The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-04-27
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Joyce MILNER, heroine; sh'

CAST OF CHARACTERS
Joyce MILNER, heroine; she
took an Easter Cruise.
DICK HAMILTON, hero; he
h,mned into the heroine.
ISOBEL PORTER, traveller; she
sought a mate:
Yesterday: The ships farewell
nartv is broken up when a pas
,enser reports jewels stolen.
Joyce thinks at once OF Mrs
O'Hara. WV
CHAPTER Xix
II was a curious assembly OF
the Empress passengers in the
main lounge. They still wore their
ridiculous costumes, but with the
mirth gone from their faces, the
spectacle was depressing. In a
bewildering moment, the atmos-
phere of ight-hearted frivolity
had been dispersed like smoke be-
fore the wind; now the air was
heavy with concern. People
souirmed uneasily in their seats
and looked at each other with
yelled suspicion in their eyes.
Captain Boyer stood behind a
small flat-topped desk at the en-.
trance to the lounge and fumbled
nervously among some papers,
while the purser standing along
side of him checked on long list
the names of passengers as they
entered the room. Mrs. O'Hara
sat directly in front of the table,
white-faced and trembling with
grim indignation. BY her side sat
her husband, obviously worried
and i'll at ease.
Satisfied that every passenger
was present and accounted for,
Captain Boyer raped for atten-
ton. He did it unnecessarily, for
every eye in the room was upon
him.
Ladies' and gentlemen" he be-
gan. 81 deeply regret the neces-
sitv for demanding your presence
here, but a very serious loss has
been reported by one of our pas
sengers. Upon returning to her
stateroom few minutes ago, Mrs.
O'Hara discovered that all of her
Jewels. which she estimates at
some thirty thousand dollars, had
disappeared"
There were gasps of astonish-
ment, then a moment of incredu-
lous silence. Thirty thousand dol
lars! Captain Boyer paused, to let
the Importance of this fact SINK
in. :, -.
WHY the devil should she bring
such a load of iewelry along with
herr" Dick whispered irritably..
"By getting together imme-
diately," the captain went on, Il
hone that we may hear something
of interest while the events of the
evening are still fresh in our
minds" He spoke slowly, hesitat-
ing bit after every few words,
as if he were playing for. time;
Presently, as Joyce glanced
through the doorway, she under
stood why. Down the long corrl-
dor on "a" deck she could see
the stewards slipping quietly and
cautiously from one stateroom to
another. Now, while all the pas
sengers were gathered IN the
lounge, their rooms were being
searched! N.Y. 49,,
"Mrs. O'Hara, will you please
tell use exactly when you last saw
YOUR jewelry, and when you dis
covered the loss?" 49,
She stood up and spoke with
vigorous anger. Her face was
picture of outraged fury, framed
in anabsurd mass of bobbing
curls, and overshadowed by a
wilted gardenia.
"My Jewels were in a brown al
ligator bag" she reported, and
joyce remembered seeing her
carry it as she came up the gang
wav that first night. 81 locked it
securely when we left our state
room to come to the lounge. 1t
was exactly a quarter past nine
at that time. Half an hour ago,
at ten minutes to ten, when | re-
turned to the room for something,
thes bag was gone"
The captain coughed discreet
w. 81 am curious to know, Mrs.
O'Hara, why you left so valuable
q collection unguarded in your
cabin. You know that we ask the
passengers to deposit such things
with the purser, to be locked in
the safe"
81 planned originally to wear
nv Jewels this evening"" Mrs.
O'Hara replied pompously. "When
I changed my mind and went
back to the purser's office, I
found it closed for the night"
"When you went back to the
room this last time, did you see
anybody in the corridor? Anyone
who might have been in your
room?"
An instant later he was to re-
greet the question.
The woman took long, deep
breath; she pursed her lips in the
grim manner of one who finds an
inner glory in revealing some ter
rible fact. "Not them" she said.
"But only few minutes before,
, | saw young woman hurrying
to the ladies' lounge, very sus-
! piciously, and she was hiding
/ cop,atb hive -, +lo fo1l. &c ha,. cOa-