The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1924-12-21

little study and showed her his trophies and
his souvenirs and his pictures and his books
=. at is very hard indeed" he was saying
"when one is working all day to do anything
serious outside of the daily grind. But this
past year l have been able to do some trans
lation work which, if 1 can finish it, will
mean great deal to me. If could only get
one year off from routine could finish this
work. That is why l went abroad. did
not go for pleasure, l could not have done
that, and had to hurry back on mothers
account"
"How much more interesting this work
must be than that of making those records
she said, always glad of a chance to speak
of subject in which she had lost none of
her interest and thinking of the little black
record which, of course, was safely tucked
away in her bag at that very moment.
ooh, those records are very tiresome,' he
said. II dread to go back to them. What
pity l couldn't win that five thousand dol
lars! Then rcould take that much needed
year and finish up my work"
Have you any theory about that stray
record?" she asked.
at really is very mysterious. he said
leaning back in his big leather chair, and a
serious look came into his face. Il simply
cannot fathom it,
Amelie was beginning to feel guilty and
uncomfortable and she was wondering if she
could possibly tell the professor the truth
and if the truth would help in the least to
solve mystery that was causing so much
trouble.
II suppose to receive the reward one
would have to return the records that
it," she asked.
ooh, no, think the last offer made by Mr..
Chalmers is to anyone who will give any
clew to the missing record"
Amelie started. If the professor knew her
secret, could he not solve the mystery, and
gain the reward? She knew that he thought
he had the record that she had. Did he
have any record at all? If SO, what rec
ord was it?
81 understood from Mr.. Charming yester-
day." he resumed, that Mr.. Chalmers was
going to increase the reward to $40, 0OO."
Now she knew that she could keep silent
no longer-that she was deceiving one who
had befriended her, and that the deception
she was practicing was causing other people
much trouble. She had never before fully
realized what her silence concerning this
record really meant
professor Marville," she began, and
something in her tone made him sit up and
lean forward to hear what she was about to
say, II don't know what you will think
when tell you-"
professor, tea is served and the cold,
formal voice of the maid in the doorway
waited for them to pass, and there seemed
nothing left for them to do but to go down.
The sound of the telephone bell startled
them, so loudly and SO long did it ring; and
when the professor joined them after an
swering it he was extremely grave and evil
IDENTIFY troubled.
"This is really too bad" he said, 'it seems
absolutely necessary for me to go to town"
ITO town!' exclaimed his mother. "You
simply can't; it is storming; Miss Trent is
our guest"
ooh, please do not let my being here in
terfere," put in Amelie hastily. II can go
back now with you-really, it would make
me very unhappy to think you would let me
inconvenience you"
"But in this pouring rain! | couldn't
think of letting you go, child" said the old
lady. Charles, is it so urgent; can't it wait
until morning?'
II said all could, mother, to convince
Mr. Shelton that it is practically impossible
for me to come. But he is lawyer, you
know, a man of large affairs He assures
me that he would not think of asking me
to come except for the Importance of the
matter and the need for haste" He took
out his watch. 81 could get back home
in time to take Miss Trent to the 1O:45
train if that would not be too late for her."
Mrs. Marville did not give her time to
reply.
''It's absurd for Miss Trent to think of
going back to the city tonight. She must
stay all night The weather is atrocious
and there is no necessity for it. Besides,