Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-03-03

out to be and would lik the case to be
hushed up-she does not q publicity,
Nd esaho = brute 'ss1G =, s ssnt s his. h W,nnis
Calhoun acts ~ secretary temporarily.
-Vicky. Van returns to her home and
Mr.. Calhoun speaks to her over the tel
letters and things In a vase In the hall.
This he does and awaits her coming.
CHAPTER x (continued)
In the ornate Florentine frame.
strand Of the gold beads that had
adorned Vicky's gown that night. l
visualized her, whirling her skirts
about before the mirror. with that
quick, 1.-THE grace Of hers. and catch
ing the f%luttering fringe in the gilt
protuberance Perhaps she exclaimed
in petulance, but. like'v. !
accident. That was Vicky Van. as !
knew her, to laugh at a mischance,
and smile good-naturedly at an acct
dent.
I lifted the strand Of little beads
from the entangling Frame. and put
it away IN my ~pocketbook, as a dear
and intimate souvenir "of the girl I
had known. Then, with a final glance
that was a sort Of farewell, I glimpsed
the pretty, cosy. nest, and went down.
stairs.
Here I paused again. Cassie Weldon
had said she could see the staircase
from the door of the living-room. I
tried it. She was right. A person
standing just inside the living-room
door, could catch sight of a person
on the stairs. And. a. Cassie said. she
was not looking that way, but was
partly conscious of some one running
I'M fhA G<o{No r. ~a}~h% h. -nl1 Che
would naturally give the incident no
strange she had even remembered it.
And it may have been Vicky. Then
she might have descended by the rear
staircase, there probably vas one. I
didn't know: And anyway, what mat
tered it how she had left the house ?
She had left 1t, and had not returned.
I remembered the allusion to the
clear to the highest story. There was
a skylight. or scuttle, rather, and it
was bolted on the inside.
That settled that. vicky Van had
not climbed out that way, and I for
one, never supposed she had.
Strangely reluctant to leave the
house, I went downstairs again, look
ed into the living-room, and passed
on to the dining-room. I contemplat-
ed the s~ideboard. in front OF which
Randolph Schuyler had met his death.
upon 1t, and all vas in order. as If it
had been carefully looked after for
the party occasion.
Without consciously noting details.
I CHANGED to observe that a small
silver-handled carving fork. was
lacking its knife. I had no knowledge
Of Vicky Vans table appurtenances.
hsyf tho wov TIA forL low 1nolraH -
me as if the knife had lain across it,
and had been removed.
I had nj concern over it. for I
knew the knife that had stabbed
Schuyler was NOW in possession of the
police, and this one had doubtless
been used in preparation Of the sup
per. If indeed. there was a knife be-
1t was a matter Of no moment, but
somehow it stuck in my mind. II
Vicky or rather, il Julie had straight
ened up things on the sideboard in
the process of tidying up for the par
ty, would she not have laid the fork
in a different way. unless there had
been a matching knife to lay ACROSS
came into my mind. because at home,
we had a beefsteak carving set that
always lay crossed on the s,deboard.
A man gets accustomed to the sight
Of such household details. and they
are photographed or his memory
Well. anyway, I looked for that
knife. I avg went to the buffers pan.
The pantry had been hastily evacuat-
ed by the caterers men, and though
tidied. it was no in spick and span
condition. You see having lived 50 long
with two such honey bodies as Aunt
Lucy and Win, I was not utterly IN
versed in domestic matters. The pan
try was well equipped with modern
appointments spoke Of the taste and
efficiency of its mistress.
Poor Vicky." I sighed to myself.
poor, dear little vicky Want" and
I went softly out Of the front
door and down the steps.
went slowly, and looked back
several times. in a vague hope that
by shadow and 30 into the house for
her letters. But ! saw no sign Of such
happening, and went on home. my
heart full OF a gloomy foreboding
that I would eve SEQ her again.
Going TO work on Sunday, Win
ME 2" I asked, as next morning, my
sister appeared garbed for the
"Not regularly 70 work, but Mrs.
Schuyler wants mo to look after some
matters Of confidence"
Ohio. how important We are!" I
chaifed her. When does the Crowell
lady come into her own"
Not for another week. She isn't
quite ready to come. and Mrs Schuv-
longer"
II doH,t blame her" ard r looked
at nv pretty. brieht-faced sister Nth
apsroNs' 81 say old gil, ts'noSs L