The Connecticut labor press., 1920-05-29
CHAPTER lIl-continued.


 Montani spoke of the porcelains. sOh, to be surei They don't show to best advantage in electric light. do they? But can have few of the prize pieces taken into the dining room," said Alice.
 Mrs. Farnsworth had excused her self to finish a letter, and from my chair I could see her head bent over the big desk in the library. Alice rang for Antoine, and I followed her into the hall to offer my aid.
 "Oh, don't trouble" she said. "An7 toine can do anything necessary. Yes: {: thanks; if you will turn on the dining room lights"
 t was gone hardly half a minute. When I reached the drawing-room door Montani had crossed the room to the table on which Alice had dropped the fan and was examining it closely. He faced the door. and the moment he detected me exclaimed carelessly: "An exquisite little bauble 1! I am always curious as to the source of such trifles. was looking for the makers imprimatur. I know Pari- sian who is the leading manufactures of the world. But it is not his, I see."
 As we stood talking of other things he piled the fan carelessly as though for the pleasure of the faint scent it exhaled, and when Alice called us he put it down carefully where he had found it.
 He really did seem to know some thing about ceramics and praised, with lively enthusiasm, the pieces that had been set out on the table. One piece, as to whose authenticity my uncle had entertained serious doubts. Montani unhesitatingly pronounced genuine and stated very plausible reasons for his opinion.
 On the whole, he was an interesting fellow. When he had finished his fn- spections he fingered for only few minutes and took his leave, saying that he was spending the night at an inn near Stamford.
 @Well," said Alice when the whir of his machine had died away, ''what do you think of him ?"
 "A very agreeable gentleman" an- gwered 'If he doesn't know porce- lains, he fakes his talk admirably"
 aAnd as to fans" suggested Mrs. Tarnsworth.
 had not intended to mention Mon tani's interest in Alice's fan, and the remark surprised me.
 "Oh, saw 1t all from the library" laughed Mrs. Farnsworth. My back was to the door, but was facing mirror The moment you and Alice went into the hall he bounced upon the fan-pounced is the only word that describes 1t. He concealed his interest in it very neatly when you caught him examining it."
 'sFans are harmless things" said Alice, "and if there's any story at- tached to this one I'm not aware of it. 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 8 Japanese jew eler who does wonderful things in the way of repairing trinkets of every kind. left 1t with him for a few days. I can't tell now which panel was broken, he did his work so deftly."
 I took it from her and balanced it in my fingers. It was beautiful piece of workmanship with the sim plest carvings on the ivory panels.
 ''He couldn't have seen it anywhere before tonight" observed Alice mus ingIy. ''In fact, I hadn't used it at all for year. It was really by mistake that my maid put it into my trunk when I went to Japan. I didn't want to risk breaking it again, so I've been carrying it in a handbag. The last Bay we were in Tokio think had it M our sitting room in the hotel, to make sure it wasn't damned into the