The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1920-11-10

tnn's interest in Alicc's fan, and the
remark surprised me.
"Oh, saw 1t all from the library"
laughed Mrs. Farnsworth. "AIy back
was to the door, but l was facing n
mirror. The moment you and Alice
went into the hail he pounccd upon
the fan-pounced is the only word
that describes 1t. He concealed his
interest in 1t very neatly when you
caught him examining it."
"Fans are harmless things" said
Alice, "and If there's any story at
tachcd to this one I'm not aware OF 1t.
My father bought it in Paris about
three years ago, and 1t has never been
out Of my possession except to have
1t repaired. There's Japanese jew
eler who does wonderful things in the
way Of repairing trinkcts Of every
kind. left it with him for few
days. / can't tell now which panel
was broken, he did his work Sc
deity"
took 1t from her and balanced II
piece Of workmanship with the sim,
pIest carvings on the ivory panels.
HE couldn't have seen 1t anywhere
before tonight" observed Alice mus,
ingly. an fact, hadn't used 1t at ali
for a year. 1t was really by mistake
that my maid put 1t into my trunk
when went to Japan. 7 didn't want
to risk breaking 1t again, so I've been
carrying tin q handbag, The las
day we were in Toxic think | had II
in our sitting room In the hotel. to
make sure 1t wasn't jammed into the
trunk again. We had good many
callers-a number OF people came In
to bid us good-by, but I'm sure Count
Montani was not among them, and It
would have been impossible for him to
see 1t at any other time"
"Oh. there Is nothing disturbing In
the counts interest In the thing" said
Mrs. FarnSwOrth with an air Of dis.
missing the matter. IF it were a Jade
trinket inscribed with Chinese mys-
teries. you might Imagine that 1t would
be sought by some one-I have heard
of such things-but Alice's fan has nc
such history"
1--WE weren't very hOSpitnbe," said
Alice. 81 might have asked Count
Montnnl to dine with us tomorrow
and we might even have pu, him up
for the night In this vast house."
Not with Antoine on tho premises !"
exll.;med. "AntoIne l.; convinced
THAT the man IL what we cnll in Amer.
len crook. And AHtoIre takes his
rrsron'lh abilities very sc,i ;l.'y."
While was brenkfa;sting al the
garage The next mornnc Antoine np
appeared and. waiting riuil riynn was
ont Of hearing. handed me- slip OF
paper.
That's n New York automobile
number" he said. "It was on the tag
OF that machine the party came in last
night. heard him saying, sir, rs how
he had moiored IL, from the EIktOn
Inn AZ Stamford. Visitors from STAN
ford would hardly send in to the city
for machine"
lade him wait while I called the
EIkion by telephone. No such person
as Giuseppe Montnni had spent the
night there or had been n guest Of the
house within the memory Of the clerk
Antolnc's chest swelled at this confr-
nation of his suspicious.
IF the man returns, treat him aa
you did last night--as though he were
entitled to the highest consideration"
'lle won't come back-not the same
way" said Antoine. Gle mentioned
the Elkton just to throw you off. The
next you hear Of him Will be quite dif.
ferent."
"You mean he'll come as a burglar?"
That's what's in my mind, Mr.. Sin
gleton. Everything seems very queer,
SIR"
Such as what, Antolne?"
"The widow has been telegraphIng
and telephOning considerable, sir"
There must be no spying upon
these ladies" 1 admonished severely.
"All the people on the place must re-
member that Mrs. Bashford Is mis-
tress here, and entitled to fullest re-
spect."
He had hardly gone before Terrence
had me on the wire to hear my report
and to say that Rnynor had left Wash
ington for weekend In Virginia.
assured him that nothing had oc-
Cured to encourage a suspicion that
Mrs. Bashford was not all that she
pretended to be. The day was marked