The Waterbury Democrat., 1932-08-03
IOyE q MONEY. LaazH 2 5z a
BEGIN HERE TO-DAY

MONA MOHAN, reCDptf0uh1g m. Wall street law ofiice, goes with her childhood sweetheart, STEVE SACCARELLI, to . pop u1ar supper resort, the. HalcyOn Club. Mona supports her invalid father, mother, little sister, KIT- TY, and ne'er-do-weIl brother, BUD. Steve has been mysterious ly absent for three years. He has returned well dressed and prosperous. With no thought of impropricty, he has ordered . gown and wrap sent to Mona which, after much indecision, she wears.
 At the ofice that day Mona has met BARRY TOWNSEND, rich and socially prominent, but refused his invitation to dine with him.
 Bud Moran comes to the Hal- cyon Club to see BUD HARKINS the proprietor, who has under world connections. Mona sees her brother and fears he is associat- ing with gangsters. Steve quiets her fears.
 LOTTIE CARR, fashion mo- del, dismisscs her escort and joins Mona and Steve. Then Steve's business partner arrives. He proves to be Barry Townsend. Barry tells Mona how Steve years before had befriended him, how together they sailed for South America and have been operating diamond mine that Townsend inherited.
 After Mona and her friends leave the supper club Harlkfns tells his lieutenant that Steve has huge diamond, known as 'sThe Empress of Peru" which the gangsters plan to steal.
 Mona, LOttie, Steve and Barry go about together frequently. One evening when they are all at Steve's apartment Harhins tells Bud to go there and say MOna's mother is i'll. HarIins plans to get the diamond that night. NOW GO ON WITH THE STORY
 CHAPTER XIII
 It was, as Steve put it, "a man! sized supper" Steve had com pleted "a deal,' he explained rather vaguely, and was in the height o good spirits. Barry had just re turned from Twilands, the famil! estate, where he had attempted without much success to persuade his uncle to aid in financing thu dredging machinery for the mine.
 Maybe we won't need your un' cle's help" Steve announced. ITO morrow we may be all set. Who car tell?"
 This possibility did not seem t, please Barry. But what am do ing?" he complained. Not ~s thing!'
 Plainly he was disgusted unti Steve pointed out that after al Barry had provided the bushes, and that things were coming along as well as they could be expected.
 By the time tile two girls had ar. rived Barry's good nature was re- stored.
 The apartment, charming and at. traetive, met with even Lottie'! rather tart approval. Motion pic ture stuff" was Steve's dismissa of the surroundings. The living room might almost have beer planned for a skating rink. There waD a fireplace, huge comfortable chairs, low tables, ash trays. The floor was covered with expensive rugs and in every corner there were attractive lamps, gracefu bronzes, books, Lottie. picked up tht lovely mandarin's coat from thu grand piano, enfolding her sinuoui body in it's richly embroidered satiI and paraded the floor.
 : Mona noted with pride that il such surroundings Steve was per fectly at home. The young mer displayed various treasures whicf they had brought from South Amer ica while Morgan laid the table be- for1 the fire. On the velvet divan Mona smiled and meditated while Lottie conversed. Steve and Barry listened, now and then interpolat. ing bursts of amused laughter.
 Presently the table was whisket away and coffee served in front oi the dancing flames. Barry an6 Steve lighted Turkish cigaret, brought from the American Virgir Islands. They spoke again of the Empress of Peru = that mammoth diamond found by Steve in the mine.
 "It's one of the largest evel found in South America" Barr! explained. ''Its Steve's, of course though he always speaks of its a! ours He picked it up just as yor might pick up golf ball. It's wortf fortune. I'm still only g working man but your friend here has made his pile"
 Our pile" Steve said shortly. | was plain to be seen he was no' enjoying this turn of the converse. tion.
 "Yours,"> returned Barry evenly It developed that the stone hat been picked up on land deeded te Steve by Barry during their frs year at the mine in lieu of casf payment of salary. That made the Empress Steve's.
 ''It must be wonderful to dig dia. monds right out of the ground. Lottie said dreamily.
 .
 Steve rose, carelessly thrust aside a tapestry, twirled the knob of z safe and drew out thin string o, ff~x xs e.<N s1I &~,