Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-13
CHAPTER I
~ UTH worries me-"
Mrs. Kenmore Walden

De
drew Guy Garrick toward
the quiet end Of the Nonowantne
Country club.
Garrick did not need to affect in
terest, for Ruth Walden was far and
away the most interesting problem
of the Country club set. OF late
years Garrick had grown to be coun-
selor and confidant in all the ills to
which North Shore society was heir.
Mrs. Walden smiled abstractedly.
She was one of those stunning wom-
en- Of today whom one confuses with
their daughters.
"She says that I betray my in
feriority complex when say it
that what I really mean IS not that
Ruth worries me, but youth worries
me-that I don't understand young
people today. I may have under
stood young people in the days OF
the Florodora sextette-but I don't
understand them now-and that's
what really worries me-"
mo one would believe you could
have a daughter old enough to
| worry you, Nita," declared Garrick
in unaffected admiration. "But tell
| me what it was you couldn't say
| over the telephone when you got me
at last this morning"
IT suppose you've heard all about
the first radio dance last night over
! at 9 Bellevue lodge-you know, the
| Gerard place, at Oldfield?"
| Garrick nodded.
Well, you know how young
Glenn Buckley got the Gerards to
| put in wireless outfit--had Profess
sor vario from the big Radio Cen.
trail station at Rock Ledge help
him install it. At least that's what
Glenn said. The truth was, Of
course, that Professor Vario had to
do all the work. Glenn just messes
around with it; has acquired the
lingo--but I guess that's about ALL"
Garrick smiled at the characterize
ton and Mrs. Walden hurried on.
"Then the young folks got up a
dance to celebrate the installation.
Lo and behold, they had scarcely
started when that awful thunder
shower-you remember last night
lswept around, as. they often do, from
the Connecticut shore. That stop
ped the music over the wireless"
Eyes -. static {. Natures
jazz jazzed the radio jazz
/ cit was a spectacular storm, you
know, with the lightning flashing
and crashes of thunder. They were
debating whether to use the Victrola
and canned music or improvise an
orchestra Of their own. AT the
height Of the storm came a voice
from the French windows:
Hands up! . d. And be quick
about it! 4. Line up along that
wall! -. And keep your mouths
sThere seemed to be three of
them, masked, two men and girl
a regular devil-may-care hussy. She
held the bag and a gun and took
the jewels while two men covered
the party. They seemed to
know just what they wanted, what
to expect
"What did they get?'
"Why, those bandits went through
the party. They must have got
away with a hundred thousand dol
lars worth of jewelry or,
more than that. The Walden pearls
that they took from Ruth were
worth twenty thousand easily"
"a good haul But what's this
gossip hear that it was an inside
job?"
i Mrs. Walden glanced about to
make sure that they We're out OF
earshot That's what want your
help on, Guy" She dropped her
voice. ST think Mckay can tell you
better, at first hand. Mckay is our
chauffeur" She leaned over the rail
of the veranda. "John"
Mckay, down the driveway with
the car, touched his cap and sided
UP the steps Of the club veranda.
John, will you tell Mr.. Garrick
what you saw last night over at
Gerard's?"
well, sir" began Mckay, balanc-
ing accurately first on one foot, then
on the other, as he picked up his
visored cap, latter it was all over
and there was a general alarm, sir,
old Mr.. Gerard came down to see
what all the shootin' was for and he
asked me a lot Of questions-about
the signal-and-"
"Just how did you happen to be
there, Mckay" asked Garrick. II
didn't know Miss Ruth would let
anybody drive her car"
Mckay smiled. He had a touch Of
humor, even though his keen Irish
wit saw the serious and suspicious
side of the incident.
ooh, I had been out joy-riding
sir-I'm sorry to have to say it,
ma'anl-" he bowed toward Mira
Walden with Lolita, one of the
maids at Oldf1eld."
It was evident that Mckay was
striving to show that he had nothing
to conceal-and a lot to tell. More.
over, on the score that there had
been a signal and the affair was an
inside job, he seemed anxious to
clear Lolita, too.
$50 VIXEN Ny. Gerard asks me,
sa<ss it's darn funny. IT must have
happened right after that light sig
nailed down toward Games neck +"
Light? Signal? Tell me about
it,"
"Well I saw it," returned Mckay,
a trif1e contentiously. "a lot Of US
saw it. That's what made the sus-
picion that it was an inside job. You
see, saw the storm coming up fast
and beat it back to Bellevue in the
car with Lolita a mile minute. You
know that tower on the corner of
the Gerard house? thought you'd
know it. Most everybody does and
has seen the searchligth in it. Well,
when the storm broke - suppose
that was some time after their wire
less Went on the blink The
lightning was great. It always is
out taere-lights up the shore for
miles and the sea and you can see
the waves breaking way down on
the rocks and the beach.
| Between flashes of lightning
saw the searchlight moving up and
down the shore and I says to myself,
That's a queer stunt-naybe a lit
tie dangerous on night like this up