The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1920-07-16

Nothing doing" he sneered. ANY
crook iaring enough to steai those
pearls, once he had got his hands on
them, never would return them.
Pearls are too easily disposed Of.
You've got to dig up better expla-
nation than that"
what did Mr.. CASTOR think7 What
did he say when he found them
there?"
He had nothing to shy. He was
30 t;ckled 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 go along with him
to protect them"
Didn't you look at all for the secret
passageway ! told you nbout?"
"Still dreaming about that. are
your" scoffed German. mo, we didn't.
On the way up to the Granddeck the
old man spoke about It and told
him that in my opinion there was
nothing to 1t. After he recovered the
pearls he was too excited to think
about anything else. 1t 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 account for the re-
turn of the peurls?" | cried desperate
ly. WHATS your theory about them?''
Il haven't any," he replied. ITS
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" l called after him
as he turned away. "do look tomor-
row and see If that secret passage Is
not where | said It was"
He walked away without answering.
Back once more In my cell. 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. ! must solve II IL ! was to re-
thin him In aiding me TO get free. yet
the whole thing seemed inexplcabie
l could hardly blame him for doubtins
me. The great value of the pearls
had been motive enough for their
theft, but what possible motive coulC
there have been for the thief return
ing them7
With q 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. jury
might be persuaded to believe my tale
OF anonymous notes. mysterious whls
pers. and a secret passageway by
which the thief had gained access Il
the apartment, but without the motive
of theft, my story. unsupported BY
witnesses and uncorroborated by 9th
err evidence. surely would be incred
ible of belief.
had just one hope left. Old Ruff!
must find that secret passageway ant
see whittier It led. That. with GU
kno ~ledge Of the identity Of the tele
phone girl and the possibility OF prov
ing Germans belief that Wick wal
an ex-convict, seemed likely to be m.
only salvation. Old Rufus must fnt
that passageway. He must He must
For hours l lay there rncking m.
brains over the unsolvable problems
My luncheon was brought In. but
waved 1t away untouched. Wenrll,
wondered whether the recovery O
the pearls had destroyed my aged rel
atives faith In me. as II seemed Il
have destroyed Germans couI,
after finding that my story of the dis
appearance of the pearls was nppar
emily untrue. In my brief experience
as a prisoner | had learned all to-
well the bitter fact that once a mnl
is discredited. henceforth no on
trusts him. II Rufus Castor faile,
me at this junctur | did not see hoy
Il could possibly extricafe myself un
scnthed from the web that unseeel
hands had so skillfully and mali
ciously woven around me. The oni
ray of comfort that | could find ans
where in the whole situation was Il
my FIRM belief that though old Ruff
and German and the whole worl
doubted me. Barbara Bradford-n
Barbara. | ventured to call her In m
innern ost heart-would continue L
believe in me. She would he sure. n
matter how much appearances wen
against me, that ! was telling tn
truth Bar tiara aud | knew. Ev'ni !
she had lot known tina. ! could no