The Kevin review., 1927-10-06

Then wouldn't it be here, If you didq
inquired Mrs. Brewster. not without JUS
tihcation.
But. my dear. did"
Don't keep saying that, Aidenl 1
here. wouldn't it2"
Il should rather imagine So" was the
dry answer Nell heard him get to hii
feet and join his wife at the table. Then
alter moment. he said in an altered
tone, mo, it isn't here. And yet know
Emily Do you think-do you
think it could have been -stclen?"
"Aldenl Good heavensl It isn't pos
sihle We've been right here in the
room, except for the few minutes !"
DR. Taylor was here. Exactly. But
tell you, I put tt
The servants wouIdn't
NO. no: of course not They'd have
taken silver or 1ewelry long ago, instead
| OF Just book
"A three Thousand dollar book. Alden
that can never be replaced" She sound
ed really alarmed now.
/ Her alarm was as child's play, however
compared to Nell's.
You would think, too, that Others
would have gone" he pointed out. try
ing to be calm; Others Of greater value.
'Bute-perhaps they have"
I'VE must look"
There followed sounds Of perturbed
movement. as, presumably, the pair hur-
ried from bookcase to bookcase. Once
the curtain swayed in front OF Nells
frightened face, but fell back into place
again Immediately.
At last the quick footsteps came to q
halt, and Mr.. Brewster said, with relief,
mo. Everything else seems to be here" /"
Alden" Mrs. Brewster asked him,
Are you positive you
''W-well-"wi less assurance now
even the best of us"
Make mistake now and thenr'
I'VE do. But one thing am sure Of
did not take 1t upstairs. It's some-
where in this room. Come. We must
ransack the place"
They did. If moving chairs, opening
and shutting Of drawers, pulling out and
pushing in of books could be counted as
indications, they turned the place inside
out.
After a good five minutes Of this, Mrs
Brewster exclaimed sharply "Aldenl"
Yes. What is it9 Have you found it?"
His voice was oddly smothered, as il he
were speaking from the depths Of q
drawer.
NO But I've thought Of something.
"What?"
THE window
What Window"
Don't be dull That window. 1t was
open Don't you remember? We left it
Yes, we did. And it's open now.
But"
but that Is the answer, Of course.
Some one crept in off the lawn and took
it. Any one could see it was valuable.
Probably they were going to take more
when we came down"
You may be right, Emily A most care
less thing, with the servants at supper
"Oh, Alden, Alden, our beautiful book.
The only first edition available, probably
for lifetime" She spoke with unnis-
taxable anguish.
Nell, with equal anguish, was aware
that he was another opportunity to make
herself known and return to the lost
Labors. But once more pride kept her
cornered.
Look on the window SILL" Mrs. Brew
ster was urging a bit wildly. Look be-
hind the curtains. Look all around that
window. Come, Alden-help me-"
Nel1's breath was coming uneVenly. A
sobbing gulp welled up into her throat.
And when she heard sudden ring at
the doorbell the gulp became suddenly
audible. 1.-The policel" was her first un-
reasoning, terrified thought.
1t was apparent, however, that the
Brewsters had heard neither gulp nor
bell. The scraping Of their feet upon the
sill, the pushing back Of glass windows,
the general confusion across the room,
gave evidence Of their uninterrupted ac-
5ivity.
Then came another ring Of the bell,
and. almost simultaneously, cry from
Mrs. Brewster.
.sA1denl''
Have you found it2"
"Alden-1ook!''
GOOD GodI SlippersI A womans slip
oers!''
"You seer I was right The book was
stolen-by some woman vandal-who
came in through the window. And she's
gone with It,, and without her shoesl"
Nell was certain that it could be but q
matter of moments now before her cur
tain would be swept aside and she dis
closed, shamed and slipperless. She 1elt
that the limit Of her endurance had been
,eached. She had borne all she could.
But she had reckcned without the nna1
It came In the sound OF voice from
he hall-not the voice Of the police OF
aW and order, but Tommy's voice, loud
md full Of wrath. "Get out Of the way,
sayI I guess don't need any one to
how me inl guess I can hnd my way
He was quite right. He could. He not
,nly found his way In. but he stamped
lis way in demanding, furiously. Have
'Ou seen my Wife?" III
Nell heard two well bred gasps. and
hen Mrs. Brewster's voice, startled ana
mo. Dr. Taylor. we assuredly have
sThen she's gonel Absolutely and COM
,letely gonel She-I-she Hell
topped breathless.
'FWaft moment, doctor; wait just a
moment. Try to calm yourself" M.
Brewster sounded reluctantly compass
ionate Now, then. tell us ex-
city what the trouble it, ii
She's gone, / tell you. I left her
ereI mean, outside Of here. She said
be might walk home. But she-I--I've
ooked everywhere. Up and down the
Dad shouted and yelled; all over the
ouse- yelled and sl1outed-Woke up the
wins" Nell closed her eyes in brief
rayer) Police station. Hospital. MOI
se. Gone"
How very terriblel'' exclaimed Mrs.
Brewster, "And how very-aln- extraor-
mary. (Was this sympathy, or suspt-
ion2) 1--WE, too, suffered a loss"
"A 1oss2 You22 Not 'Tommy's stri-
ence lowered quickly into gravity not
sIeanor2"
'No, moi Dear me. mol Shakespeare
uarto A first edition, excessively rare.
he only one avail III
"A book2" It was the shout Of q man
eside himself
"A book Damn 1t, you stand there and
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