." she exclaimed in wonder. He
has done this for joke
Rosetta snatched it from her and eX-
amined it closely. So it was. She had |
not looked at it critically before, but
now she could see it was a worthless
string of beads with a cheap brass
fastener.
"Ohl" she cried as she flung it from
her. the cad!' 1t required all Made
lines skill as a sympathizer to bring |
Rosetta back to her senses.
4Send it right back to him. I'll |
COMPOSE a. letter to go with It. Well |.
HOW him. Madeline declared when /
Rosetta's: flood of tears had been
stopped.
The beads were carefully put back
in the box. which was really a hand
some one, and note inclosed. 1t was
brief and to the point. your peace /
offering is as worthless to me as your
SELF it said. No wonder poor Billy
packed up to start out for some place
where he could forget when he got
that icy note.
The two weeks since their quarrel /
might have been unhappy, but they
were nothing to the next few days that
Rosetta put in. To cap it all was the
Rosetta thought she had gone crazy.
SOCIETY MAN. VIM. WRIGHT, JR.,
SWINDLES JEWELER; /
FLEES FROM POLICE
told of Billy's purchasing an expensive
necklace of pearls from a leading jew
aler and returning it few days later
After his money had been refunded
he jeweler opened the box to find
hat string of cheap beads had been
for the pearls and the
Toung society man had decamped. De-
.ectives were then on his trail
Poor Rosetta: she did not know how
much she loved Billy until that story
came out. 1t had all been her fault
She had allowed him to spend money
IN her because she thought he could
afford to- do so. but apparently he
could not. and had to steal as a result
Why has he sent those worthless
,earls to her? She was too excited
o dwell on that.
How he must hate her, she thought.
She would go to him. share his dis
honor, for she had been to blame for
t. She realized that she did not know :
where to find him, but love would find I
lin, she was sure Where the de-
ectives had failed she would be sue {,
'essfuf. 1t was late at night when she !
anne to this resolve. but she hastily /
packed a few things in club bag and /,
tarted out On the stairway she hes I
tated.
Perhaps she would never come back.
'he had not said good-by to any one 5
lot even to baby Ruth. Oh, she :
ould not go away without doing that
Stealthily she crept into the nursery |
where the little sister was sound I
sleep. She risked the light, for she
ould not go away without a last ]
light of the dimpled face and golden Z
urls. She knelt down and kissed the |
title mouth. The child turned rest
tear dropped on her cheek S
the doll clasped in her /
hubby arms. Rosetta cried out in 4
urprise and slipped the doll from g
nder the child's arms. A string of | (
earls was around its neck-it was y
he genuine necklace I;
It dawned upon her instantly. Billy +
ad sent her the real necklace. In
er brief absence the child had in
ocently exchanged it for her dolls
lilly was wrongfully accused. He had
OF intended to swindIe the jeweler-