Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-12-06

" before breakfast the next
1 ' i morning, and although Mar
garet did not see her greeting
| to. Stan, who was playing with the coll
| lie and Jim on the terrace, she knew
it must have been but brief one for
almost Immediately Shirley came swift
| ly into the library, where Margaret was
writing checks.
Margaret herself had given Stanley
but a fleeing half glimpse of her eyes,
when he came cut to join her and the
child that morning, and had immedi-
| her glance to be merely friendly and
| impersonal; she was woman enough to
| be disappointed at receiving exactly the
same sort OF look in return Now she
was in common civility bound to re-
! turn to the terrace with Shirley.
Il shall be sick If / have lost that bag"
reiterated Shirley, for the twentieth
time. 1t was the handsomest one I've
ever seen, you couldn't replace it any,
where! oh, can't have lost lit was
stolen, of course, that's what it was!
And my emerald ring. the emeralds and
| the dlamond-the emeralds we're worth
| a thousand apiece took it off because
my hand Is getting so thin! Oh, I'm
just sick over the whole thing-I laid
IL right mere. on the brick wall, re-
member distinctly"
| u.
garet said, feeling her very soul futter
at the memory of that hour, but with
| out glance at Stan, land this morn
ing We've had them all searching. all
down the terraces, and even in the
| lane"
"Ah, well, of course, they wouldn't
md 1t. Shirley said, with an ungra-
| clouS, Significant look. Somebody's got
1t. I've telephoned for a detective. She
added, in an undertone, with a glance
| toward the French windows that opened
into the dining room, where one of the
maids was busy, and he'll place it
| you'll see. Whoever's got it has simply
| got to produce it, because, even If they
melted the bag and picked out the
stones. it would be perfectly simple to
| identify them"
Shirley began again. restlessly search
| ing the terrace, ruStling the thick,
dusty ivy leaves, kneeling to run her
| hand under the gnarled ropes of the
| vine.
Had breakfast" Stanley asked. as
| the maid came to the door and bowed.
"Oh, breakfast" Shirley echoed, out
| ragged. Il tell you I valued that ring
more than anything else havel' she
reminded him, reproachfully. II saw
| 1t on the Place Vendome. just after we
were married-you remember it?" she
asked Margaret, pathetically. 1T was
| the most remarkable thing I ever saw.
big clover Of three emeralds, with a
fourth leaf of diamonds! 1t was
unique"
well, you're due for another big
ring" Stanley said, good humoredly.
Shirley did not hear him.
You put my coat away-where?"
| she asked, impatiently. What did you
have in your hands? Can't you re-
member"
For 20 minutes they hunted on, while
] Jimmie finished his breakfast.
DO go in and get your coffee, Miss
Yorke," the man presently said. "Or
tea, rather!" he added, smiling.
And do for PHYS sake go get your
own!" Shirley urged him. "A man is
absolutely reasonable-theres no use
trying to get a civil word out of him
| before breakfast"
Stan made the mistake of trying to
! conciliate her.
I'm sorry dear" he said in a peni-
| tent undertone. Don't be cross"
Excuse me, I'm not cross!" Shirley
| answered sharply.
mo, 1 know you're not, dear" Stan
murmured abjectly. Poor little girl,
she lost her gold bag, and she puckered
up her pretty little face and just pre-
tended to be cross!" he said.
"Oh, please don't talk baby-talkl"
Shirley cried desperately. II just can't
stand anything more this morning."
You'll find it," Margaret said sooth-
ingly an unwilling third in this little
| scene. you've just put it somewhere,
and any minute you may remember!
And do have some coffee"
Il know I've put 1t somewhere, but
was hunting the house over half the
| night" Shirley said, not sorry to be APP
J peaSed. "Oh, dear!" she lamented,
! standing headachy and despairing in
the heat and ready to burst into tears.
| "Oh, dear-why did this have to happen
| just now Stan?" she said, after mo-
ment's stern reflection, on her way to
| the breakfast room. Stan, you'll have
to round them all up-every one who
was in the house-there's no use having
| the detectives, otherwise! I know had
| it here-and anyway, you can tell them
I'm doing the same thing at my own
house. Some one has it." Shirley added,
at the breakfast table now, looking
| vaguely at her napkin.
All morning long the quiet life of the
| household was demoralized by the
search. Margaret took the precaution,
before the detectives arrived, OF gather
| in the IL servants Of the indoor and
outdoor staff together and warning
| them of what was impending.
Mrs. Theobald believes she lost 1t
here" she said, in smiling and sig
nificant undertone. IT don't. 1 think
| she will find it at home. But, mean
while give these men any help you
can and answer all their questions,
won't your"
The interested staff innocently con-
sented But Margaret trembled for
| her smoothly running domestic ma
chincry when she considered exactly
the nature of the approaching investi-
CATION. The morning was hot and the
| hours dragged. At IL o'clock, to Mrs.
| Cuttings secret indignation, the de-
| tectives did actually arrive and begin
| to be businesslike and briskly inter-
rogatory.
Once more the terraces and lawns
and steps were searched; Margaret now
| had a sort of mental picture of the
gold bag, and seemed to see 1t In a
hundred places huddled Imply against
the potted ferns, dangling on button
of Shirley's coat crushed and stepped
upon under the dry yellow grass of
the lane.
Shirley finally wept and went home
with a blazing headache. She left
Margaret pacifying Carrie and Daisy.
who had been given the third degree,
according to their own stories, and also
were weeping.
The episode of the lost treasures
Quoted down in day or two and, eX-
cept for Shirley's occasional bitter ref
erence To her loss, it apparently left
no ripple upon their lives And yet
to each one OF the three young people