San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-20
Begin Here Today.

Sallic Peck, employe of the Fair
Deal Five and Ten, quarrels with her
policeman sweetheart, Michael Curtis.
That night Sallie goes into the yard
to take down a washing for Ma Bren-
nan, with whom she lives. A crash
shakes the earth and something strikes
Sallic a blow on the head.
| When she regains consciousness, the
girl finds herself in strange surround
ings. A French maid calls her Alva
Copeland and Madame Copeland, a
tall, richly gowned woman. claims her
as her step-daughter. Sallie discovers
| that she has fallen into the hands of
crooks and is being substituted for the
real Alva Copeland.
A man servant thinks he recognizes
in Sallie member of a gang of dia-
mond thieves and helps her. escape
from the house at night. Michael Cur
! It's and his friend, Captain Trevor, are
trailing Sallie and Alva. Now 60 on
with the story.
'Dear Mrs. Jennet:
j"Sorry not to have let you know
last night but 1 met an old friend of
my family and am visiting her now.
Please give my bag to the bearer.
yours sincerely,
"ALICE SMITH"
"Well?" Trevor looked up.
"Well y" Mrs. Jennet repeated, II.
went straight out to that elegant look
ing chauffeur and told him that the
bag had been taken away not half an
hour before by a young man from the
police station!"
But why in the world"
Because the handwriting wasn't
the handwriting of the Alice Smith
who'd come to my house the day be-
fore! I'd remembered it from the
torn-up pieces of that letter she'd
started to write, that I'd brought
down from her room and stuffed in
that vase, and after that chauffeur
had driven off-and he went mighty
fast-I took the scraps up to my room
and pieced 'em together, FASTING 'em
on a sheet of heavy paper. Your
friends got that, too"
Trevor" Mike spoke in a sudden
ly hoarse tone, I'D rather not show
You this now but it is necessary if
you want to question Mrs. Jennet
further"
He held out the large sheet Of pa
per with the irregular scraps pasted
upon it edge to edge and as Trevor's
eyes fell upon it he shook and grew
white.
"Carin, my dearest" he read.
"Come to me quickly at the adj
dress above and take me away for /
am in great danger. / escaped from
mother in the wreck of the train this
morning to 20 to you, but terrible
man is following me and has twice
threatened me. He insists that / am
woman named Diamond Bess,' of
whom / have not heard. / dared not
20 directly to your rooms, for / feared
mother would wire ahead to have
them watched when she found / had
run away from her. so came to this
boarding house, and within the hour
that terrible man has followed me and
taken room here also. Come and
take me"
The letter. the delicate handwriting
Of which had been growing more and
more agitated, ended in a great blotch
as though tear had fallen upon the
wet, spreading ink and groan of de-
spair came from Carin Trevor's set
lips. He raised haggard eyes to his
friend.
mike, am I going mad! This is
AVA Writings the Ilttle nOteS Sne
used to smuggle me on shipboard, and
the dear. quaint way of expressing
herself. Great God! But / have seen
het three times this week at her win
dowi"
"You have seen a girl with golden
hair who didn't even recognize you
or understand your signals and who
finally waved to you to go away"
Mike reminded him. ''Miss-Alva's
hair has been dyed black, remember
But the scoundrel who followed
her here! In heavens name, madam,
why didn't you have him arrested aft
err you had read this letter.
Because he never come back. eth
err" Mrs. Jennet responded simply.
His bags had nothing in 'em but
couple of bricks apiece and the bags
themselves he'd bought at pownshop
round the corner the night before, as
| found out later. I've got the young
| lady's two hid up in the attic. Do you
| want to see 'emT"
mot now; we haven't time" Mike