The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1920-11-26

NOJn1ng OOlnS, lie SneeTeu. Any
crook Iaring enough to steal those
pearls, nee he had got his hands on
them, never would return them.
Pearls are too easily disposed of.
You've got to dig up a better expla-
nation than that"
"What did Mr.. CASTOR think? What
did he say when he found them
there"
HE had nothing TO say. He was
50 tickled at finding them again that
he hustled with them right away to
the safe deposit vaults and did not
rest until he had them safely locked
up. He took both jewel cases with
him and made me 60 along with him
to protect them"
Didn't you look at oil for the secret
passageway ! told you abouty
"Sti,l dreaming about that. are
your" s. offed German. mo, we didn't.
On the way up to the Granddeck the
old man spoke about it and l told
him that In my opinion there was
nothing to 1t. After he recovered the
pearls he vas too excited to think
about anything else. II seemed to
break him all up. and took him back
to his hotel and left him there. He
said he had some writing to do, and
that he would meet me at my office
at noon today"
How do you recount for the re-
turn OF the pearlsr" l cried desperate
ly. whats your theory about themY"
II haven't any," he replied. "1t's
up to you to explain 1t. Maybe by
the time ! come to see you tomorrow
you'll have thought up a new yarn
to spin"
please, please" I called after him
as he turned away, "do look tOmor-
row and see If that secret passage Is
no where l said 1t was"
He walked away without answering.
Back once mOre in my cell, l stretched
myself despondently on my little iron
cot. and closing my eyes, tried to
concentrate my thoughts on an at
tempt to solve this new mystery,
which l could plainly see had all but
destroyed Germans faith in my hon
esty. l must solve it If ! was to re-
tain him In aiding me to get free. yet
the whole thing seemed inexplicable.
l etui6 hardly blame him for doubling
me-. The great value OF the pearls
had been motive enough for their
theft. but what possible motive could
there have been for the thief return
Ing them?
With a shock it came to me, too,
that the restoration Of the pearls
practically upset the whole theory Of
my defense. II l could have estab-
lished the fact of this theft, a jury
might be persuaded to believe my tale
pers. and q secret passageway by
which the thief had gained access to
the apartment. but without the motive
OF theft, my story. unsupported by
witnesses and uncorrOborated by 9TH
er evidence. surely would be incred-
lble Of belief.
had just n hope left. Old Rufus
must find that secret passageway and
see whittier It led. That, with our
knowledge Of the identity Of the tele-
phone girl and the possibility of prov
Ing Germans belief that Wick was
an e%x-convict, seemed likely to be my
only salvation. Old Rufus must find
that passageway. He must ! He must |!
For hours / lay there racklng my
brains over the unsolvable problems.
Ny luncheon was brought In. but l
waved It away untouched. YEARLY
I wondered whether the recovery of
the pearls had destroyed my agel rel
ative's faith In me, as 1t seemed to
have destroyed Germans. I could
hardly blame him If he doubted me
after finding that my story Of the dis
appearance Of the pearls was appar-
emily untrue. In my brief experience
az a prisoner ! had learned all too
well the bitter fact that once q man
10 discredited. h~enceforth no one
trusts him. II Rufus CASTOR failed
me at this ~juncturs ] did not see how
I could possibly extricate myself un-
scathed from the web that unseen
hands had 30 skillfully and mali
ciously woven around me. The only
ray of comfort that I could find any
where In the whole situation was In
my arm belief that though old Rufus
and German and the whole world
doubted me. Barbara Bradford-my
Barbara, ! ventured to call her in my
innermost heart-would continue to
believe In me. She would be sure, no
how much appearances went
me. that ! was telling the
truth. Barbara and I knew. Even II
Uhe had not known that ! could not
possibly have fired the shot that killed
Miss Lutan, ! was certain that she
still would have trusted me.
Thinking about Barbara l recalled
that It was the day Of her sisters we'd
ding. I had one Of the prison attend
ants get me the evening papers to see
What they had to say about II. for