The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-10-21
EVENING STORY
The Jade Earrings.
BY 1zOLA FORRESTET

certain fascination as they dangled
from the ears of her caller There
Wanda.s eyes, the same suggestion of
finished craftsmanship in her entire
makeup, from her perfectly fitted
walking boots to her straight, dark
She hardly caught what the girl was
saying until she realized that Oliver
was observing her aTnusedly.
II never want to seesthe far east
again. L feel as if I had had some
awful overdose of one of their queer
months. and after that China, and
then Japan. Oliver says he never
KNEW before the happy. happy heather
could use so many lead pencils"
Eighteen thousand in Seoul alone
on one order" grinned oliver. IT
have no kick coming 1t isn't every
body who can run a successful honey
moon on Il business basis
.'Successful.'' Wanda shrugged neg
alive shoulders. IT hardly saw any
thing of you. you were chasing Gus
toners SO. It was fearfully slow for
me-"
Until you struk Yokohama" Oliver
put in meaningiy. She keeled over
province, sis. Regular princelet; edu-
Gated at Harvard, finished at Oxford;
regular diplomatic. chap, with the fin
est pearl and jade business in southern
China
He gave me my earrings" Wanda
said, consciously blushing Don't
you think they're pretty. Louise?'
Exquisite. 1 was adIniring them"
I'm going to have them filed off
of her ears" Oliver rose and crossed
over to the willow chair in the sun
light, looking down at the bride
critically. Did you notice, Lou,
Mong Soy, did her the honor of adj
justing them in her ears himself, and
there's a trick about the fastening.
She hasn't been able to take them off
ever since we sailed"
And they hurt just little bit"
Wanda complained prettily. He told
me they would bring me luck.
They're not Chinese. They were made
in Burmah."
Save for admiring the earrings, the
matter slipped from Mrs. Lambert's
mind completely in the weeks that
followed. She only saw her brother
and Wanda occasionally, as they lived
in town at a hotel, while she had her
country home out at sleepy little Snug
Cove. on the North shore Then one
morning, about four, the telephone
bell rang sharply. It was divers
voice in quick distress.
"Wanda's been taken very i'll. Can
you drive right in. Lou? Looks like
poisoning.
From what?" she asked anxiously.
Not sign of anything. She's not
been well since we saw you last-slow
fever, listless. 3 uneven respiration,
| everything I'm worried sick over her.
Hurry up"
He had two specialists working over
Wanda when Mrs. Lambert arrived.
The girl lay in a state of coma, emit
ting a deep tremulous sigh every now
and then, and evidently suffering.
After the men had left, the room for
1.-The consultation. Wanda opened her
eyes. Her hands lifted weakly, un-
Take those things out" she whis-
lpered. At know"
She slipped back into the drowsy
state again, the words dying in a deep
sigh. On the dressing table was a
manicure file, and without hesitation
Louise lifted the jade pendant from
one ear lobe and began filing at the
slender silver wire that held 1t.
Working resolutely. she succeeded
in severing both and drew the wires
tenderly thru the inflamed, purpling
flesh. Oliver entered as she tossed the
trinkets on the linen scarf, his eyes
filled with apprehension.
They can't. detect a trace of any
thing" he began. She's simply
wasting away. What are you do
ing?''
In a glance he realized what she
had done, and picked up the jade
earrings. Examining them closely
he gave a quick exclamation. The
wires at one end branched into tiny.
| needle-pointed ends like antennae,
and the larger wire which pierced
the ears was hollow. AS he held it
a globule of moisture gathered, like
steam on glass.
Look after Wanda" he said
s.ernly. I'm going to have this
stuff analysed. This seems to be one
method the orient. has of showing its
appreciation
The door closed behind him and
Wanda opened her eyes. A SILVER of
dread passed over her as she saw the
earrings on the stand beside the bed.
''It was my fault she whispered.
as Mrs. Lambert bent over her ten
| DERBY. st love jewelry. I was nice
to him just SO he would give me
some of the beautiful things he had.
and then he hated me when told
him 1 was leaving China for home.
I never thought he would be serious.
He seemed like one of his own queer
| little ivory images
Her voice died away, as she slipped
| into a quiet. natural sleep. Oliver
came back. his gray eyes keen and
anxious. He leaned over the slender
figure on the bed yearningly.
We'll take her away, out into the
| country with you, Lou. and get this
| internal. subtle poison out of her
| system. DR.. Rand seems to know
| what it Is. He says it's an old trick
| of the Hindoos and Burmese, and a
| pet form of annihilating your enemy
! by degrees -
But you can reach out and punish
this man surely?" exclaimed Mrs.
Lambert. He smiled, brushing back
| Wanda's curls softly from her face.
Too late now. SIS" he said, '.Mong
Toy died while We were coming to
! Frisco. If it hadn't been for you, his
/ little fuse of revenge would have
| burned out her life's
| Copyright, 1919. by the Mcclure News
pepper. Syndicate.1
r-aD- kNr~ --~y--r