Evening star., 1940-04-04
CHAPTER XIV.

WHICH Her 1aCner ndQ Deen accused
she would have to swallow some
Of her scruples.
She hoped she was convincingly
casual as she said, by the way,
Miss Stiles, what is your adress?
couldn't find it in the telephone
book and wanted to send every
one in the Office New Years card"
Helen Stiles dark eyes flashed. !
Was it with alarm? 1t was nat
ural that she should resent this
question on the part of a girl she
had deliberatly avoided.
Gail told herself she might have
imagined it but she thought the |
other hesitated before repeating a
number and street in Highland Park |
not far from where Gail and her
mother resided |
Simple Matter.
1t was a simple mater to check i
on it. That very night Gail left |
the bus at an earlier corner and |
walked past the number Helen had |
given her.
She expected it to be an apartment |
house but she found the entire
block to be a business one and the |
number which she had copied care
fully in her address book was that
Of bakery.
1t was still open so Gail went
In to ask if there were any rooms
for rent above or back of it. The
woman stared at her in surprise.
mo Miss. We live above the
shop ourselves"
Perhaps you know Miss Stiles?"
Gail persisted. Helen Stiles?"
The other shook her head.
'Never heard of her and we've
lived right here for nine years."
Gail thanked her and returned
to the street where the snow had
been shoveled into dirty piles.
1t was melting now and the riv-
ulets freezing over at night made
walking treacherous and uncom-
Portable.
Head Aches.
Her head ached as she told her
self that Helen STILES had deliber-
ately lied to her. For some rea-
son known only to herself the
bookeeper did not want her ad-
dress known by any one at the store.
Now that she had discovered this
1t seemed strange to Gail that she
had not followed the clue before.
No wonder Anna had become
impatient. Her daughter had been
working at Reid's for months yet
this was the first real proof she
had that everything in the store
was not what it seemed to be.
Il told you you'd find something
II you kept at it," Anna insisted.
There is probably plenty back of
this, Gail, and you must not stop
until you find out what it is"
Yes, Gail sighed, her task had
only begun. But she did not like
herself in the role of detective.
But Anna was right of course.
There was certainly some reason
for Helen Stiles, strange behavior.
The next night Gail waited
across the street until Helen came
out. She gave quick glance back
at the building she had left then
hurried on toward the street car
line.
Gail followed but found that the
bookeeeper made no attempt to
board any of the crowed cars
which passed. Instead she climbed
into green sedan which moved
slowly along the curb.
Gail hailed passing taxi say
Ing excitedly, Follow that green
car ahead. And don't lose sight of
It,"
Too Dark.
It was too dark to see who was
driving but when it stopped in
front of an apartment house Gail
ordered the taxi to stop across the
street.
It had been too dark to see who
was at the wheel of the sedan but
as the two figures came arm in
arm toward the lighted entrance
she saw that the man with Helen
Stiles was Tobias Wentworth.
She was looking into his face
and laughing with the gayety of
q woman in love.
Gail waited until they had gone
inside then feeling like spy
crossed the street and flashed a
quick glance down the list of oc-
cupants.
There was his name-Wentworth.
The janitor was right then. Yet
even so what connection did this
fact have with the stolen emerald? |
The following day Gail lunched
with Hazel determined to leave
no stone unturned. Hazel was full
of her own affairs as usual. She
had been to night club the pre-
vious evening with man who called
her his golden haired girl"
"It proves what I have always
said" Hazel conf1ded. Men are
simply more vulnerable about
blondes. I don't suppose you'd be-
lieve it but there was time when
I hardly ever had date"
Gail murmured, II can't imagine
It,"
Is Older.
"I don't suppose you can but the
truth of the matter is I'm older
than I look. 1 never did look my
age, but I'm telling you, Gail, I've
only been popular since dyed my
hair" Hazel laughed self-con-
sciously. II guess this will be a |!
surprise to you, too, but all my
life I've watched the blondes get
sthe breaks and two years ago
sdecided to take chance"
h. "You mean you've only had