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Show THE MARRIED L1FE-0F HELEII AND VttBREIl A Sensational Disclosure Follows Helen's Darin? Efforts as a Sleuth "If you don't Ilk her. why do you chase around with her?" "1 Just hsppened to meet her on the eubwsy today. But shs' alwaya at th Stsvenses that's the only way I know her." "Takea Mrs. Stevens to pick th queer ones," grumped Warren. He was still emphasising ths ssrl-oueness ssrl-oueness of accusing any one of theft when the cab drew up before the apartment hotel. "Ill wslt doa-n here. I don't want to be rung in on any scens." "Dear, there won't be a scene. Til Just taks It for granted that shs got ths purse for me. She'll be so frlght- " 'A bead bag with a small change purs and three keys?" Ths msn at the Lost and Found desk eyed Helen keenly. "What elae was In It?" "A diamond ring with a loo ton," tremulously. "I was taking it to be reset." "Was ths ring In an envelop pinned to th lining of th bag?" "Oh. yes, yes! Tou hav It?" with leaping Joy. "We did have It. but It' juat been celled for. Didn't you send for It?" "Why, what do you meanr 'tensely. "Tou'v not given It to omeone else?" "Lady wss here an hour ego ds-sorlbed ds-sorlbed the bag and everything In It." "What's thst?" Warren, brushing "Put that beck!" whispered Warren War-ren fiercely. "Quick!" pushing him through a curtained door. "I want to be alone with her." Hardly had tha curtain dropped ovef Warren a reluctant axlt when Mrs. Willis entered. -I'm awfully sorry. Mrs. Willis." be-gsn be-gsn Helen unsteadily. "I know you have my bag. I tried to give you an excuss but you wouldn't taks It. Now I avs proof that you've pawned my ring." "What do you mean? Have you some here to Inault me? Tou'd better be careful how you accuse ms " "Don't thst won't hslp you. Her (the ticket. I Just took It from your own pure. It' dated today 1160 for ened. she'll give It right up." "I'm not so sure," following her Into the shabby ornate corridor. Hurry past, tha office. Helen led the way back to the elevator. "Mrs. Willis," shs requested, as tl they hsd been announced. "Second door." directed the boy as he let them off at the fifth floor. "Now, look here. Kitten, chuck thia! I don't like It, I tell you. If you think ehe'e .got th puree go. at It right, 8end a detective around." I "If I ever get my ring -TIT hv to get it now!" Approaching th door,' shs heard Mrs. Willis' shrill voice from within. Evidently sh wa talking over th telephone. "Yee. I told you r have It today Tee. all of It a hundred and fifty, cash Eight o'clock? Very well, I'll be here. 'Phone up and I'll bring It downstairs. I don't want Mr. Willis to see you." "Did you hear that?" whispered Helen, Hel-en, excitedly. "Shea already pawned my ring! That's how she got the hundred snd fifty dollars!" a diamond ring!" Mrs. Willis, now chalk-whits, held to a chair for support. "You still have the money I beard you 'phoning as wa came In. You were going to pay It to come one tonight. to-night. Give it to me now end I'll redeem re-deem the ring. No one will ever know strait wave eay an-j UilMtr about it." ' without a word. Mrs. Willis turned to her bsg, which still lay on. ths deek. With hsnds that trembled violently, she took out a roll of bills. Thsn rrom a drawer In tha desk, she produced the bead bag. "Im I'm sorry. I wish I could say something." murmured Helen, averting avert-ing her eyes from the poignant hu-1 mllltatlon. "I know you wouldn't havs done It It's those awful bridge debts. Why do you play? Why don't you give It up when " "Oh, don't." huskily. "Just go nleaeef I rmn't atenit It" Hslen aside, now teppd to th window. win-dow. "Sh told everything In It. ir. even to the ring pinned In the lining. Here' her name." opening a register. ' Mrs W. R. Morgsn. 1 Wsst street." "I never even heard of her." amased Helen. "She couldnt hav known what wa In my beg!" , . "She certainly did. ma'am, v We're very careful about what we give out." .. "Well, we'll Investigate this." sn. nounced Warren. Trimly. "Ws'll tak a taxi right to this address," noting It on ths back of an envelope When they came out on the street Helen, clinging to Warren s arm. was still excitedly protesting that no one could have known what was In ths bag. 'Thought you aald Mrs. Willis was with you when you lost It." Warrsa guided her over a crowded crossing. "Mr. Willis!" dssedly. "Why, desr, you don't think " "No. sh wouldn't hv th nerv to claim It She'd know you'd find out." "Sh mtght'v thought I wouldn't ask her becaua shs ssld I hsd It Crushing the money Into the heed hag. Helen turned blindly to the door. Out In the hell cams ths psnlcky thought of Warren. Was hs stilt In thst othsr room? Would Mrs. Willi, have to confront him. too?" The next moment the door opened, and Warren strode out. I "Here, don't talk In thia hall. Let' get out." he murmured, turning down th encircling steps without waiting for the elevator. I Down th five flights snd out to the I street before either of them spoke "Jove. I hsd to come through that jroom! That wss blamed awkward" "Did shs spesk to you?" breathed Helen. : "No, she Just stood there looked , like a ghr.at. I mumbled something ; and bsat It." j "Oh. I'm I'm all upset." her hsnd 1st her throbbing throat. '"I felt ao ' sorry tor her. Oh. why did ahe do It " j "Pretty . risky business! Mlght'vs ! been Jugged end all for this damned i bridge erase." his cans thumped the . sidewalk. "But how tha Ham Hill d you know ths ticket wss In that ; nurse?" "Huh. your Imagination works overtime. over-time. Now, be careful what you aay. Tou're liable for heavy damages if you accuse snybody fslaely." "6h-sh! Now, please leave It to me" j Her heart !n her throat Helen touched the be!l. "Vou won't neeu to aay a I thing " j When the door opened, Mrs. Willi j stood m:i berk in the dutky hall. I "I hope we're not Intruding." begsn i Helen, ss thev entered. "But I wss so j glad you'd got my bag I couldn't wslt for you to send !t over." "Tour bag?" In -harp surprise. "Wh:t dd yoj mean?" "Why. we've Just been to the Lost snd Kwund o? th subway. They ssy J you cslled for It an hour ago. It waa awfully kind I knew you'd phone, but I wssn't home, so I thought I'd corns right over." "Why. I haven't been near the aub-way aub-way since I left you." nervously drawing draw-ing shout her the fsded silk klmona. "I don't understand what you mean." "Mrs. Curtis has a vivid Imagination," Imagina-tion," broke In Warren. "She thought you mlght've been in. the neighbor- after I left the aubway. She insisted I must'vs ioet It on the street that ahe remembered teeing It after w got off. Dear, could shs hsvs been deceiving de-ceiving me hoping to send soms ons to claim It?" That' pretty far fetched," shrugged Warren. "Y. of courss. If too awful to think of." Thn musingly. "Yet no one els could know about that ring " "Well, here'a a taxi let's see what this Morgan woman has got to ssy." But 41 West street proved to be only a garage, where Mra. W. R. Morgan waa not known. "Thought that waa a phony address." ad-dress." scowled Werrsn. "Dear. It seems fncredlbl but I'm afraid If Mra. Wllll!- "Why In blses would oh 'do such a thing? What's th Idea kleptomania klepto-mania ?' "I know ahe' lost heavily at fcrtdge and she's sfraid to tell her husbsnd. Shs's going to pawn my ring to pay her bridge debt." I "Hold on. not o fast! - Ton can rook "I felt sure she d pawnsd It I saw J had bag ths moment we anterad and I Jut knew the ticket wa there." ! "Your hunch wsa tight this time I But you were skating on thin Ice. If I she hsdn't hsd it she could've mads I It darned unpleasant." "I knew ehs had H or I wouldn't have gone eo far." "Well, you took a mighty long chance! Tou had your nerve to teckle a Job like that I've got to hand It to you. Kitten you pulled It off! Here, give me that pawn ticket. What that address? We'll get thst ring out of hock thsn ws'll dust around to the Coat more and have a rtpplng good dinner." t Copyright. 122. by Mabel Herbert Harper.) Next Week A Conspiracy t Chasten - Warren. hood and " "Are you positive It was Mra Cur-Us's Cur-Us's beg that waa claimed?" haughtily. "Yea and the party knew everything that waa In It " "Well. I'm afraid I can't help you. I don't know a thing about An interrupting buss from the telephone tele-phone in the hall, and Mra. Willis, with a nervous apology, hurried to answer It. A second after she had left the room Helen, darting to the desk, snatched up a black moire handbag the one Mrs. Willis hsd carried that morning. "Hold on there! What're you doing?" do-ing?" muttered Warren under his breath. But alresdy she wss rummaging Hi the tag. Opening a small inner purse, with a smothered sxciamaliOA a snatched out A tcaat - - . ' up the greatest ysms out of nothing. Can't accuse a womaa of a thing like that without evidence." "I have ell the evidence I need," with flaming convlctlcn. "I'm going to see her right now. If you won't go with me I'm going olone." Darting to ths waiting cab. Helen gave the driver Mre. Willis' eddress. "See here.". Warren held her bark. "Tou can't accuse" T am not going to. I'll pretend ahe got the bag to aurprise me end that 1 couldn't wait" "Huh. that's pretty thin." reluctantly reluctant-ly he got Into the cab besids her. "Not much of a ladder." "But she'll take It she'll grasp at any excuse. Tm going to get my ring! I've never quite liked her but didn't t dream she'd da uca a thing J |
