The Washington times., 1922-07-30

two-ffty per annum.
"And l shall make him rise me
every year, see if l don't"
To find herself in London again,
then, was almost a grief.
The boat came in just after
noon on a fine Autumn day, and.
on landing, the girl went straight
to Oxford's Regent street branch.
She trod on air with her light
feet. The whole street smiled at
her. The f1ower-women under the
Mercury fountain in Picadilly Cir
Gus might have been decorating
the world with their wares for this
conqueror.
Passing in buoyantly, Miss Meg
Morton desired to see Mr.. Oxford.
She was not kept waiting after her
name had been taken to him.
He was standing on his hearth
rug, with his back to a good fire,
smiling very pleasantly. He shook
hands, desired her to sit down and
remarked that her sea trip had
done her good.
WELL" she said, sparkling with
pleasure, 81 left your necklet safe
ly in New York, Mr.. Oxford"
81 know, | know. l am in re-
ceipt of mean | have already
heard. Well, you've proved your
self possessed of a good deal of
grit and go, quantities that man
always likes to find in-er-any
member of his staff. Now, I'd
like to hear all about the voyage"
Mr.. James Oxford heard all
about the voyage. She sketched
it wildly, with a little word pict-
ure of her suspect. He listened,
nodding and rubbing his hands
the sort Of latent amusement lurk-
ing behind his rubicund face that
had been there on the occasion of
her last interview with him. Fin
ally he laughed hilariouSly. She
looked ncttled-llushing.
"You think" she said, because
I'm a woman that I've let my
nerves play me tricks-that the
man on the boat wasn't a thief.
But l tell you he shadowed me
right up to your shop. He never
gave up till then. And you-you
seem to think it rather a joke"
ITO tell you the truth" said
Mr.. James Oxford, overhow.ne.
"it is. Certainly, my dear young
lady, you were Swallowed, but not
by thief"
"By whom, then, should ike
to know"
"Ah" replied Mr.. Oxford.
That's the very cream. By the
fellow who's going to have the
confidettial clerkship"
After sort of stunned silence:
"What?" she whispered.
He began to explain, with much
amusement.
"Y'see," playing with a paper
cutter, at was like this. Shortly
after you'd left me on the day |
agreed to give you trial, a fell
low came in after the job. Name
of Beckenham. saw at a glance
he'd got it. What | want. He
was all right, supposing he hadn't
got too much of it. Mustn't be
sharper than me, y'know.
I'll give you a trial. says |.
Your duties would be variegated.
Here's bit of detective work to
start off with. I'm sending a
She started violently-now red,
now pale.
"T'm sending a girl" reAmed
Mr.. Oxford, over to New York
with necklace worth a thousand
pounds. I'd rather like to test the
girl as wells safeguard my valu-
ables. Go over on the same boat
test her. Do what you like.
Anyway, see the diamonds get
there Done" says he. To cut
it short-life's too short for serial
stories, Miss Morton; everything
should be synopsized-to cut it
short, | say, he went. And saw
you, as you say, right up to the
door. And then cut or and
cabled me-"
Mr.. Oxford turned to the man
telpiece, selected cablegram
stuck in the side of the mirror and
handed it to her. -'
All right. She kept it like a
dragon. Following by next
boat. BECKENHAM.
She handed the thing back,
quite silent 1t cut her right to
the heart. She was filled with
sheer. blind, shaking rage.
"Hc is, undoubtedly, the man
for the job" said Mr.. Oxford,
much pleased with his own per-
spicuity. Sorry you had a really
bad fright. You wouldn't have
had it if you'd known that the
necklace was fake. What? Oh!
my dear girl, | shouldn't give you
or any other young female my dia-
monds to play with. Whole thing
a tuppence-ha'penny affair, pro-
portiona'ely speaking. Nobody
wanted it in New York, either. 1t
was Just sort of little whim of
mine-occurred to me that I'd test
you, and you'd test Beckenham."
Dead silence.
81 didn't tell him" rpsuwcd Mr.