The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-10-15

: softly. Eddie, Eddie, it's me. Mary!
oh, Eddie-boy dear, where are
you?"
The silence seemed unnatural.
She broke into helpless sobs.
Suddenly it came to her that
what she had been thinking was
simply fantastic. Eddie had had
nothing to do with this. More than
likely the poor boy had not even
come yet.
Something had happened to de-
lay him. She looked at her wrist
watch. Twenty minutes had elapsed
since his telephone call. She ran
downstairs in feverish haste.
At the foot Of the stairs she col
lided with Spence, who was just
coming up. She grabbed him by
the shoulders and held on while
she tried to get control of her voice.
"Oh, Spence! Spence! Go up to
Mrs. Jupiter's room, quickly. Some
things happened She's hurt. I
think she's-deadl"
The old servitor held her off
sternly, inspecting her reproach-
fully.
You're excited and overweight,
Miss Mary. And no wonder, with
all that's goin' on hereaboutS to-
night.
"A man can't hear his own
thoughts" he added tartly, as an
extemporaneous tap-dancing con-
test broke out behind them in the
ballroom, "let alone knowing what
he'll find when he turns a corner
unexpected"
His thin nostrils quivered with
disdain as his upturned gaze picked
out the white blur of a girls frock
encircled by the black clad arms of
her escort, half hidden in turn of
the stair
Il tell you it's true" Mary in
sisted. Il heard them and I've seen
her. Her rings are gone and the
tiara, and her forehead-oh you'll
see, if you'll just go on up!"
We'll, we'll, we'll see," he replied,
testify, starting forward with obvious
reluctance. Indeed, I was just 60
ing up anyhow to answer Mrs. Ju-
pliers bell"
"Bell?"
Mrs. Jupiter rang for me, Miss
Mary, not two minutes ago. And
would she be doing that if she were
killed."
With a reproachful lift of the
eyebrows, he assembled. Mary,
watching the matter of fact back
moving upward so serenely, almost
decided she must be mistaken. Muir
ders and such don't happen where I
am, that respectable back seemed
to say.
XXTHAT she wanted now was to
w find Bessie, but Bessie proved
hard to find. Tracked to earth in
the buffers pantry, munching mar
rons glace and stuffed olives with
blithe impartiality, Bessie slipped
quickly down off the high stool she
was perched on and confronted
Mary sullenly.
Mary's white face and burning
eyes, and the quiet, precise man
ner of her question, puzzled her
Seeming reproof, she took quick
affront, after the manner of her
kind.
And how would I know who
came in?" she retorted pertly. Il
suppose I've had nothing to do but
listen for the doorbell, with all this
racket going on?"
Bessie obviously was cut out for
the life of the party, and her sulk-
ing was not unnatural. Relief surged
up in Mary's heart.
Then you didn't let anybody IMP"
They let themselves in, if they
came" the maid snapped. I'D no
time to be bouncing in and out of
there.
Il just went and unlocked the side
door when you told me, miss, and
left it open. If they came, they got
in oil right"
Mary drew long breath.
THANK you, Bessie"
1t was not Bessie's fault it was
her own, if it was anybody's. The
side door was standing open as she
passed. Nearly half an hour. Any
body might have come in, and gone
out. Could it be possible?
A half-crazed boy, and the sight
of all those jewels. If he were des-
perately in need of money. But
he would have waited. She never
had failed to get him out of any
of his scrapeS before.
Mary closed the door and locked
it again.
1t seemed hours before Spence
came down, and when he did he
seemed to have forgotten that she
lived. He seemed surprised that