The Washington times., 1921-01-27

" pTOlett kAif
" Is Aunt Mollie making up
such a careful alibi for Val be-
cause saass,, she thinks her guilty or In
These questions came 10 me while
Phoebe was speaking. And then.
strangely enough. something else
flashed into my mind. Maybe what
put II there was the sudden focus-
ing OF my eyes on Jeanic's wool
sweater-coat which still lay ACROSS
the chair where I'D flung 1t on com.
ing in from my interview with
Lane the night before.
i had slipped the sweater on and
had hurried to my room In pas
sion OF pity for the big brown bear
and a passion OF revolt. Suddenly
1 realized that the fugitive msmoIy
had been struggling TO capturs
was of the old lucky piece. Lane
mad given me.
"It's in a pocket OF Jeanie's coat"
1 told myself. II put the handker-
chief In which ] tied the coin into
one OF the pockets when l slipped
into the coat. I must get it,"
Jeanie and Phoebe were still dis
cussing the tragedy OF Sheldon
Blake's death. With a careless air
| picked up the sweater and began
rummaging It's pockets. Jeanie In
terrupted herself to ask IL there
was anything special j wanted.
Yea A pretty anklet I've lost"
j replied, wondering why l hadn':
told the whole truth as heard
myself expressing half of It,
Did you think I'd picked 1t up
and hidden it in the family
sweater" laughed Jeanie.
II thought I'd put It in one OF
the pockets. wore the sweater
the other evening when I ran out
for a breath of air"
Not there, thought asked
Jeanie, adding politely. Isn't 1t
queer the way we always lose our
prettiest and most valuable hand
kerchiefs? Was 1t marked in any
special way? If you don't find IL
out for IL in the wash this week"
- THE KEEPSAKE LOST.
TT had a lucky-piece in it. A
battered octagon strung on a lit
tie gold wire. I don't like to
lose It."
'superstitious. eh?" chuckled
Virginia toIerantly.
1 flushed, but offered no ex-
PLANTATION. Only to Jim could I
relate the queer method of COM
munication Lane Cosby had Of
fered to me. The incident was in
terwoven with the ugly breach
between Val and me. and the
queer. strangled kiss Lane had
pressed on my lips.
Virginia didn't press the point
of being superstitious. She didn't
seem to think 1t one worth dis
cussing. She had something i'm
portant on her mind, and she made
II evident now that the talk about
Sheldon and his tragedy hadn't
diverted her interests.
We've gossiped about other
folks long enough" she said with
q touch of her old arrogance.
Nov, / want to get down to. the
matter in hand. Phoebe. your
coming down here while Anne and
Jim are with me seems almost
providential. think we ought to
arrange a quiet wedding at once.
As / was about to say a while ago
when you interrupted me, Pat and
i are going to make this our
year-round home.
"And there's ten months to run
yet on the lease Of my apartment
in town. II we want to go in now
and then for the theater or the
opera, we have Pats bachelor dig
gings to shelter us. So there you
are"
80 there you aren't" replied
Phoebe, uneasily. I'm going to
have a big wedding in June. And
you must railroad me into a little
family affair just because you want
to get rid Of me-"
But, Phoebe. I'm quite serious"
said Virginia, with an air of great
patience. and Of not intending to
permit herself to be diverted from
the main issue by Phoebe's attempt
to laugh IL off as a mere notion.
There's the apartment furnished
and with ten months lease to run.
I don't want to rent 1t to strangers
at any price. And II you and Neal
will feel better about not taking it
for a gift, as I'd hoped, I'll let you
pay q little rental"