The Washington times., 1931-01-16

OuI pOGSLlCyB O1Lu 41dCy I1du8 d1"
fected her life not at all. Some
time, possibly, Duke Carson
might accomplish wherein Jim
Tracy had failed; but even this,
now, was not a thought - 1t was
a thin fragment, half a dream
like the wisp of a cloud float
ing across the moon. Gradually,
she had sunk into sleep.
In the morning before, natur-
ally, she came awake, Connie,
cut of her dreamlessness,
Sensed another person in her
room. A sound, perhaps, reused
her-yet so drowsy she was that
her eyes did not open.
Connie! Wake up!"
Her eyes opened, and stand
ing beside the bed wss her
mother, a startled look in her
eyes.
Connie sat up sharply, her
senses in confusion.
What is it, mother?"
my pearls! They're gone!
They've been taken out CT the
left-hand drawer of my dress
ing table, where I kept them
locked. The key was in the
center tray as usual, and the
drawer was locked, but the
pearls aren't there. Someone
must have slipped into my room
in the night
All sleep drained out Of Comics
brain and she was instantly alert.
A Heavy Sleeper
Her mother, she observed,
was fully dressed.
But, mother, that's impos-
sible! Wouldn't you have
heard anyone coming into your
room?"
mot if they were quiet. The
door was unlocked and, besides,
I was out on my sleeping
porch. I slept heavily last
night and with the wind blow
ing in the trees, I could easily
have missed any stealthy sound
in the bedroom. I don't know
what made me look for the
pearls this morning, unless it
was because I thought I
noticed the disarrangement of
some things on the table-ny
hair brush or something seemed
a little out of place. Some
little thing aroused my suspic-
ion--it might have been any,
thing. I unlocked the drawer
and they weren't there"
Connie thrust her feet into
mules and slipped into a dress
ing gown. Perhaps you mis-
laid them yourself. You are
awfully careless sometimes,
and"
Not about my pearls,
Connie. I've always kept them
in the same, place for ten
years. No, I've been robbed.
I've looked everywhere to make
sure, and there's no doubt"
THANK heaven, you had
them insured against robbery"
For ten Thousand dollars
only a fraction of their value
Duke GarsOn's Warning
Through Comics mind
flashed, disturbingly, the warn
ing given by Duke Carson. Hig-
gins, the butler, had coveted
the string Of pearls - Carson
had vouched that he wouldn't
steal them-but had urged that
they be put in a safe. To her
mind, too, came Jim Tracy's
story of the holdup. Unless
Carson had been mistaken -
If Jim had really told the truth
there had been dangerous
characters in the neighborhood
last night. The whole affair
stunned her. Robbers, so dar-
ing, might not have hesitated at
murder, had her mother been
awakened. This danger was
past, but her sense of safety was
vividly insecure; a chilling men
ace hung in the air. Too, the
money value of the pearls was a
heavy loss, but that could be
borne easier than this sudden
invasion of the house by cruel,
stealthy thievery.
II don't like to suspect any
one, Connie, but this man, Gar
Son-what do we really know
about him?" her mother asked.
Didn't you intimate to me the
first time you mentioned him,
that he had some connection
with desperate people?"
Don't worry about Duke Gar
son." Connie said, quickly. 1--WE
might as well suspect kitty
they both came from the same
neighborhood. It might have
been someone from the outside"
But even as she said this, she
was thinking Of Higgins and his
confessed desire to Carson to
steal the necklace. Now, it ap-
peared he had accomplished his
hope Perhaps the maid had
helped him. Her mother was
not aware of Higgins scheme or
Garson's warning. For the pres
ent Connie decided not to tell
her.
N.nGs~nL rn.n