The Daily Alaska empire., 1930-04-08

them into what she called her V. when she heard the door open.
 She stood literally petrified witf fear. Her heart seemed to dror out of her body The policel She dared not turn around.
 "If you please, ma am"
 She whirled round. It was a small boy in buttons-the page-boy with the red hair.
 The sense of relief made her feel faint. But the relief did not last for long.
 If you please, ma am, there's a gentleman down below what's ask ng to see you. He says can he come up here because he wants to zee you private?"
 Her first wild thought was that t was Teddy Montrose. But she lad only left Teddy about half an lour ago. Perhaps he had come pack.
 "Is he very tall man with broad shoulders, fair hair cut very short, and blue eyes? A handsome nan?"
 The red-haired boy grinned. No, na'am. He's dark and not so ter rible big. He's got black eyes, ort of piercing"
 Jacqueline's heart sank. Bring 'lim up here,' she said wearily and esigned herself to the ordeal of acing a Scotland Yard detective or she was convinced it was no one lse.
 She did some quick thinking. In Ter view there was only one chance If escape. To hide the diamonds md deny everything.
 Forcing herself to be cool, Jac- lueline looked around for a hiding )lace. She knew all about these detectives from much promiscuous eading, and a more or less regular attendance at the cinemas. And he knew that there was very little that escaped the hawk-eye As Or secreted jewels, it was uncanny the way these detectives walked straight to them as if by scent.
 She had only a few seconds to make up her mind A couple of minutes at the most before the red-headed boy would return with the hawk-eyed one.
 She stood perfectly still in the middle of her pleasant sitting room looking slowly around. Who would have thought, few days ago that she would be in this de- lightful room, trying to hide the fruits of her innocent crime from the eager eyes of Scotland Yard? What a life! No ordinary place would do.
 She thought of one hiding place after another. The clock, the vases on the mantelpiece, the coal scut- tie; under the carpet; under the mattress in her bedroom. 1 None of them would do They were ordinary. A film detective would see through them in the twinkle of an eye; and surely a real detective would be much more clever.
 She heard the chatter of the iron gate of the lift outside. Panic came-and then, inspiration and calmness.
 She went to a rather anaemic- looking palm which stood in pot on a pedestal. She had noticed before that it was in need of water, and had promised herself to give it some. She took the plant firmly by the stem and jerked it out.
 It was thoroughly root-bound and it came away from the pot per fectly clean, with all the earth neatly attached, as neglected plants frequently will
 1 She dropped the string of dia- monds in the bottom of the pot, re- placed the plant and pressed the earth firmly down. She had just time to wipe hei hands on her pocket handkerchiei when the expected knock at the door came.
 She opened it.
 On the threshold stood MT. Ar thur Carew of Chicago, with tht red-headed page-boy lowering re spectfully in the background. H' had the expression of a page-bo. who has been tipped.
 Copyright, 1880, Richard Starr)
 Mir. Carew's strange behav- for arouses Jacqueline's suspic- | s..e fnII