The Daily Alaska empire., 1929-12-07
Chapter IT AN EMPTY ENVELOPE

to be back at the lodge. Temporar- fly it was home, and she found comfort in the tenderness with which Julia made her comfortable in a wicker chair on the yeranda and bathed her sprained foot.
 Her thoughts crowded each other as the events of the past two weeks passed in quick review. She viewed with chagrin her visit to the Evans farm where she had gone, impul- sively, to return the letter from Jarlieson Sinclair, addressed to obadiah Evans It had brought only further misfortune and the puzzling discovery of the army hoi- ster which she had concluded must be Jim's.
 Suddenly she sat bolt upright.
 Julia! Where's my handbagP" Julia's jaw dropped open.
 Miss Peggy, dear, don skeer aie 10 deathl" she gasped. Oars vo bag, hangin' on yo' left arm" :" teggy glanced down; sure enough there hung her bag by it's strap 5yet her arm in which she had tiiitehed the folded sheet brought from Echo farmc the latter she had thrown down on the end table close beside her chair
 peggy's feeling of relief changed to one of alarm on seeing that the bag hung open. Dragging it for ward she went hurriedly through its contents, finally spilling every thing into her lap.
 s.It's gone, Julia; oh, it's gone! aLawsy. honey, do keep calm, advised Julia, her own eyes bulging with excitement How much yo' all done los'?"
 Not money, Julia-a letter"
 Peggy glanced up and down the veranda.
 GO through the living room and out on the steps; perhaps I dropped it getting out of the car. Hurry!" h her maids absence. she exam ined her bag more carefully-the catch was bent, evidently in her fall climbing over the stone wall. q done looked everywhere; but dc letter ain dere."
 Julia's troubled voice caused Peg gy to look up,
 ''What was it like, Miss Peggy; enfiything special?" aNo, don't mind. Thanks, Julia go and call Dr. Eastman, like 2 dear: ask for the Litchfield ey- change they'll give you his office Left to herself Peggy sank back in her chair. Had the letter te Obadiah Evans dropped out of hel bag in the meadow on her way tt Echo Farm, in the farmhouse itsel or in the Ford car? If at Echt Farm Obadiah would be sure tt find it, possible also in the meadow but suppose Aquila Chase had in advertently carried 1t off with him At that, finding it, the botanis might suppose the hired boy hal dropped it in his car; anyway h would be sure to give it to Obadiah Oh, if she hadn't been such fool trying to bring back the emp ty holster concealed in the fold of the torn half sheet she migh have noticed that her bag wa hanging open on her arm; in fac what had possessed her to forge the letter when the object of he visit to Echo Farm had been re turning Obadiah's property to him
 A maddening pain in her injure ankle as she moved thoughtlessl supplied reason enough for her for getfulness. Surely such a sprai was sufficient excuse!
 nHellol" The cheery salutatio came from the walk at the side ( the veranda and glancing that wa Peggy say Jim climbing up an over the railing.
 'What's happened?" de demand ed, glimpsing the steamer rug ove her, and the alarm in his voiS brought some color to her cheek Are you ill?' Hurt?"
 Just a sprained ankle"
 Her heart gave a most unat customed throb as she looked u into his steel-blue eyes and caugf within them the light that shin' on neither land nor sea. Quiyerin she looked away
 oh, it couldn't be-they had mi only a dozen times-it was ridict lous, absurd. Conquering her agits tion, she looked up shyly, h. cheeks burning.
 Where have you been this Tor while?"
 "On m1ady's service"
 Jim held her hand, refusing let go of it.
 Brady, the celebrated New Ha' en lawyer, will handle your ca when it comes up at the next ter of court He said YOU were m