Plentywood herald. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1908-current, 1928-06-15

Captain Victory he wanted to avoid? Was
that the explanation of his "difidence
about speaking to me?
Just why I didn't tell them about the
visit I'd had with the sandy haired man
1 don't know. 1t may have been his
hypnotic influence. 1t may have been
that inexplicable thing called Fate.
Ethel" I said that night, you've al
ways wanted to wear my pearls. You
may, and I'll wear your beads" We made
the exchange and went TO bed. our
rooms led into each other.
In the morning when l Weakened there
was q sickish odor in the room. l got
up dizzily, opened the window which Ia
apparently forgotten, and staggered TO
the mirror to get some cologne. The re-
Election l beheld told me that l had I'M
doubtedly gone mad.
Ethel" / cried. Come herel'
She screamed at sight of me and l
knew she saw what l did. "A
necklace of pennies strung on knotted
Irvine surrounded my neck, and a thin
BILE sized Ounce cap was pinned on my
head. l snatched off the Ounce cap. In
side a note was printed. YOU shouldn't
wear pearls in the morning. nor in bed.
It's bad form and bad luck. Let us ex-
change and remain friends. TIL Asp"
HE always makes a fool Of a woman"
said Ethel solemnly.
Then we both ran to her room. There
lay my pearls on her dresser. H knew
yours were beads and didn't bother to go
in your ROOM" I said.
Then we both ran to her room. There
lay my pearls on her dresser. He knew
yours were beads and didn't bother to go
in your ROOM" I said.
At breakfast l discovered the hotel in
an uproar. There had been a staggering
- IL -, -. 49, ~.,x.a "a A. -K-l ExrnyN1
room containing jewels of value had
been entered by some one who clearly
had pass keys. since no locks were forced.
And the same discrimination shown in
entering my room and not Ethel's APP
peared throughout.
Ethel hadn't finished dressing, SO I
was alone when the sandy haired man
came into the dining room. AS he passed
my table / saw his eyes fasten them-
selves on my necklace, which I'd pur-
posely worn. He smiled as il to say
good morning" Instead he said Clever
girl. But don't faunt YOU victory. He's
very vain, and vain men are sometimes
~revengeful." He passed on with the air
OF a pleasant acquaintance exchanging
a word Of greeting.
: How do you account for your escape.
Miss Leona?" grinned the Captain taking
a seat opposite me.
IL WdS very Sllllplt. 4 ildQ u lttliilB
the Asp was acquainted with me and the
value of my necklace, and also knew the
value Of Ethel's beads, so L exchanged
: with her last night. He came in and
relieved me Of Ethel's beads as I intend
! ed him to do and left mine lying on her
dresser.
e IF you were uneasy, why didn't you
t send them to your bank?" he demanded
II thought it would be more fun to
outwit the Asp"
| How do o know it was the Asp, and
what gave rise to your suspicions?" he
asked, quickly.
1 couldn't decide What / ought to dc
. about the sandy haired man. Because
. he knew the pearls when he saw them
and had complimented me On not losing
mine, was certainly not reason enough
to accuse him. He might be a noted
: evangelist, for all l knew, with a church
that needed my newly acquired million
And SANDER is expensive. Otherwise, ]
e rather think I'd have told my suspicious
8 to Captain Victory. That's the trouble
r about money-if you haven't 1t you are
q worried about getting it; and If you have
v it you are more worried about keeping it.
So l obeyed the Bible, which COM
mands us to be wise as the serpent and
harmless as the dove"
= My feeling of danger was an impul-
obf0 Will AfObAllhB iilOlCs bQl 4
= know it was the Asp. I'll tell you if you
: promise not to give it to the papers,
That won't be necessary" he agreed
How he laughed at the penny neck
: lacel 9TH Asp, all right" he said. Their
chuckling: you really aren't generous
d Having cheated him of your pearls, not
to let him have his little joke must be
a cruel blow to his pride"
d Fol several days the hotel was overrun
uffh rnNnrtorc no1tnaDoa, -~l .1.t-
: clothes men. 1t was a highly intelligent
Job. The thief had known exactly which
rooms to enter and had wasted no time
q on persons like my friend Ethel. In @
Y way everybody was under suspicion
though, as Ethel said, the guests were
mostly filthy rich" and probably nobody
lost more than he or she could afford
= Still 1T isn't pleasant to feel that the
very person you are chatting with ma
be a burglar, laughing up his Tor her
n sleeve at you, waiting to make off with
D. your clothes next. But no arrests were
made.
h Captains identity had leaked out
% around the hotel, n naturally his pres
ence gave rise to much speculation as tx
Y whether he was merely mentioning; Of
was he on the trail Of the Asp? There
being nothing else to do, the guests
began to scatter-hopefully or disguised.
~ ~ w lB dlllCllb. we ~
the day after the captain departed and
= the sandy haired man disappeared.
".
S, I don't think I ever saw more palms
n and diamonds in one dining room in m,
= life than / saw on our first evening ii
% the Alexandria hotel in Long Beach. Tht
sr Carlton was like light opera to the Alex
J. andria's grand.
This is the place the Asp should hav,
struck" / remarked.
III tell you a secret, Leona," Ethe
said. her blue eyes popping. II know
1t you won't tell. Before Captain Victor,
De left the Carlton he told me in confidence
that your souvenir showed the Carlton
robbery was the work Of the Asp. II
I said the Asp hits each place at the sea
sons height. The Captain didn't say h
70 expected the Asp here, but he as good a
vs said so."
is S that's why we changed our tin
erary," I said. Captain Victory is here.
e. Don't be dumb. Leona. The time t
visit a place is when the season is at 1t
m height"
~ The following morning we went out t
enjoy the bathing we'd heard so nue.
about. I took mine fully and warml
rs dressed, my heels In the sand, a book o.
~ my. lap n Toodles by my side. Ethe
- and the Captain ran up and down tn
:, beach to keep warm. Directly somethin
- drew my eyes from an interesting pass
~ age. And there on my left in bathin
~ suit, his knees hunched up In his arm,