Evening star., 1924-03-30

"ltu inc puZZeT III lHe
announced the caller. With agile
grace Miss Glaub draped herself in
an easy chair halfway between the
pink light near the piano and the
soft droplight over the mantel.
Quickly her face assumed the wan
expression of one who has suffered
deeply.
Come in. please
Miss Glaub?"
A young man, certainly-attractiv
Wont you take a chair and let me
ask your pardon for not arising? The
things that have happened during the
past few hours" Miss Glaub ran a
slow white hand across her brow.
The young man nodded vigorously.
Certainly. Ny names Barclay.
Sorry to hear you are not feeling
well. Pardon me if i seem to rush
to the point, but l haven't much time
to do all I have to do"
Mr.. Barclay smiled deprecatingly.
The fact OF the matter is" he began
abruptly, I'VE are not so much inter
ested in the details of the robbery.
which we have, more or less. in a
routine way. But we are interested
in the pearls which were stolen.
The police report said they were
genuine and unknown value. That
sounds like a mighty interesting
story. Won't you tell me, Miss Glaub.
why you told the sergeant that they
were priceless?''
1t was a trying moment for Adele,
Inc. What to say? What to do?
Where TO turn? Miss Glaub shook
her head slowly. II am sorry" she
said after a moment, but 1 can't"
Romance whispered an inspirational
way out Tit is a secret, and 1
am not at liberty to disclose"
Barclay nodded his head rapidly.
AS he phrased it, il was a ball
straight into his mitt. Young Mr..
Barclay worked for a sensational
city editor who ran a sensational
morning newspaper. The "old man"
had given him the idea in dyspeptic
monosplIabies. Adroitly Mr.. Barclay
worked to hang" his story. He
leaned forward coufidentially.
Miss Glaub." he said swiftly, 1.-The
man who robbed you was no common
criminal. Your description of him
alone proves that. He was man
out of another world. Isn't that
right
Miss Glaub nodded complacently
That man was not after a little
money. He was working for some
thing big! Perhaps he was not a
criminal in the accepted sense of the
word. Now I am going to tell you
what the News thinks" His voice
dropped still lower. Miss Glaub,'
he whispered, "the pearls which were
stolen from your safe this evening
may have come from the collection
Of the Russian crown jewels"
Miss Glaub opened her mouth
and slowly allowed it to close.
NO! Mo-" she cried after speech
returned.
Yet you admit the history of the
pearls is a secret?'' persisted the eager
young man.
Helplessly caught in tho rs~sh-s of
romance, Miss Glaub Ito%neo
And you say they were priceless? ?''
"Yes"-tonelessly.
Young Mr.. Barclay nodded with
deep satisfaction. Miss Glaub," he
asked, have you ever been in Rus
sia?"
No
Anywhere abroad?-
Miss Glaub admitted London and
Paris, without adding that it was
not uncommon for costume buyers
to seek their wares abroad.
Young Mr.. Barclay made a mental
note. Admits going abroad, but de-
nies ever being in Russia"
''Of course" he went on, '+you un-
derstand that we don't think for a
moment you came by the pearls dis
honestly. Not for a moment. But
Russian grand dukes have become
infatuated before with beautiful
women and tossed them jewels worth
millions"
''You're-you're crazy gasped
Miss Glaub hoarsely.
X X X
Young Mr.. Barclay was a shrewd
young man and he just had to
make the story stand up-for a day
or two. anyway. But you are beau
tiful," he accused.
Miss Glaub smiled wanly. Il am
only a poor wo-girl caught in the
mesh of circumstance"
"In other words. Miss Glaub, you