Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1920-09-04
CHAPTER ili-Continucd.

Montani spoke Of the pOrcelains.
son, to be urel They don't show to
best ndvnntnre in electric light, do
they? But | can have a few Of the
prize pieces taken into the dining
room." satd Alice.
Mrs. Fnrnsworth had excused her
Gelf to finish letter, and from my
chair could see her head bent over
the big desk in the library. Alice rang
for Antoine, and | followed her into
the hall to offer my aid.
"Oh. don't trouble" she said. AN
tome can do anything necessary. Yes;
thanks; If you win turn on the dining,
room lights"
was gone hardly half a minute,
When / reached The drawiEg-rOom
door M0ntanl had crossed the room
to the table on which Alice had
dropped The fan and was examining it
closely. lie faced the door, and the
moment he detected me exclaimed
CarelrSsly; IAN exquisite little bauble
/ am always curious 2s to the source
of such trifies. was looking for the
makers imprimatur. | know n Pari-
sian who is the leading manufactures
of the world. But 1t is rot his, |
see"
As we stood talking of other things
tie piled the fan careleSsly as though
for the pleasure of the faint scent 1t
eXhaled, and when Alice called us he
put it down carefully where he had
found II.
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
unhesitniingly pronounced genuine and
stated very plausible reasons for his
opinion.
On the whole, he was an interesting
fellow, When he had finished his in
speC,irns he fingered for only few
minutes and took his leave, saying
that he was spending the night at an
TIM near Stamford.
We'll" said Alice when the whir OF
his machine had died away, what do
you think of himf"
"a very agreeable gentleman" | an
swercd. IF he doesn't know pOrce-
lains. he fakes his talk admirably"
"And as to fans" suggested Mrs.
Fnrnsworth.
| had not intended To mention Mon
tani's interest in Alice'S fan. ana The
remark surprised me.
"Oh. / SAW il all from the library"
laughed Mrs. FarHSWorth. Ny back
was to tie door but was facing a
mirror The moment you and Alice
went into the hall he pomced upon
the fau-pouuced is the only word
that describes il. He concealed his
interest in it very neatly when you
caught him examining it.
Fans are harmless things" said
Alice. "and If there's any story at
tached to this one I'm not aware of It.
Nv father bought il in Paris about
three years ago. and il has never been
out of my possession except 10 have
# repaired. There's n Japanese jew
eler who does wonderful things in the
way of repairing trinkets of every
kind. left it with him for a few
DAYS. can't tell now which panel
was broken, he did his work so
deity"
I took it from her and balanced II
In my fingers. 1t was a beautiful
niece of workmanship with the sim
plest carvings on the ivory panels.
He coulHn't have seen it anywhere
before toni ght," observed Alice mus
ingIy. "In fact, hadn't used it at all
for year. 1t was really by mistake
that my rhaid put it into my trunk
when went TO Japan. l didn't want
10 risk breaking 1t again, so I've been
carrying II In a handbag. me last
day we were in Toxic think l had 1t
In our sitting room in the hotel, to
make sure It wasn't jammed into the