Omaha daily bee., 1921-05-29
Helen Is Trapped into q Degrading
Situation by Her Covetous
Sister-in-Law.

NelCn, Dut warren QocSn I, III
never wants me to wear anything
that isn't real
That's absurd. Everybody wear,
saitation pearls nowadays-ans
\these are the best I've seen" Carri,
was examining them critically.
"They say only an expert can tel
Mem from the real. They've tn,
same luster and weight. I'm glac
they're small-they look more genu
ine"
"How much were they?" holding
the necklace under the silk shaded
light on the dresser. "You didn't
say"
Helen hesitated. Carrie always
asked the price of everything. Ii
was part of her sister-in-law's in.
satiable curiosity which she always
resented.
"It's rather unusual the way | got
them" evasively. "Mr Merwin, one
OF Warren's clients, is an importer
OF real pearls, These were just q
sample lot sent him from Paris-and
he let us have them at cost. The
strands were short-only IS inches
so he advised taking three TO make
two"
"Oh YOU have another string? You
must have got bargain. But you
haven't told me what you paid!
"You know you're not allowed up
here" shooing Pussy Purr New
from her dresser. MY clean scarf"
She brushed off the marks of tiny
paws, ignoring Carries insistent
question. .,
Il don't know yet what you paid
for them" Then with an exasperat-
ing shrug, Perhaps you don't wan:
TO tellY'
Helen flushed. There was no es-
Gaping Carries inquisitiveness
Il said we got them cheap" aim
lessly rearranging her toilet silver.
"Only--only SIS string"
They had not cost $l5--only $40.
But she never asked Carrie what
anything cost-what right had Carrie
always to catechise herr She felt
no obligation to tell her the truth,
though her face grew hot at the false
hood.
Fifteen! That's absurdly cheap.
Mrs. Eldridge paid 80 for hers--and
they don't look nearly so real?" Then
shrewdly, HAS he any more?"
"No, those were the last three
strands. They were just a special
lot, He said they'd retail at about
IS"
But you've another strand" point
edly. "What're you doing with that?"
II thought I'd let Mrs. Stevens
have them. She's been wanting
some"
"Have you told her about them?"
"Not yet, but"
"Then I'll take them-and pay for
them right now. "Oh," bristling
at Helen's evident reluctance, you'd
rather let her have them, would
you,"
"Why. no, of course not redden-
ing. "But | thought you had
string"
"Just ordinary bcads-but these
are exquisite. They have that satiny
sheen of real pearls. They're so
beautifully graduated and this plati-
mum clasp"
That's only gold--platinum plat
ed" Helen fastened to explain.
"But for SIS? I never heard of
anything so cheap" crossing to the
bed where her purse lay beside her
coat
What could she do? Helen. nerv-
ously bending a flexible nail file, felt
that trap was closing about her.
She could not admit now that she
had lied about the price. She was
furious at Carrie and furious at her
self.
But YOU haven't seen the others
yet" cropping for some means of es-
cape.
"You said they were just the
same" counting out the money.
"Helen, what is the matter' Don't
you want me to have them?'
"Why, of course" taking small
jewelers. box from the second
drawer
"Ohl" Carrie snatched greedily at
the duplicate strand. Even the
clasp is the same! And they're just
the right length" fastening them
about her neck. Then abruptly.
"What are those loose ones in the
box!"
"He said that 81 inches was the
best length--so there were few left
over from the three strands"
"Then half of those belong to
met" covetously.
tsyIfd,. ;f x,o,, ttx, uy,,t fba
necklace" Then counting them out,
There's SO here-well have to sort
them by sizes.
As they apportioned the loose
pearl. Helen tried to justify to her
self her acceptance of the extra SIS.
After all, it would no more than
pay for their share of the dinner at
Shirley's the other night. 1t was to
have been Dutch treat, but Carrie
and Lawrence had hurried off to
catch their train, leaving Warren to
pay the bill.
And the theater tickets for The
Lurid Trail that Warren had bought
in advance. They had not even Of
fered to pay for thcse-yet it. was
Carrie who had suggested the party.
There, these are my 20 Carrie
wrapped them in tissue paper, calmly
appropriating the odd pearl.
It's half-past nine" came Law
rence's warning call from the library.
''Yes, we'll be right in" Then TAX
ing up her wrap from the bed, "We
must get that ten -fifteen--the eleven
make us so late"
Pausing to apply some powder,
Carrie complacently adjusted her
pearls
Look at my purchaser as they
! entered the library. Il found Helen
had two strands--and / just made
her let me have one. Aren't they