The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1923-02-28

ton. The slight frown passed from
her forehead. Sac was obviousl,
more content.
TELL me how you propose to guard
my treasures, Sir Norman?' she in.
! quircd as she sank into an easy.
chair. 'Shall you stand behind my
chair at dinner, disguised as =
waiter, and lie on my mat at night
it gives one quite a shivery scnsa
ton to thing of such espionage"
Believe me-" | assured her. 81
understand that you send you,
pearls down every night to the hotc1
safe"
+ Il have always done so," she an.
swcred. "Do you think it would be
better to keep them up here? Will
you promise to Sit in this easy-chair
with a revolver on your knee, all
night, if 1 do sou
"Not for the uorld" | declared
"Thc hotel safe is much the better
place"
81 am glad to hear your dccision.'
she said with slight smile. 81
should sleep very little if | thought
that my pearls we're near and
that you were sitting here. on guard
The idea would be disturbing"
"One cannot guard against mir.
acles,' | observed, "but | think you
can make your mind quite easy
about the necklace. If you should
need me at any time, the number of
my room is Four-thirty-two."
"On this foor?'
son this floor"
"Tcll me-" she asked little
! abruptly as | rose to take my leave
"who was the man with whom you
were talking last night in the lounge
"a slim, middle-aged man with d
very hard face? | am always seeing
him in the lift
"A man ] know scarcely anything
Of" | replied. "His name. I believe
is Stanfcld. | once played golf with
him down at Wokng."
"Stanfeld she repeated "Was
it in his grounds near Working that
murder was committcd--a police
man was found shot there?"
nodded. 81 was playing with Mr.
Stanfield at the timc," | told her.
"And the murderer was ne,<r dis
covered?"
Never"
II wonder you didn't take an in
tercst in the case yourself," she re-
marked.
81 did," l told her.
She made a little grimacc.
"My fea"s for my necklace are re-
| awakened" she declared. "Surely it
! ought to have been an easy task for
a clever man like you, one who used
to be called really great detective
to discover the murderer"
at is beyond my powers to brin.
him to justice, at any rate" re-
piled. "Therc are many criminals
walking about today, Of whose guilt
the police are perfectly we'll aware
They cannot be arrested, however
for lack of evidence"
"How thrilling!" she murmured
"Will you ask me to dine with you
some night and tell me some of your
adventures ?"
81 shall be happy to do so,' re-
piled. MEANWHILE"
She accepted my departure little
| unwillingly., l am not vain man;
and l felt inclined to wonder at a
certain graciousness of attitude OH
hO, - hs.,h
ing our interview had forced itself
upon my notice.
Later, about seven o'clock, Il note
was brought into my room.
Dear Sir Norman,
|. A lady and her husband who were
dining, have disappointed me. Can
you, by any chance, be my guest? II
so, let US meet at eight o'clock in
the lounge. Hopefully yours,
Bla,.che dc Mendoza.
scrubbed line of acceptance.
felt, as l descended into the lounge
that evening, premonition that life
for the next few hours was going to
be very interesting indeed.
At eight o'clock, precisely Mrs
De Mendoza came into the lounge
She was wearing white lace even
ing dress, with an ermine wral
which hung loosely around her, dis
closing the pearls underneath. Her
entrance made mild sensation. Mr..
Stanfeld, who was seated in his ac-
customed corner, drinking his cock
tail, watched our meeting and de-
parture into the restaurant with OBJ
vious surprise.
"The little man was there again
who stares at me so much-Mr. Stan
field, think you called him?" she
remarked as we took our places.
l nodded.
81 dare say he was Surprised to see
US together" l said. 81 asked him
who you were, on the night of my
arrival here"
~Why?"
For the same reason that great
many other people ask the SAM
question:" replied.
She made little grimace.
"You are determined to pay me no
compliments this evening, and l am
wearing my favorite gown"
II admire your taste," assured
her.
Anything else?"
"You are the best-dressed and the
best-looking woman in the ROOM"
"Too impersonal," she complained.
turned the conversation to the
subject of the necklace. The pearls
were collected for her, she told me,
by her husband, soiile in India, some
in the Malay states, some in Paris,
some in Rio. She smoke of him quite