The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-10-01
The By MAY CHRISTIE
 Disturbing Kiss
LX.-RETURNED BY MAIL
Copyright lsai by The Moclur. Newspaper synde.t.

50 the insurance people paid the claim, did they? Della was repeat
 ing, parrot-like They've been rather quick about the business, haven't they?9
 "H'm. I don't know. It was a
 clear case of theft, of course. Natalie
 was robbed in the open street Fool
 ish little girl, to go out alone at
 night with such a valuable string
 of pearls in evfdencew
 The blood receded from Natalie's
 face. What was Della going to say :? T don't think Natalie is foolish.
 On the contrary, I think she's a clever and astute young lady" Even her laugh seemed to have a dou .
 ble meaning
 Then she added in sprightiy
 fashion:
 If the missing necklace does turn
 up, what then?'
 MT Ducane lifted deprecating
 hand
 gbne for good and all. We've made
 every effort to recover it in vain" "oh, I shouldn't give up all hope yet" She turned towards Natalie.
 The meaning look still lay in her
 eyes. Not that it matters to. you,
 my dear. does it? For the insur- ance money will purchase a second necklace as valuable as the first. Isn't that so?'
 Natalie shook her head. Her tongue felt dry.
 T don't think l want a second neck lace,' she managed to blurt out al fr~x p flxF ln tot a sounded unbelievable. How unnaturall Afraid that it
 will be stolen a second timer" This in bantering tone. That wouldn't happen twice. Would it. my dear?" It seemed to the young girl as
 though there were a definite chal. lenge in the woman's query. Farrel
 Gait had surely told her of his sus- picions, and together they had veri- flod them.
 Oh, she must not lose any time in | confessing the whole dreadful tale to Uncle Frederick! Tonight-when- ever Mrs. Desmond took her depar- l ture--the story must be told,
 Down in the library, she encoun- tered Maurice Danby. ! He wore a pleased, satisfied look l The finding of the Liberty Bonds had exculpated him from any blame. "I was wondering if you woult
 come out and dine with me some where this evening"" He rose al her entry and surveyed her wistful' | ly, pleadingly. from above pile oi
 papers on his desk "I never seen to have an hour alone with you I-~Id just love if you would come.
 "Of course I'll come,' said Natalie | relieved Apart from the pleasure o d tete e-a- tete with Maurice, this woul'
 prevent a further encounter wltl
 Mrs. Della Desmond, whom Unci'
 Frederick might possibly invite t'
 stay to dinner.
 That's good" Matrices smile ir
 radiated his good looking younl
 face. There's q quaint Chinese res
 taurant I'm rather fond of. Shal
 we go there-
 Natalie assented, And one-half hour later, they SC off.
 The dinner fascinated Natlie. As the queer wording of the menu, wit it's Chinese characters and transla tion.
 Maurice ordered variety of odd sounding dishes. "The whole meal comes in 3 sir kl cou,seH said he, ebut l thihK youl find II pretty satisfying And y2 must drink Loo Chung tea along wit the food"
 He turned to the Chinese waite who was standing by, for orders With a finger, he pointed to nun Der on the menu which bore the mys tic words:
 "Kai See Chao Min" You'll like that, Natalie. It fried sliced chicken with mushrooms bamboo shoots and other savor things. Or--let me think-'Sam Sc Yu Chee' is very good. That's go sharks fin and ham mixed in wit chicken and the bamboo shoots. An ou must have curried eggs, c course-"
 The girl broke into an amuse laugh.
 How quaint it all sounds! But leave the ordering, to you.' When the food was placed upon tn table. Maurice dished it out. He di this with meticulous care, filling Ma talie's plate first. Why, it looks exactly like bi1 d nest with a egg perched inside. She laughed "A layer of rice a around and hollowed in the middl' and what's this a-top?" Noodles of some sort" said Mau rice. well pleased over her child-iik | enjoyment or the meal, hduo oe of chicken and sharks fin. bamoo shoots and mushrooms. And the hard | boiled eggs called 'curried tan. Ii | helped her lavishly. You ought | eat it with chop sticks. But you better use spoon instead" And pray, what are you going
 eat?"
 Fried duck with Chinese jam, he said, succinctly. Tt rejoices l the grand sounding name of 'Ju Juhn But App It's glorious stusf