Evening star., 1940-03-31
Chapter XI.

Chapter XII.
Gail wondered if Christopher's
decision to cancel his hunting trip
would be changed by her refusal to
marry him. She would not have
been surprised or have blamed him
much If he had taken this op-
portunity to 60 away.
If his reformation had been
merely to please her he would
surely have gone but although she
had told herself it really made no
difference she felt a wave of pride
and joy sweep over her when she
discovered that he was in the store.
He came into the office and spoke
to her with the same pleasant
courtesy he used to the other en-
ployes but Calls nerves tingled
with approval and gratitude.
AS the week passed and he made
no attempt to see her. she found
her spirits slowly sinking again.
She appreciated his consideration
but with the fading of the roses he
had sent she began to realize how
much of her recent feeling of we'll
being had been because of Chris.
Routine Work.
Her work had become routine.
Her relationship to the other girls
in the Office remained the same.
Helen Stiles was as aloof as ever
and Hazel as much of bore.
The hero in her stories varied
from time to time but the theme
was always the same The talka-
tive little janitor whom Gail had
cultivated at odd moments was
found not to be entirely reliable in
all his statements.
= His Imagination was too vivid to
be depended upon and she began
to doubt whether she would ever
learn anything from him which
would have any real bearing on the
case.
Nevertheless, goaded on by Anna,
she tried. Staying after hours one
night, ostensibly to finish some
letters, she casually mentioned the
jewel theft of five years ago.
do you ever have any robberies?"
Gail asked 1T seems to me there
was something about one in the
paper a long time ago"
Stops Work.
Buzz" paused in his work OF
collecting waste paper baskets
pleased at the invitation to display
his knowledge.
"Oh. sure, Miss Meadows, we have
attempts to break in every once in
a while. But the time you're think
ing about was an inside job. Yes.
Ma'am, that was about five years
ago" -
Calls heart was thudding in her
breast. Even after all this time she
could not bear to hear her fathers
name mentioned in connection with
the theft.
She was grateful that it was only
the janitor she was trying to in
terrogate. Any one more alert must
have noticed the pallor in her face
as she said indifferently. I've for
gotten the details. It was so long
ago."
Tells Story.
1T was like this" Buzz ratified
on. you see there had been small
things taken for several months.
Never anything very expensive and
only one at time.
There is an hour early in the
evening when I go off duty before
the night watchman comes on when
any one with key could easily let
himself in. OF course, I have my
orders never to leave while any one
is in the store. Now take yourself,
for instance.
"We both know there's nothing
wrong with your staying here to
finish those letters, but I'm duty
bound to stay with you until you
leave"
Gail said, "Of course! I under
stand"
We'll, the day came when an
emerald ring was missing. And
this time it was one OF the finest
jewels in this place It was kept
in the safe and no one had the
key but Mr.. Reid himself and the
manager.
"a man called Trenton. It seems
that he must have been coming
back here at the time he knew no
one would see him, taking few
little things that wouldn't be so
hard to dispose of first.
Nothing Done.
Then when nothing much was
done about it getting bold enough
to take the emerald. At least that's
what was proved in court. He was
tried and sent to prison.
you see the emerald was found
In his overcoat pocket together with
some blond hairs caught in one OF
the buttons so they thought there
must be some woman mixed up
in it.
And for year Mr.. Reid went
around here with face a mile long
Through lips Gail prayed he could
not see were trembling she asked
"Why?"
"Oh, he had trusted Robert Tren-
ton like he would his own son. Mr..
Reid's a queer man and doesn't like
many people. He said Trenton had
betrayed him." The janitor looked
about the Office as if he were afraid
of being overheard and whispered
'But conf1dentially don't think he
done it,"
She asked sharply, What do you
mean?"
"It isn't my place to say any
thing" the little man admitted