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Show The Mystery of the Pearls Ajl .-tTT'RE uz are, slrl" said "Old JH Sam" (bo they had called -"" him at the ferry, where I had boarded his punt), as he bumped against the houseboat In the darkness and grossly overcharged me. Bob Kent had Invited me down for a week-end to his houseboat. The motive of his invitation and my acceptance ac-ceptance of it was a pearl-rope which he had to sell on commission, and I thought of buying., "Bob!" I called out. 0 iS'o one answered. I pushed open a dcor. Silence and darkness rewarded me. I made a tour of inspection. There wasn't a soul on board. "A nice way to receive a prospective buyer. I reflected, and proceeded to drap a chair on to the deck and light a ciar. Everything was silent. Then I head two voices. "Of course I shall have to tall the governor." prowled a masculine one. "Father won't pay you know he won't, Jim dean," replied a feminine one. "He said he wouldn't after af.er last time." "Then they'll sling me out," prowled the youth, and 1 snw his clparette describe an arc ami fall hissing Into the water. "I owe Markham a thousand dollars, and he'll go to the .colonel. I've twenty-four twenty-four hours' grace. I don't care. They can sllnic me out if they want to." "J only I could help!" I heard her explain. "But it's near the end of the quarter I'm in debt too. But I'd do anything to prevent your telling- father. It would be useless, and he'd be furious. Yet Markham must be paid somehow." 1 HEAR A FOOTSTEP. Her voice died away, and silence fell once more. I suppose I ought to l-.ave made my presence known. But the misery in her tones, the pathos in her quivering voice, had kept me dumb. After all, I didn't know them; their secret wouldn't be betrayed. A canoe shot out noiselessly Into the stream, and ran alongside. A hand grasped the whitewashed rope. A girl a blackish cloak about her shoulders slipped on board. In two seconds she had disappeared. I stood there, nonplussed. There was silence. I tiptoed to a door opposito and opened it wider. Darkness lay beyond, and I heard stealthy footsteps. foot-steps. For a fraction of a second a light glowed. I saw down a corridor into a bed-room. The door was open. Bending over a table, I caught a glimpse of a girl. I recognized her Miss Warnington she who had passed in tho punt. 1 took a step forward, saying sharply : Who's there?" She did not- answer. I stood stlu and struck a match. As the light jlickered and burned up, her band went to her throat. Copyright, b a The movement betrayed her, and left me tingling. Round her white throat was a row of pearls. SHE ELITES ME. "Put It back,".! said simply. Her ej'es were full of terror, but suddenly they grow hard and courageous. cour-ageous. With a movement swift and energetic, she slammed the door and I heard the key grate. I caught at the handle, vainly twisting twist-ing it, then flung myself bodily against the door. .1 got out through a port hole and ran, amazed at her coolness, furious at my imbecility, to the place where she had landed. The canoe had vanished. She had a minute or so start, but I figured I could catch her if I followed in the skiff. I raced to 'the other end of the boat. The moon was comiag up, and a sickly light flickered on the water. Bv It I eaw her and the canoe sway-in"- bv the skiffs side. I caught hold of" the painter, but even as I drew It in she cut it, and it hung loose in mv hand. I flung off my coat and I dived In. She was paddling swiftly down stream but she turned her head as I spl?shed in. and a little cry burst from her lips. Im a fairly strong swimmer and It wasn't long before 1 drew level. She raised the paddle In the air. and I laughed, coming up to the bows of the skiff, and climbing in out of her reach. "Turn back!" I commanded. Before I could divine her Intention Inten-tion I heard a snap, the pearl-rope fl'ckered as it hung pendant from her shaking fingers, and she dropped It overboard. I marked the spot It was under a fork in a certain tree branch and caught up the paddle which lay in the skiff. Then, stern foremost, we went slowly back. "Go on board, please." I said. "Let me go. please please!" she Implored me suddenly. "Take anything any-thing you like, but do do let me go! You've terrified me." "You lied to me," I said sternly. "They weren't yours: they belonged to the owner of this houseboat" "They didn't indei-d they didn't!" nhe cried, shaking her head and holding hold-ing out her hands Imploringly. "D'you think anything of mine or father's is valuable enough to make me face a a you to save it? If they had been mine, you should have had them Indeed. Indeed you should! But I ought not to have left them here. They aren't mine. I was so careless. I had to come back." "To make you face a 'YOU'!" I repeated re-peated slowly. "What do you mean? I don't understand." "You you aren't a friend of ours," she said. "Aren't you a I thought you were I saw a light. I knew the houseboat should be empty; we were all at the concert at the Rushes. I remembered the pearls. Mr. Kent y the Star Comyany. Great Britain 1 said I might wear them just one day; he's an old friend of fathers. I thought you were" "A burglar," I said for hef this time, as again she hesitated. "I'm not, Miss Warnington. My name's Paxton. I've come down for a weekend week-end to see Bob" "Then why are you here?" she asked, looking at me In bewilderment. bewilder-ment. "I I overheard a private conversation conversa-tion between you and your brother," I said awkwardly. "It was about a money tron!e. You seemed upset a little I'm sorry a little desperate. I saw you slip on board. I saw the pearls. I guessed they were Bob's" She came straight up to me, and her eyes flashed. "So you thought ma a thief?" she said bluntly. I nodded miserably. Then at last she spoke. "You may borrow the skiff." sh said, and swept past me. I sculled oft and found Bob smoking a cigar and listening to a gramophone on a boat a mile clown stream. "Lor', old chap. No coat!" he exclaimed. ex-claimed. I explained and partly prevaricated. Then I borrowed a suit and begaa about the pearls. "I'll buy 'em," I said, swallowing his stiff price. "Good!" he commented. "Miss Warnington War-nington hac 'em just now. A dear girl. You ousht to know her." "I do," I said shortly. "Besides I've got tho pearls. She handed 'em over"- A boat came alongside and a young man called : "Hello! That you. Jlmmv?" shouted Bob. "Yes. A guest of yours left his coat nt our place," ho answered. "I've brought it along." A I THE UE.Sl i.T IS "Bob," I whispered, "I want to speak to young Warnington alone five minutes. Jj'you mind?". Bob disappeared. I began my Interview Inter-view with the boy by plunging my hand In my recovered cuatpockft and pulling out my cheque -uouk. Then I bargained with him. He was to take me back with him. Introduce me to his sister, and accept a loan (we both of us gravely called It thatj for one thousand and "And how m u r h ?" I queried. "Twenty-two dollars." he answered, and politely fetched me blotting ua-1 ua-1 per and pen-Eve pen-Eve find I hang It, I needn't explain ex-plain who she is! uatrlied a divr . at work recover the p curls the next day. i "That was six months ago; she wears the pearls every day now, for : she ia my wife." lights Reserved. |
