The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1941-11-27

her.
"Just a minute" Peggy called.
She must put Harry's ring away
in some safe place. She couldn't
carry it around in her bag for a
week. She would be sure to pull
it out with a handkerchief or a
powder puff. She looked about
for place to hide it, but her
room seemed very open. The
drawers of her bureau would be
opened by Mary Lou when she
out away the laundry. The cubby
holes of her desk had letters and
note paper stuffed into them. 1t
wasn't that she doubted the hon
esty of any of the servants. She
knew that they would never take
anything, no matter what she left
lying about, but she did not want
anyone to see this ring. She re-
membered a pair of satin evening
slippers she had had at school.
There seemed to be no chance of
wearing those now. She would
stuff the ring into the toe Of one
of them and it would be safely
out of sight.
Getting her bag from a drawer
she reached in for the ring. I'M
patient at her inability to find it,
she emptied the contents of the
bag onto the bed But no glitter
ing diamond and sapphire ring
rolled out with the coin purse,
compact and handkerchief. Hasti-
ly she picked up the handker-
chief and felt it, then shook it, at
first gently, then roughly, but
nothing fell from it as she waved
to by two corners. browning, she
opened the coin purse and emp
tied that. It contained only a lit
/ tie silver and few pennies. No
thing that could conceal ring.
Frightened now, she picked up the
bag again, this time turning it in
side out. Perhaps there was a hole
in the lining. But there was not.
The ring was just not there. On
hands and knees she craWled
about the dusky space. She backed
out from there and moved the bu-
reau. But it was useless. She
looked in her gloves. She emp
tied the two top drawers. The ring
was gone.
In real alarm Peggy hurried
into Nancy's room. She found her
guest propped up among her pill
lows reading a motion picture ma
gazine she had brought with her.
"I thought you were never com
ing" Nancy said looking up from
her magazine.
"Do you remember what I did
with my ring this afternoon when
I took it off at the station?" Peg
gy demanded.
"Put it in your bag. Why?"
"Are you sure? Sure I put it in?
I didn't drop it, did 1?''
mo, of course you didn't. l re-
member seeing you drop it in and
then close the bag. Why? Can't
you find it,"
NO." Peggy cried in dismay.
ut isn't in there, and I've looked
everywhere"
"You probably haven't half
looked" said Nancy. Throwing
back the sheet, she jumped out
of bed and stopping only long
enough to slip her bare feet into
high-heeled mules she hurried
into the next room. But after a
few minutes search she had to
admit the ring seemed to be no
where in sight.
"Tll call Maxine" Peggy said
slipping across the hall to her sis
ter's room.
Maxine, too, was sure that she
had seen her sister drop the ring
into her bag. Carefully she went
through the things on the bed.
'Now. there's no use in getting
excited" she said looking about
I her. "Get out the dress you had
on today"
Just then the telephone in the
lower hall rang. All three of the
girls stopped and stared at each
other in establishment They had
not realized how quiet everything
about the house had been, until
they heard that shrill sound. Tele-
| phones did not ring often late at
night at Rosewood. It rang again.
"I1l CO." Peggy ran out of the
room and swiftly down the stairs.
The other two followed her into
the upstairs hall.
Hello" she called. eyes. Who?
Miss Trueheart? Yes-just min
ute. I'll call her"
Maxine was already coming
down the steps. Peggy handed her
the receiver and started up the
stairs.
"Hello," Maxine answered.
'Well, for heavens sake. Where
did you come from? What a de-
L