Evening star., 1922-06-15
//T'M so worried over Gloria, Prof
Kennedy, that i hardly know
what I'm doing

Il
what I'm doing"
Mrs Bradford Brackett was
one Of those stunning women OF
battling age of whom there seem 10
be so many nowadays. One would
scarcely have believed that she could
be old enough to have daughter
who would worry her very much.
Her voice trembled and almost
broke as she proceeded with her
story. and. looking closer, 1 saw that
at least now, her face showed marks
of anxiety that told on her more than
would have been the case some years
before.
At the mention of the name OF
Gloria Brackett l saw that Craig was
extremely interested. though he did
not betray it to Mrs. Bracket. AL
ready. with my nose for news. l had
scented a much bigger story than
any that had been printed. For the
Brackets had lately been more or
, less in the news OF the day.
Choking back little suppressed
| sob In her throat, Mrs. Brackett took
| from a delicate gold mesh bag ana
| laid on the desk before Kennedy
| small clipping from the Lost and
Found" advertisements in the star.
| 1t read:
Reward of $4,000 and absolutely
! no questions asked for the return OF
| n diamond necklace Of seventy-one
stones which disappeared from a
| house at WHY'S Hill, Long Island,
\ last Saturday or Sunday.
| LA RUE & CO, jewelers..
| - 5th avenue
| l recognized the advertisement as
! one that had occasioned q great deal
| of comment on the Star. due to It's
peculiar nature. 1t had been great
| mystery-perhaps much more so than
! If the advertisement had been word
| ed and signed In the usual way.
knew also that the advertisement
| had created a great furore or excitr.
ment and gossip at the fashionabi
| North Shore Hunt Club. or whlch
Bradford Bracket was master of fox
| hounds.
AT first" explained Mrs. Bracket.
! nervously. La Rue 4 co. were able
to let the police take up the case.
But as public interest in the adver-
I tisement increased at last the secret
| leaked out-at least, that part OF 1t
which connected our name with the
; loss That, however. seemed only to
whet curiosity. 1t left everybody
! wondering what was back of it all
That's what we've been trying to
avoid-that sort Of publicity"
She paused a moment. but Kennedy
said nothing. evidently thinking that
fthe best safety valve for her over
wrought feelings would be to let her
tell her story in her own way.
Why, you know" she resumed
rapidly. to hide her agitation. the
| most ridiculous things have been said.
Some people have even said that we
lost nothing al all. that it was all a
I,,1n q tay Tf a n
names in the papers. Some have said
it was a plan to collect burglary in
surance. But we are wealthy. They
didn't stop to think how inconcelV-
able that was. We have nothing to
lose. even if the necklace is never
heard of again
For the moment her indignation
had got the better of her worry. Most
opinions, | recalled. had been finally
that the disappearance was mixed up
with some family affairs. At any
rate here was to be the real story at
| last. l dissembled my interest. Mrs.
Brackets Indignation was quickly
succeeded by the more poignant feel
I! ings that had brought her to Ken
| nedy.
most sobbing. lit Is really all. 1 fear.
my own fault. l didn't realize that
Gloria was growing so fast and so far
out of my life. I've let her be
brought up by governesses and serv-
ants I've sent her to the best
schools l could find. 1 thought it was
all right. But now, too late. l realize
that 1T is all wrong. l haven't kept
close enough to her"
she was rafting on in this dis
jointed manner. getting more and
more excited. but still kennedy made
no effort to lead the conversation.
Il didn't think Gloria was more
than a child. But-why Mr.. Kennedy,
she's been going. ! find, to these af-
ternoon dances, in the city and out at
a place not far from WHY'S Hills"
What sort of places?" prompted
kennedy.
The Cabaret Rouge" answered
Mrs Brackett, flashing at US a look Of
defiance that really masked fear Of
public opinion.
knew of the place. 1t had an ex
+; tremely unsavory reputation. In fact,
there were two places of the same
name. one in the city and the other
| out on Long Island.
Mrs Bracket must have seen Ken
nedy and me exchange look askance
at the name.
oh. it's not question Of morals,
alone she hastened. After all,
sometimes common sense and fool
! ishness are fair equivalents for right
and wrong"
Kennedy looked up quickly. gen
! timely surprised at this bit OF
worldly WISDOM
When women do stupid. dangerous
| things. trouble follows" she per-
j.sisted, adding. "if not at once, bit
later. This is case of it,
One could not help feeling sorry
| for the woman and what she had to
face.
Il had hoped. oh, so dearly" she
went on a moment later, that Gloria
would marry a young man who. L
know, is devoted to her. an Italian
of fine family, Signor Franconi-you
must have heard of him-the inventor
of a new system of wireless trans
mission of pictures. But WITH such
scandal-how can we expect II!
Do you know him."
Not personally though I have
| heard of him." returned Kennedy
briefly.
which he called the "Franconi Tele-
able to telegraph either over wires
or by wireless light and dark points
to deceive the eye and produce, at the
continuous reproduction of picture
at the transmitting end. At least. In
sf'1v nj Was 81 no n mere diiettante inventor.
CRAZY Sstaies after moment moment. for the first
time interrupting the rather ram
bling trend this 9i Mss 9a ok With S'1ly te
She looked at him almost despair
ingly. 81 don't really care Tor a
thousand such necklaces" she cried.
Suddenly she had become almost