Evening Star Newspaper, November 11, 1923, Page 70

HE hat crest of cedars. rocl and neath it. it on = fiat slab of read his St. Paul steadied the air rifle against his brown shoulder and fired. Th lantly off toward Lake Michigan, and there was a hideous of Milton Bunt rose redly beyond the rocks in a nimbus of grey beard. right! of a mother: Go ahesd velled: “That's Your fool too big to lick. Hellos sald: “He t daughter a fool That's right,” shrieked, too! What with them hi appeared over the|to death. Hellos studied it. was Grandfather Bunt's hat, | the old man might be under- Again, he might have put e “Go and get blasphemous, A,Tale That Runs Swiftly. Like a Brook. phone player?” “Heavens,” sald the It k among the ‘e did! What with the e You won't paddle into forget? the sand rock while he pafer. Hellos shoved the canoe free. coughed, “Thanky,” an: floated wabbling awa e hat spun gal- vell. The face He Go ahead! ays you're hat calleth his SA i s- grandfather French whoop- Yol I g in’ their heads off on the front grass, i b and you tryin' to kil it's a wonder I farm and leave you fl “It's a wonder you don’t go off to the 1. me out here, Bt don't, sir.” sa\d} Hellos in a gentlemanly agreement. His three small half-sisters, Agnes, Jeanne and Marie Harsl, came about the corner of the hous3 and whooped dismally, together. Hellos sighed. He got up, with dignity, shouldered the air rifle and strc ing turf to the bea sand. Hellos stretched his clled down the oh of white fine | Mr. Bunt retired up the lawn. | brown legs on the blistering sand and admired the | rld, thoughtles untll his mother calls voice meant to Mme. Olven be was =ry silk. Her braids nd comfortable d, “Heel!” In a sngry. ming down the $8 in her Wednesday nightrobe of | of yellow hair | hung loosely over a beryl wrap, and | s she came she lost one slipper. big and beautiful, flashed | bared foot, over the sod. She sa it's hot! Heel, T don’ stand it! Now, what shootin’ up your grandfathes beamed, accusing hifh. the sand beslde him. sat down. She order my slipper, lamb, M the r.ght one It's: @ to drop off vour right Thank you, honey.” “Don’t mention It, Heliog, putting the 310 Ler toes. He sat :do complained: “I'v o ME. OLSEN chuckl sald: “Now. Heel man's awful fond of You oughtn't to & round some ought to have Sig tfra: is Sig?”" ‘ Went over to thg 1 horehound for Hellos yawned. “The up, fen't it? N drops I'd better our luck.¥ His mother chuckle a letter from the thinkin® of revivin that the limit? The perfectly indecent Al with five children sin ite. sang Faust” The of her marine ey to a low. Helios seldom spoke of his trios Alerl. Now sh necklace of sixte: It's awful, to change st @ n T'm still guerite pranos She beamed at said: “What'll thin enough d that's m with five ki Lake, Is inn tomorrow night, Heel? to play of Harel arm Helios grunted. well sing ‘The End of: my accompa for that bunch of catfls done can to make grandfither go home.” nind havin’ in sunimers Harel's got a bust arm; | the kids have whoopin' cough; and | Sigurd did. They trotted off solemnly. we've got grandfather on our hands. I ain’t sung it since your father emeralds cr neck, sighed and declared The id: “Golly, t see how ay but you | ou mean by | She Hellos patted and his mother ‘Run and get ercy It wasn't wwful bad luck slipper NG. [ Breen canow {and Sigurd passed th turned his Blondle.” sald pper back over »wn again and | everything I | plant. “What was that?" “She ¥, said wan to tell s a cockn d me * was his name? Sigurd took hound dr | flannel, who ea Land re i gled tha heads ami; ples. H {in them | He's at t She | r b old you. him He says I sh you. Where ed deeply. , the poor sig and e whooping do ived this solace bly as if the wasn't mu They music In't nn to get some the French.” joint's all shot | make ! they like throw thy r cou hi | Sigurd sat down on the shoot a rabbit | th head contained onl | their mother, pol fety over Helios' | strain now |a pipe and don’t think Blondie in nd things. Look at thi show it to ondie. Go about your father in it.” Helics s Chicago d. "“And op'ra; they're ‘Faust!" Ain't something a woman Marguer- 1 got “See T ou ought nt of 5 said: re's hout ging fr upid loveliness | hanged, briefly at rigld. She father, Deme- | e touched paper on his 1 ! d a long paragrap the ;| wpiva's Neck about | g ihering i “Well. § pauding's to sing Mar-y ore'n most so- | is could say." Michigan and over at the You got | niments ‘count we | en came repair depari " Madame arrived home at Pointe C never leaves th it took con from rosse derable fines who natured as usual. having the the world. Husband Je; laid up with broken was good You might as| Her three a Perfect Day’ | h!” a don’t play nothin’' any more. and manners. bubbled forth. her little Pablo Sarceda—trick xylo- woman, ards and- but you tell ‘er that. kemember, now. | and spanked him. Sne thrust the panted. Helfos took u step into the lake and The woman shell Sigurd's d = the W 5 HELIOS SA™, HIS FINGERS DARKEN THE KEYS, AND MME. OI S, THE EMERALDS ROSE AND FELL UPON HER BR! e red flashing Helios Blond; he inn." ag the ¥ *h int father, m about sand. Helios belicved that Sigurd's round topies— | aulting and anx- This last Sigurd lit ree Heel, call iere, to t terday afternoon’s ob- gs and Trouble—>Mme. into early morning with her famous string of emeralds in a sling, so to speak. summer The necklace | fiying tment srano’s person, and e to repair the chain without damaging madame, and volubie girls are whooping cough, she told an Harel arm. “‘e|a black mark on the leather. I wish | howled and chased Hellos up into thé’ craft, yel- |low head to examine the purple esg- He landed, still grinning. “and | that | some goof or other—what the dickens of hore- his coat of white waved it to the small Harels, srass with stran- ! The tall boy patted their were pup- ested | n't old enough to and as | her people, in shops But don't something Sons THE SUNDAY STAR, WAS HINGTON, D. C. NOVEMBER 11, 1923—PART 'BLACK MOON BY THOMAS BEER almed it at one of his half-brother's white buckskin shoes. The pellet left| sigurd | hall of the cool cottage, floored him Grandfather Bunt put his head out of the music room door and barked: “That's right, Sig! Yes, If you'd wear more clothes like | a Christian, Heel, it wouldn't hurt| so much!™ Sigurd let the sinner go and EN ST. | the captured airgun, nursing ¥ | shoe. He groaned: “That thing hur you big idlot!” | “What you get for callin’ Greek, you dirty Seandinavia | Helios as he marched up | ished stairs. He met Mme | the upper hall and ple her gown of knitted sapph 1 So he kissed her and remarke “Younger e y day. | ‘l)\!nu you'll out { other flappers. ® woman in i you some | the Inn.* “Who, lamb?" | | an’t remember his Sound- ted like violinist, Il of it"” Madame ughed Heel! | You're awful! Now, put some | pants on lunch be go What'll I wear for concert morrow night? Hellos perched | table and commenced {that red—— What's His mother cried table! That's the could bring on yc * % me pol Olsen in wa sed with silk w th Oh, that f told me to tell at be the canoe one or other ove name ol “Oh, &0 and the d. to- on the Florentine| you the matter?” | “Get off of that st luck you wear 1 self * ¥ JIE groancd and dropped to ki Blo W e gold on our songs show." nb. Mere Like your | to Harel. | today, “Better put up signs luck to sit on a table! wear that red thing with the stomach, I'll play all in B flat and gum the “It's a lucky dress. 1 but you're gettin’ critical! | fath, Well, go speak | You ain't been in to see and he's scared youwll bust m loose on the pedals tomorrow night.” Harel had broken his right badly and was still kept in bed lios liked him and so sat on the foot of the bed, lighting a cigarette, “Oh, but madame told you not Helios! Well, go shut the dc the smoke will not blow downst arm He- | is H irs swer think it was your dear He was, like superstitious. We ing piquet, he and 1, in the Club, in London. A spider came down from the ceiling and lit Ider. A sizn of good luck. And that night he met Lady Cadogan's musical was most superstitious! It is oinciden that stitic Madame lked home from after the last concert. Tt ght night. We talked of s ¢ York for the op- We bout the corner into Dover street, and Aletri dropped his He picked He said: 1 Ih my shadow! and 1 laughed. Well, afterward he was dead— 1 man!" Grecks, most O on his she ¥ madame at he th make j and Alet Park lane urious co sple and I super w our era it up. dame we hours The stairs. lunch down- Helios asked: “Who was the thought killed father?” 1 1 not tell you. v up. Soon madame will abroad yourself. That man and goes about, still You mighkt meet him. And you are not,” Harel suavely smiled, a Madame ways—right.” gong announced an Blondie erect of boys. is—as al- “Keep your dark lios. “Did you killed father to back?” Harel said, after a while: “Helios, do not know." He did try to buy ack the eralds after he had lost them. e superstitious secret,” think this get the necklace I was, 0o, a night. Now, lamb, where are you off to. I'll want to practice at 4. “I'm going to shoot bunnies so they won't run acrose your path and give you the jimmies,” Helios explained Hel trotted the forest which guarded his her's cottage from the motor road, {nlan He shot at three rabbits which fi ered into view. He chased one th seemed to limp down to the barrier of wires by the road this amusement left him bored. He sat down at a gap in the wires and cb- served the afternoon’s scant traffic. The tall mile along the la it had here and there, “Private Property Mme. Olsen saw visitors only Ly-en- gagement. Her retreat was real. She emerged annually for this concert at Ponte Carosse Inn. Helic fern and dreaded tomorrow night had never played accompan public. It would be an ordeal. Helios pitched a pebble nervously into the road and watched the dust ripple; a rabbit which scuttled along thre roadway, then doubled back from 4 lone man. The man raised a brown sieeve and crossed himsell Then he stooped and marked some- thing in the dust. Hellos straight- ened and craned. His mother didn't cross herself, meeting rabbits. but she marked a circle in the dust if possible. Helios noted this walker— a burly, pallld man who marched along easily and nodded, halting be- fore the gap in the wire. “I see your fence needs mending?" o unkempt m before He fence ran for a quarter-| signs, | t in the | ts in twice, | huffled trim brown boot nd gently put forth: mada has much of These painted, vulgar : within Hellos brought jerk. He cried Blondie doesn't His throat went He lurched against the of wire in a blow that The man stepped back king »and off. shoulder the wrenched were r with ottled whirling. Heé scared by his own wrath and 1 to the fence. When nny road was rabbit hopped careless- Helios shot and missed into his mothers for- to cleared glade as practicing pole- Told of the affront to r, Sigurd opened his eyes . uldn’t hav of cour: zo call up this mucker look like?" forty-five. Nice lookin" golf suit. Black hair. Pretty Here. you're not goin' to tell londie? Il kill you if you dot" Sigurd went in Carosse at 10. ed a gown of pale green satin up to her bedroom above the lawn that faced the lake. Sleep had stilled the whoops of the little girls. Helios |smoked a whole cigarette on the a in the And everythin w Some him upri sy in a a walked hurt, all His eves spe boy's en yourself you couldn’t the sheriff. a canoe to Pointe Madame Olsen trail- | How Closely Are Humor and Grim Tragedy Related very contented to make her an obll- | gato?” AT 8 Sigurd constdered Hellos suf- ficiently well dressed. At 8:30 | Mr. Bunt climbed into the limousine beside Mme. Olsen and genially safa: | “Well, Katie, it's black as pitch. You | couldn't see your shadow with & gas | lamp! “That's some comfort. §it hers with me, Heel. Now, lamb, you're goin' to 'do all right.” | 0t course, he is” sata Sigurd; “but | stop pulling your tie, Heel.” | *“Now, don’t look at the audience, | 1Tamb,” Mme. Olsen ordered. “I've got | on this fireman’s bride dress, and they | wom't look at nothin' else for a while.” | The lamp in the roof of the limou- | sine revealed the scarlet robe and its girdle of folded gold tissue. It warmed Helios. His mother let him |smoke a cigarette, and the motor ‘went about the inlet to the inn ( grounds lighted with Chinese globes. Soon Helios looked through a door at | the platform where the orchestra was | aisgorging piled notses in the “Prince Igor” dance. Suddenly he was sitting at the piano, and the room rattled ap- plause for his mother. Hellos saw his fingers darken the keys, and Madame Olsen sang. The emeralds rose and fell upon her breast. She heamed and bowed. The first song was over, and Hellos gasped in his surprise. He kept on gasping as each song finished. Be- |tween times in the dressing room, |Madame Olsen kissed his nose and {told him he was doing swell. Thers was a final heave of applause, and the eager orchestra leader came out of the palms. Hellos scurried through the dress- ing room to the veranda. That, too, was jammed with people. Hellos climbed a rail and peered over heads. Madame Olsen had begun the slow air of “Louise.” She stood near the edge of the platform, the emer- alds softly blinking like tired eyes on the white breast. She sang. The violin * crooned behind her. A woman below Helios sniffed violently, and an odor of lilac arose. It came from the purple eggplant in a black dress smeared with jet. The song came to an end. People stood up to clap. The hotel man- ager hurried down with a huge bale of roses. Cap-chairs clattered, and & man drawled, “Who'd of thought she a farmer's gurl out of Min- nesota To which a woman an- |swered: “I guess those are the em'ralds was in the paper.” Mr. Bunt thought badly of the supper in the manager's sulte after the reception. The limousine con- fined his grumblings until the party reached the house and went to bed. “Glory be,” said madame, ‘“that's over! Heel, you were fine. You weren't too loud once. And g0 to bed. You're tired to death. Mercy she exclaimed on the stairs, “ain’t it dark! You wouldn't know It was a full moon. Pitch black” With midnight, all the bulbs of Pointe Carosse were gone. Sigurd turned out the bedroom lamps and the iverse became invisible. “It's a joke on the moon said Hellos. He giggled: “Think of all the hicks that were goin' to give straw-rides and all the mush-heads like Blondle that are scared of full moons!" “Go to bed,” Sigurd sald from his corner. “I've gone,” Helios yawned, on his cot by the window, “but I don't think T'll go to sleep. Tell me the story of your life, Siguard.” * K Kk x * ok ok x RD'S pillow brushed Helios In passing. It flopped on the ver- anda roof. Helios tenderly sald: “Hope you fall off the edge gettin Srev His brother couldn’t sleep without a pillow. In ten minutes there were rustlings. Five minutes later Sigurd it back, Svenska!” and shut his eyes. | | 81 and rolled over. The too1 nad been frightened of his shadow. Sigurd came back from somewhero and pry tally kicked him. “Heard him paddie- Slgurd sniffed, “and I took about a ;10:0]:‘!]1:!)4 He yelled, once, Mll)'h:v e i ¢ 1 Dusges 1::nwx\::.s that the man “Of coursa it wa i Sigurd meditatea “Well, let’ B0 to bed. He ought to be pretty discouraged, T should thini But keep shut up about 1it, Heel, Musn't scare Blondie.” : Hellos slept. He woke in brilliant light to hear Mr. Bunt proncuncing “It's what You get for stayln' in bed all day, too!" “What do I gét?" Missin® all the excltement! T was over fo the inn to get the mornin' Paper and seen ‘em load the coffin {down to the station. The widow look- | ed a sight. She'd got on a black kina of evenin’ dress with fet thingummies all over it, and somebody'd give her @ crape veil. A Britisher, she is." eltos sat up d: “My—word! [ pyiielion sat up and said: “My—wora Mr. Bunt chirped gleetull fellow went out in a canoe., Leaky, I guess. And the widow says his heart was bad. They pulled him out of the water ‘hout dawn. She's takin® ‘lhf' rémains right back to London. I {asked what his business was, and she says he was a singer, oncet, but 'hidn'l done nothin’ for some years Name of Paul Williams.” i | Helloa said mechanfeally: “She |must have just loved havin’ you tall {to her. i * then, drawled: “The a * ok % 'HE &ot out of bed and slammed the bathroom door. The shower was fey, and his head cleared. Things hammered in his brain ltke chords heavily repeated. Pablo Sarceda was the name the fat woman had given him. Sigurd came into the bath- room and leaned on the tub, the blood withdrawn from his skin, so that the |ruddy tan seemed vellow. He said: “I've been over to the inn. They dldn’t find the cance. Must have sunk. * ¢ 1 say, Heel, those bul- lets would go through the side of a canvas canoe like the one he had! Think I ought to go tell the sheriff or somebody? Helios bent down and examined his toes. He said: “This isn't the same man, Sig. This is a fellow named Paul Williams. It was his wife that came over day before yesterday and told me to tell Blondie he was stay- Ing at the inn. Musician. His wif introduced him to me last night after the concert. I've got a sore toe, darn it! Fallin’ off the roof, I expect.” “That's a relief,” sald Sigurd. “I'd hate to kill a man even if he was a crook. Oh, I remember that woman! Fat, wasn't she? Gad, I was scared! Grandfather came and burbled about this man drowning. I felt rotten.” Helios called him a mush-head and dressed. Mme. Olsen came in to the dining room to kiss him, with the beryl wrap gay over the blue night- dress, which was lucky on Fridays. She said: “You're a bad kid! You | went and forgot that poor Mrs. Wil- llams’ name when she came over to tell me he was stayin’ at the inn Never heard of him, but he might have been somebody 1 met once Aren’t you ashamed, lamb? Well, you look ashamed for once in your e 1 “Goin’ | Blondie?" uess not, sonny. Helios wandered down the ldrive toward the gates. Sickly sensa- tions filled him. He remembered the dead man's hands, with thelr lacquer- ed nalls. The dead man was Pablv Sarceda. Something had risen out of the amiable world and swept close to [Hellos in a deathly way. He frowned at a page from the hotel who camo | riding & bicycle up the gravel and asked: “What are you after, Mur- { phy?” | “Letter for madame, kid." | “I'll take it,” said Helios to practice this morning, “Who's “And don’t get so high and mighty about the folks at the inn,” said Mme. | Olsen. “I don’t think Andover's good | for you, Bub. You were born right| over there at Pointe Carosse. It wasn't a hotel then; there was just| a boardin' house and ome cottages.” | The boy stammered: “Thought I| happened in London, Blondie.” His mother picked up two pebbles | and clicked them in a palm. She said: | “Not much, sonny. Couldn’t stand | London after your father—was mur- | dered. I came to St. Paul I sent| Harel out to find some place—quiet. | beach and gourly mused. He should have lured this man on to the actual crime and netted him. Sigurd's jcance came in a wriggle of opal he said. “That's what I'm here for." “To mend the fence? “No. To keep people out" Helios, lifting the gun a trifle, ‘\lllh‘rlvfl to tho beach. The man laughed, nodding. “I see.| “The sher: Madame keeps a forest guard.” jmen in brown Helios expanded the idea. “Sure.|Caros Fact She's got ten of us. All along the|a thing worth ste fence.” Most of the silver's plated and “And how much a dzy does madame | Blondio hasn't any jewels here ex- Sy our | copt tho emeralds. It doesn't amount “Fifty cen sald Hellos drearily. | t0 much. except that you feel rotten “Aln’t much, is it? But these rich|*POut It/ ) groaned, and there was a delicate|it from?” padding of soles on the floor. Hellos| “That Englishwoman. opened an eve but saw nothing. His|husband got drowned.” amusement was lost in the black-| Helios found a quarter in his ness. He shut the eve again. Si-|bpreeches and watched the bioyele roll gurd climbed back through the win- over the drive. He opened the en- dow, and very suddenly his hand|velope. The writing was curiou gripped the boy's arm. level and plain. “Where's that gun of yours?" “I might have known what Pablo “Down in the hall! What?" wanted to do when he came to the “Man just got out of a canoe. Has jgtates. He has gone from bad to a flash-lamp. Shut up! Mustn’t scare | worse ever since his voice went bad. Blondle. I'm goin' to plug him. He'll | 1¢ it was -not that I have income from run.” some stocks we could not have lived Now, madame has decided to give the ‘Chanson Indoue, the Debussy ro- mance, a Seriabine and a Carpenter— the ‘Boat Song'—tomorrow night. That will make a good set and the accompaniments will be easy for you.” ELIOS went to the bedroom he “This in concert an awful| * 1 shared with Sigurd and pulled a graft,” sald Helios he does it|pair of stained breeches over his every year. One of the clerks told| bath suit, kicked his feet into mocca- Sig that & wad of stuff's come from|sins and went down to lunch. Mr. Detroit and Chieago just to hear her|Bunt was in a mournful mood, and without pay for it." d over dessert: “Katle, tomorrow d of stuff, He night's the full moon. Now, don't man. The emeralds were his fetich— his luck. 1 do not know. But do go put on elothes for your luncheon, or your grandfather will scold!” * ¥ Sigurd Olsen and Helios Alerti came along with their mother, who looked like a girl, in a frock of silver and blue. Mr. Olsen took a lively interest in the repairs. Mr. Aletri remained mostly behind a eporting page. He addressed his mother as ‘Blondie.’ The recklace belonged to Demetrios Aletri, Mme. Olsen’s second husband. The celebrated Greek tenor presented it to his bride on their wedding in Lon- don. He was mysteriously murdered @ few months later, and his assassin wae never found. Mme. Olsen denles the one that's said o8 * says ther golf about 200 at Pointe Heel, there isn't ling in the house. is 0s. Mon Dieu, o Came down here and Mrs. Smith. Graclo Losin’ two good husb: another—Oh, well vou're near awful nuisance, ran up the lawn n green and pink silkj halr shimmered in thé furious light; | into the breeze. watch her and mutters Sig’s twenty, and | seventeen, Hee shoot your grandfathir again.” Mme. Olsen tossed the pebbles into the lake, kissed his bare shoulder and ranning a scale that showered strong and high notes Helfos stood up to that the emera value. lace appears mental.” | called myself | I was blue!| nds one after | he to D! | * Kk ok ok You're an| Don't you gest mushhead ali papers’d drop father, her the blues.” the flutter of Her yellow | carcening near the dered: your father gave her.” she was llke a pord lily floating swiftly. She sang, ably answered. “Farm ‘d a respectful | pald much for wheat b beach. “She doesn’'t wear any s are of any great Her attachment to the urely ELIOS yawned: “Blondie’s the big- . Wish the though. Gives He made a ball of the newspaper and pitched it at a seagull He pon- stuff “He probably didn’t give her any- thing worth wearlng,” Sigurd reason- weren't 1900, ers ack in neck- senti- vou collect slang as madame collects superstitions! Helios inquired: you've known Blon have, Jean. How did Y Superstitious, I mea The planist smiled a little. Look here— Jonger'n I she get this| He an-! ou get any fool ideas; it'll fetch you bad luck if you your shadow, girl” “You ough . sir,” Helio: Mme. Olsen Well, daddy, we see to write a book on jeered, d: “Hush up, Heel! 11 pray it's a cloudy skirts, they're awful stingy.” The man walked up to the wires and leaned on the mesh. He fanned his pleasing face with a smart, flat cap and said: “Oh, but I do not much pity you. In the houses of these rich women there are always ways to make money. One—picks up things.” Hellos thrilled. Beyond doubt, this was a crook! He jogged the airgun on his knee and arranged a grin. “Oh, well—yeh?" THE man shrugged. plcks up ljttle things! handsome as you has, somewhere a girl? And pretty things. * k X &k “But if one A boy so of course, she likes Madame Olsen was jolly the next jmorning, as rain promised in many hanging clouds. Helios labored over the subtle piano part of the Debussy “Romance” and at 5 went with Sigurd to see the piano placed correctly on a palmy platform in the Pointe Carosse dining room. The inn’s or- chestra would play between Madame Olsen’s song#. The Polish leader was vibrant. “I play the ‘Prinz Igor' dances, the ‘Tristan’ prelude, the ‘Butterfly turne. Oh, T know madame Puccini, but that is to please the flappers! And just now I am shav- ing in my room and next door a man noc- hates But sometimes one | PEEINS to Whistle the love song from Sigurd was gone. Hellos stumbled out of bed and crawled through the window, down to the gutter of the roof. and dropped a foot over it. The boy's blood pumped through his heart. He sat on the gutter, glaring down All at once the whole world was vistble In a shock of pale glory. Hell- os stared up at the moon through a slash in the clouds. He gulped and s1id oft the gutter, whirled down the awning and landed without noise on the grass. He saw a shadow spread to his feet as he sat up. A man stood there, his flat cap bent forward. The shadow lay like & painted shape on the turf and respectable. I told him he was a fool. The bit in the Chicago paper about the emeralds being always on you was what made him change our names on the book at the hotel when wo came here. It was then I sent You word he was here. The emeralds had £ot to be what the doctor said was an obsession on him. And I do think it was Pablo killed Mr. Aletri. But we was just married then, and when I told the police Pablo was home in bed when Mr. Aletr! was Killed I did not mean any harm but to save trou- ble. But we have two children which are at home with my mother at Har- rowgate, so if you would not put ic out that I have written this 1 would Blondie told me, once, your father won that necklace playing cards with some one—— Hold on! She told me rot to tell you that, ever.” “Why?" Sigurd shrugged. “I don't remember, 11t was when you had the flu. She [taliced a lot about your father, y'’know, and all that. And about the murder— “Gosh!” : A thick female voice sald, on the! water: ‘‘Was that Mme. Olsen that went away, then?" * She looked like an -eggplant. Her halr was black. She. wore a gown of purple silk that fhse out of the red canoe, sunk Zeep fn the lake. She was not old, but g¥oss, inelegant, sweating. She must De an intrusive | about his getting out of bed to see sightseer from the :Pointe Carosse|Who'd come into the next room, and Inn. Hellos smiled and sat down (her going and finding him stabbed. crosslegged on the beach, placing the | He won the necklace playing cards air-gun on his knees: He said: “No, | With some singer or somebody, and that wasn't Mme. Olgen. That's her |&ave it o her because it's good luck eldest daughter. to have a piece of jewelry you've won e at cirds . . . Oh, I remember why 5 she told me not to tell you! Sigurd shut his mouth, Why?* Helios waited. The big lad said: “Oh, well! She got an idea this fel- low that Aletri won the necklace from was the one that stabbed him. He'd try to buy it back, y’ see? Fact! She told the pollce in London about it, and they arrested this fellow. Only, he had an alibl. He was at home asleep when the murder hap- She brought the £anoe closer, so|pened. Blondie didn’t want you to that it grounded with a gentle mum- | know that. She thinks you're imag- ble on the sand. “Tell ‘er that Pablo [4native. And you are, rather,” Sigurd Sarceda got "ere toda¥ and is stoppin’ | decided, getting up. “I guess it's at the otel.” she sald. your Greek blood.” Helios chuckled. Bhe'll be pleased Helio: sed up ‘Louise.’ T would be pleased to make | for madame an obligato if she will choose to sing V;Im,t for an encore.” ‘Any musical people staying in the hotel?” Helios asked. “Some one told me a man named—can't think of it.” { “I have heard of nobody. It madame would choose to sing ‘Depuls le Jour’ for an encore, I should be so stretched from its maker to Hellos Helios sat and gaped. Then the man {lifted a hand and crossed himself, saylng: “Perdone.” He turned and walked across the grass. Sigurd came hurtling down the veranda steps. The § moon went out. In the blackness Sigurd said, “Here! What the devil?” Hellos began to gig- be truly grateful for the favor. Yours |respectfully, PANSY SARCEDA." * ok ok % RANDFATHER BUNT sniffed as Helios walked past him into the music room. He moaned: “Been smokin’ again “I've just been burnin' some paper,” said Helios. “Y'know, you will drop newspaper all over the place, sir!” Mme. Olsen turned on the piano bench and laughed. “Now, Heel! Leave your grandfather alone. will you? Come and play ‘Louise’ They're talkin' of havin’ me sing it this win- ter. T'd like to, while I've still got my figure.” Helios played. His mother kept a palm on his shoulder and slowly sang. The little girls coughed outside in the sunshine, and their nolse was like a tired sob, under the music. He heard, too, a tiny click of the meralds silding together on the white breast that rose and fell, dis- Jlling beauty for the untroubled world. (Copyright, 1923.) —_— Laundries are unknown in China. This is strange when it is considered hat an overwhelming proportion of the Chinese in America are engaged in laundry work. wants cash. For drinks and poker." The boy thought this deft. He liked the hints of debauchery. He gald: “Well, yeh. Hootch comes pretty high round here.” The man's bared head showed deli- cate streaks of gray in its darkness. His hands were white and the nalls were lacquered to deep rose. He THE HAT SPUN GALLANTLY OFF TOWARD LAKE MICHIGAN, AND THERE WAS A HIDEOUS YELL. “THE woman looked uncertain. She sald, “But I thodght 'er daugh- ters were quite little girls” and Helios knew the thick voice as Eng- iish. This must be & tourist strayed down from Canada’: The caller re- sumed: “I'd ha' took me oath that waz ‘er, just then. -Well, no matter. *Ere, my 1ad, I want to send madame a message. A tip, yon might call it.” “Right-o!” sald Hellos. “Shoot!” remote, » the air-rifle and