The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1939-11-09
By ROB EDEN
Continued from Page 81

Surprised, he glanced at his
hand and turned the ring with his
fingers.
Yes" he admitted. finally. his
anger apparently leaving as quick
ly as il had nared. They're ex-
actly alike. except for the initial.
Mine has the letter p in the in
taglio-this other has a T
They look quite old-the set
tings. I mean, are old-fashioned.'
Yes, they were made to order
a good many years ago. Twenty
years or more. I've looked for this
other ring for years, but never
could find it,
I'm glad then, that I stumbled
onto it."
Seems a bit peculiar that you.
a stranger, should come here and
your first day find ring that's
been gone for years. he unused,
cycling her keenly.
1T was lucky, wasn't it, The
flower bed where l found 1t had
just been dug up. Perhaps the
ring had fallen and been trampled
into the dirt, and an extra deep
spading was needed to bring it to
light"
Perhaps. Now, IL you'll give
me the ring, you may go. That
will be all"
Jill hated to part with the ring,
one of the few personal memen-
toes she had of her uncle, but she
had no choice.
Either she must admit who she
was, destroy all chance to get the
box she had come to the house to
get, or hand the bit of jewelry
over. perhaps forever.
"Of course, sir" she said, and
laid the ring on the desk. viii
that be all, sir ?"
He waved his hand impatiently,
and she turned and walked swiftly
from the room.
In the hall outside the door, she
almost collided with Nina who
smiled in what Jill thought was a
sneering manner as the girl drew
herself against the wall to let the
daughter of the house pass.
She said nothing, and neither did
Jill, who went to her room on the
third floor.
She examined her things and
found them in disorder. Whoever
had gone through her belongings,
must have been sure of a certain
protection in the house for no eff
fort had been made to conceal the
fact that the room had been ran
sacked.
| Nina! 1t must have been Nina.
A feeling of despair swept over
Jill as she realized what had hap
pened. Everything probably was
lost, now.
She would be asked to pack her
things and get out and the chance
she had taken to get possession of
the box, would be gone.
She blamed herself for not hay-
ing made some excuse to get Mary
out of the dressing room when she
all but had her fingers on the box
that morning. No matter how
flimsy the excuse, she wouldn't
have cared if she had the box in
her possession.
And once she had it she'd leave
so quickly the Fenwicks wouldn't
know she was gone until later.
Shed not even bother to pack her
clothes.
But 1t was vain to hope. At any
minute, Fenwick would call her
back and tell her to leave the place
at once. Or perhaps he'd leave the
dismissal to Nina or Mrs. Fem
wick
In his office, Fenwick had i'm
patiently refused to talk with
Nina about her discovery of the
ring.
She stole it; why don't you fire
her ?" the girl demanded.
She says she found it. I have
to believe her. II fire her as a
thief. she may bring suit against
me for big damages. It's done.
you know, all the time. Wen find
something else for which to dis
miss her. Right now, l want her
TO stay"
"All right then" Nina said, i'll
numoredly. when she walks off
with the family jewels and silver.
you may see your mistake" She
flounced from the room.
When she had closed the door.
Fenwick seized the phone and cali
ed Joseph Rothbury, his secretary.
Joe" he ordered when the con-
neetion was made, Il want YOU to
do something for me Immediately.
want You to check a girl by the
name Of lillian Talbot who was
hired by Mrs. Fenwick as a maid.
She was sent here by the Apex
Agency. Check her references. her
background, get every scrap of in
formation You can about her"
AS he hung up the phone, he
drew a handkerchief from his
pocket and mopped his forehead.
and then ran it around his neck
under the edge of his collar.
Anyone entering the room Just
then, might have thought Peter
Fenwick-politician, city boss Of
Rawlton. was frightened.
Ito Be Continued)
TnNRHRYW