The Washington times., 1920-08-10

HERE was one moment of
bravado as Daisy Condor
stood facing me across the
bright spaces of my room. Then
she crumpled and stood with bowed
head, 'abject and pitiful. And in
the palm of the hand she, held to-
ward me my pearl ring.
SO she was a thief after all.
Kate's little sister was thief. I'd
been right all along. There was
my ring. My beautiful ring
How l hated it!
Standing in the thick, damp sill
ence 1 couldn't break. that was the
one outstanding thought in the
turmoil Of my mind.
Il hate my ring. l hate my ring.
See what it's done. See what it's
made of Kate's little sister"
l found myself staring at the
lustrous pearl, unable to speak. un-
able to do anything at the moment
or to decide what I must presently
do. The little enamel clock on my
dressing table ticked loudly. The
sound of Hedwig's footsteps as she
shuffled up the hall rasped on my
ears like the scrape of a giant
emery board. Then / heard some
one clearing her throat gratingly
and DaiSy's voice creaked out:
Wont you ever say anything"
PIease-please send for the police
and get il over with. / can stand
that. What l can't stand is this
facing you and knowing what l am
and what you think of me. l don't
deserve any mercy, but show me
some anyway. Send for the police
and get it over" ....-
I'm not going to send for the po-
lice
My voice was low. 1t seemed to
come from far away. l wondered
for a second IL I'd actually said this
or il I'd only thought it. Then
heard Daisy repeating in an incred-
ulous shrek:
you're not going to send for the
police? You're not going But
you must Don't you see you must?
I'm thief. 1 have to be sent to
prison"
Leave Kate Out"
Don't say that" l gasped. sink
ing down in the nearest chair and
covering my face with a shaking
hand. Don't say that. Rates SIS
ter"
Leave Kate out of this" Daisy
broke in passlonately. She doesn't
belong in 1T. I'm glad she's-gone
and doesn't have to bear. the shame
of being my sister. This is between
YOU and me afd-the police. Won't
YOU send for them now and end
this"
As, she spoke Daisy came and laid
the ring on the orchid negligee
had fiung over the arm of my chair.
Then she backed away with quick
Jerk and fattened herself against
the wall and her voice jumped out
in little staccato bits.
81 didn't dream l would ever be a
thief. But l am. / hated you. And
1 wanted the ring. So / took 1t
the way you were taking Carl. l
guess that's how I reasoned. Well,
It's over now. 1 don't blame you
for not wanting to touch me and
take the ring out of my hand. Or
for not speaking to me. I'll be glad
to go to prison, so you needn't mind
putting me there. 1t won't be as
bad as lying awake nights and
thinking about IL and waking up
and going through the days. l put
a package there on the couch when
I first came in. It's the dress you
gave me. Please-oh, please-send
for the police and tell them you
have the thief"
I'll do nothing OF the kind" My
voice sounded amazingly brusque
as I broke in vigorously.
"You won't do that and get Il
over7 I can't bear any moreW
Daisy crumpled back against the
wall and covered her face with
shaking hands. Sobs shook her.
She covered away when l laid my
hands on her shoulders.
You're not thief, Daisy" said,
feeling my way slowly. You stop
ped being a thief the minute you
walked in here and returned the
ring. A thief wouldn't do that. No
one had discovered you. The real
You simply couldn't do the thing
the other You had tried to do. You
and are tho only ones who know
about that other You. And we can
keep our secret"
Daisy's arms dropped 10 her sid,