Show 10 T a 4 DOU alls ar RO fenu SERVICE Dadd ond arc THE STORY jim stanley new york tork business man orders his desk andl phone taken to his home intending to finish hla hill dictation there rollo waterman his partner cornea comes in both are in love with doris colby stanley pro propose tossing a coin to determine which shall first propose to doris waterman wins nina bl organ wa bermans ter mans secretary wool and mistress has overheard his conversation with stanley and resents wa bermans ter mans plan to desert her waterman says he to te penniless and must make a rich marriage lie he urges nina to tell doris that stanley has wronged her nina il doris admits to her father h her er interest in both men bit li iq unable to decide which to marry nina tells tella doris her story e exacting a oti a promise that doris wit will not tell the source of her information for mAtlon dorla doris Is convinced of stanleys Stan leys duplicity and to Is b bro ro ken hearted realizing that it Is IF stanley she loves waterman proposes and doris accepts him stanley accepts the situation and as a wedding present given tile his share of the business to waterman ler m an he arra arranges nget with his secretary ec detary prank wilson to take charge of hla his other business interests te rests he Is in going to india doris tells waterman part of ninas story and he promises to try to find the girl frank wll wit son aware of watermans Water mans crookedness leaves his employ the latter begins to importune doris for money bromfield the gambler Is pressing waterman for foi payment of gambling debts CHAPTER IX continued 9 lie he knew that the idea was current that watermans Water mans transactions were not only unfortunate but that the they were etere na all that they should be in ili business integrity not no a word of ull nil this line hac passed his lips illis not a word of it would ever pass pas his lips upon film din daughters request arid now a new clement eine nf had entered into the f Wt waterman iterman was not ni arill to in the street but at broni brom holds fields us as well allm lie he reflected theres bound to be a crash poor doris 1 who v doris went to the opera that same barne evening sn sh went la in no galu gala mood with nil all the will to in tile the world she mild could herself ari no longer site she knew kaneni that her marriage wits was a fal failure lure sue she had find conle come by this time to have hap a reasonably clear understanding ot he her r husbands character she knew for example that hot ile he was not truthful once when she had bad caught hill in a lie ile she had find let him see it IL die result was an outbreak of temper so painful to her that she re s ived never to risk it again she did not cot of chirse tile the exact condition of tits his business affairs but from time line to time net bet mind went back to th thu thi i talk she find bad with vilson and her ier hourt sank many eyes were turned apoi tier her us its site she entered tier her fat fathera fatu tiers era box in tile the goldun golden horseshoe during the Inter lldon after the first act among them were the eyes of frank wilson As wilson allson leveled his glasses tit at the col bv box tits his eye caught the flash bash ot it ill monds lie he hud find never seen doris wearing this necklace before in fact oje had find worn it only twite twice before it in tier life she did not care for jewels sl i hail worn the necklace this evening even liiK only un oil tier her request it lind been a family possession for almy beark ond fird comb to tier her upon lit r mothers deuth when site she was still a little girl 1 I 1 wish waterman had said to hui bet that morning get out your di hiim 1 d I necklace und mid wear it to tile hie it A you never wear beur the liing the use of having it tu io please him sh she t had consented she after lunch to hei strong b box ox ul at the hip hank bolik got the jewels and curried then them directly home there site she turned tit d them thein over to tile the efficient hetty fletty tier her persi personal nill maid hetty fletty had beatri it fixture lit in the colby rio for n good many years sue she had find been sirs mrs mald maid and at tier eath h had ad been attached to tile personal service of doris at tills this time she was a woman of middle age rily laconic em clent rel hible devoted there wert wen foth guests at dinner lolio aale aw le and ills his young alfe ife wlm had heon been RI nl with doris 1 ami I aix to and ills his d nit at at table waterman drunk a bit toi hut hill lit as it sunde ninde hlin him more agreeable thim he had cortie aly been of title lute doris reflected that flint it was nn lin ill III wind that blew no good 1 I see be i id doctor briggs who sill sal ij ii floras right that youre beering weering yui diamonds I 1 can call relm ml ei the first chii hill el ei I 1 sow them it was at lie avoid aud allt 0 if in str pi Y TIP ip floru was rala mint ilni r aej A I 1 ti M mb b suir durig th tAcui of music I 1 drove past it only yesterday there were huge signs on the tha front of it announcing charlie rny ray in papas troubles tile the world moves docent doe it it moves sold said hawley but other ether it moves forward or backward Is another matter yes laughed waterman were we ire on our wa way but we dont know where were going the debutante giggled presumably she did other things at times but she sha lid did nothing else this evening she giggled to such good effect that waterman who sat upon tier her left acquired the iden that he was a humorist and devoted himself to her exclusively to the debutante it appeared to he be a mint hilarious lous evening she appeared to regard butterfly as a comedy now butterfly nut was one of doris favorite operas but for tile alie first time in tier her life she lid did not enjoy it it she could not fix tier her mind upon it she was thinking as she tind had often thought of late of jim stanley suddenly it occurred to her that she absolutely sol positively and wholly disbelieved every single word of the story that nina morgan find told tier her she sat eat up a littia straighter la I 1 her chair as the realization swept over her it was as if she bad risen suddenly ay iy recovered from a tong long and serious illness it was amazing there was no sense lii ili it yet there it was there was no explaining pla pin ining it yet disbelieve it sue she did utterly she spent the rest of the evening its as in a daze cinis tragic nielo melo dies surged over her hello head in vain be fore the final curtain cartain slie she pleaded a headache arose and deported parted ile she left Wn waterman terman with tier her guests luv ini ing nold hla his insistence upon accompanying her home she wanted to he be alone yet she hud bud not finished undress ing when he arrived waterman lit ap feared to be in an affectionate mood affection with him was a thing it cattle came in wives apparently there was a stormy sea tonight but doris checked him with a word II ru tired she said sat any my head aches I 1 want to sleep doris unclasped unclasp pd the diamond necklace and lulu lolu it upon her dressing table she fell asleep thinking of ninn nina morgan that girl giri why lind that irl told her bet that terrible lie ile A lie ile it surely was slie she knew it it how flow never mind it wits was a ile belt it must lav been sh gh knew it thus she pursued the circle of her thought arriving always at tile the same conclusion until pence peace came to her mind find and he her bosom begun began to rise and L call all at al most imperceptibly steadily gently with the lease ease and grece of youth and health through the drawn curtains of the chamber cri amber came the faintest gleam from a distant street lamp one of its vagrant rays fell dimly upon the lewi a that lay upon the dressing table there they slept in the not quill quid total darkness faintly gleaming like a pool poo of molten silver at the bottom of a well under the starlight 0 0 0 0 0 it may be that mr colby would have taken juk eu no further interest in ili tile the roll reli eions between tits his son in law ant and aliv goddess of chance hud had it not been tor for tile the filet that alint on a certain afternoon it few weeks following tits ills luncheon general glecier all leavitt at flip lawyers lawyer s club nii had taken one drink it ink km foll alky ue lie had been reviewing ills hla bus business triese situation to ameliorate tho of tile the conclusions to ti which this occupation occultation had driven him he had resorted to liquid consolation certain of these papers he presently reflected would he be much hetter better off of in tits safety deposit box bos than in tits deek deck at forue le ile he thrust them into his pocket filled tits his gluss glass again emptied 14 it and started to go out As lie he reached tile the boll door he stopped those copers what hud lie he done with them ills slightly clouded memory could not instantly inform him ue ile thrust t his hand into ills pocket drew out tile the papers identified them and thrust thein again into tile his pocket ull all but one that one fluttered lightly over the edge of the jar dingere and tucked itself neatly ili between that ornament and the baseboard there it lay an hour later when mr colby having enjoyed a 0 cup of ten and a half hours chat with tits his daughter deported from the apartment As he opened the lie door tits his eye caught a labb of witte behind tile the stooping he picked up the scrap of paper glanced at it casually then rend it with care thoughtfully ly ile he put iut it in tits his pocket and departed this was why about noon the following lay day mr bromfield received this communication mr alexander colby presents his compliments to lo mr WI william lIlain brom broin nold and requests tile the pleasure of ills his company tills this afternoon at number one hundred broadway tit at half past three it II S V V I 1 mr bromfield read tills this communication through twice then lie he leaned bac back Is in tits his swivel chair thrust tits his thumbs into the antholes anu ariu holes boles of ills his w waist a ica r 1 A I apparently there was a stormy soa sea tonight but darls checked him with a word coat put hip feet upon his desk and meditated anyone who knew ill him tit seeing him just then would iced that he be was a knotty problem at a few minutes before the ap pointed hour sir Brom nelds fields beautiful french coupe rolled up to the sidewalk in front of number one hundred broadway tie he was pleasantly welcomed by the lie lawyer who was evl evi dently no stranger to him sit flown down mr bromfield Brom neld I 1 must apologize foi asking you to to come so mir far downtown but I 1 thought per halis our meeting would bp be more tactful bere than alian elsewhere 1 I 1 quite understand mr olby all sorts aarts ind and condI conditions come to your ollice to in the way of business As a fini matter titter of filet fact after recel vim your kind nothing would kept me away you ore are curious to know why I 1 vish to see youl soul 1 I 1 it all ah well shelled the lawyer 1 I 1 counted a little on oil that will you smoke kel lie addo adad ol indicating a box of perfect ios upon ills his desk a chun thanks ks no the rhe I 1 EO 10 in ili toy line ol of bu business bustness Is so constant that eliat it Is I 1 a cuse case of nil all the time or not lit at till all andi and inid I have chosen the latter Iter natIve yes yes mr fell into a tit nt of ills his si letice lasted so long that nir mr bromfield thought it I 1 wise to break it what run can I 1 do for you tie he said euld oil yes ts yes its to bi be eure replied tile lawyer rousing himself 1 I 1 aul am upon the point of asking you to do do tile in a favor faor now find begun to line have a suspicion as to the character of thill that favor faor hut but lie he only said bald politely any thing 1 ili my power I 1 assure you mr colby put out tits hand drew toward him a pud find of paper took aoh up it pencil from the desk and edel di to draw a serks series of little viet tires upon the lie pud pad it wits ft as a wily way lie he hit had when erving with clients 1 I suppose lie he went on oil yon ion have heard of the theft of my mv daughters necklace naturally everybody has heard of it who can rend read the newspapers bave you sou any ally clew none tit at nil the police have gone through till all their customary motions the private detectives employed by tile the insurance people have gone bona through theirs and they have ull ail drawn blant blank 1 I 1 read in tile the papers said brom bield that the pollee police were convinced from tile the first that it was an inside job yes they always say that eliat when they fall in such a case the they reel that by such an announcement they can saddle nt at least a part pait of tile the blieme upon ulton the owner of tile the stolen gems still sald said you iou must admit that circumstances rather favor the inside theory As I 1 recall them there wits no evidence at till nil that tile the house had been entered no locks were broken no windows window e found suspiciously open no evidence eldene or of ill the e presence of a stranger in the apart merit ment that night true true agreed tile the lawyer another silence fell again it was bromfield who broke it 1 I 1 can see he sill sald that you have formed some theory of your own perhaps admitted sir mr colby tie lie rose walked to the window and looked out when ivilyn lie he turned nguan to bromfield he gooke easily swiftly like a man mab who has cowe come to a mr air bromfield he said 1 I do rint not need to beat about the bush with you iou it Is in connection with the kieft of these jewels flint I 1 hove have asked you lo 10 come and see me tills this afternoon bromfield affected surprise 1 I shall be interested to see how that can possibly he be he the lawyea continued 1 I 1 will not disguise from you the fact that I 1 have a definite opinion ns as to the identity of tile the I 1 know tits his nemo I 1 shall not mention it either now or ot at any time I 1 do not desire to punish anyone no mutter matter whom it may be fortunately sine since something more that than one hundred thousand dollars I 1 la a involved the insurance prevents any pecuniary loss but entirely aside from of the case ense the dalit monds have fl a sentimental value for my daughter aud and myself 1 I 1 know sold said bromfield T they h ey belonged tr the title late mrs 1 why quite so find to tier her mother before her naturally therefore there Is a special reason for regretting their BS 1 I quite understand agreed the sympathetic bromfield now we both understand went on mr air colby that though you are in person an agreeable cultivated find presentable individual nevertheless your business Is one which Is dischun ced by the law quite true interrupted bromfield defensively and yet ill have you understand that ive never felt my saif a criminal all my games are on file level they always have been when gentlemen play nt at my iny place they ave an alual chance with me with the of the slight per in my favor which Is IR inherent in the rules rule of certain games and I 1 never have dpn able to see why it should he mude a criminal thine filing for tile rue to nilow allow men to risk thi thrle ir own noney money upon the chance of gaining rill mv drat dent ri smiled the lii Ill wyer not here to discuss the hie of if your business alint I 1 wits etting at Is this flits though as a I 1 youre 11 person whom it Is to gnp pt and bour pt personal i bonal morals are so fat fai as know hoove reproach nuch r rev ev I 1 know that hat in your line of it busini business s it Is sometimes for you volt to romp come in ili contact conflict with wr nin mill gentlemen who arp not so wro arn w ro fis a vital self Is that hat tint true Un forti ino tely yes iven ver well then lien wh while le I 1 chitre your gret I 1 wish if possible tr to make use of this circumstance |