Atlanta Daily World

GLITTERING GIRL"

By MAY CHRISTIE

CHAPTER IXV

At the detective's meaning words, blood flamed to Vernon's cheeks.

"Are you accusing me of stealing the diamonds?"

"We're not accusing you of anything yet. But untruths won't get you anywhere."

The junior detective interrogated her.

"Since it's clear you didn't sleep here last night, what were your movements?"

"I tell you I was at the Gypsy Pavilion," cried Vernon desperately.

"You were there all night?"

She nodded, caught. "Yes, practically."

"I'll use your telephone." The senior detective got "information" on the wire, and asked to be put through to this night rendezvous.

Vernon jumped. She panted:

"This is insufferable!"

"Sorry. Miss. He's only doing his duty. It's our job to get right to the bottom of this business. That's what we get our pay for, same as anybody else. Else we'd be fired."

Vernon subsided on the sofa. She felt weak and limp, and mentally exhausted.

But thank heaven! she told herself. the Gypsy Pavilion would be closed thus early in the morning.

She breathed a little freer. Here was a temporary respite.

Alas! for her hopes. The watchman was there. He gave the detective the information he wanted.

No-no diamond necklace had been turned in. No-the place wasn't open all night. It closed on the dot at 4 a. m. He could absolutely vouch that everybody had cleared out then.

Of course he was certain about it, because he came on duty shortly before four in the morning.

"So you left the Gypsy Pavilion at least five hours before you got home here," said the senior detective slowly and suspiciously to Vernon.

"What if I did? It's none of your business what I did! '"

The two men looked at each other, then the elder said: "Don't you know that we can put you under arrest if you refuse to account for your movements? Don't you know it's a serious offense to impede the course of the law? That servant girl out there"—he nodded towards the kitchen region—"answered fair and square. All you do is lie to us."

"Come. Miss." said the younger, more sympathetic man, "tell us where you were between four and nine o'clock this morning?"

"I can't. . I won't.""Her voice broke, though she bravely tried to steady it.

"Then you'll be forced to tell it at headquarters. We'd better take her along, Mike," said the supervisor.

Vernon stammered, pleadingly:

"Give me a little time. My father and mother--wait till they arrive tonight--they'll fix everything-."

Ensued a pregnant pause. Then the older man told the younger bluntly that he must wait in the apartment with this girl until someone was sent to relieve his watch ...

"Of all the crazy-fool things to do as borrow a valuable necklace and then lose it, this beats everything, Maggie Tyson!"

Her mother and father had returned late in the evening. and both were terribly perturbed to find, not only Vernon. but a stolid-faced detective guarding her in the apartment.

"If it gets into the papers. it'll ruin us! No one'll ever ask us anywhere. I could slap you for your silly vanity. Maggie!" wailed her mother "Oh, I should never have let you come back alone from Hot Springs. My gracious. losing the Prince's family necklace:

The same old ground was gone over and over. The supervising detective for the insurance company had returned, Vernon had another grilling.

"And you were out all night, and you won't even tell us where you were. My daughter a common little flapper!" And Mrs. Tyson's voice, never low at any time, rose to an hysterical screech.

"Be quiet, Sadie. You confuse the child. We should never have come to this town at all. It was all your doing. Now she and I will go in the bedroom by ourselves and she'll tell the truth to her old Dad!"

With a heavenly compassion and love irradiating his rugged face, Jake put his arms around his daughter.

The moment they were alone, Vernon flung her arms about his neck and clung to him. "You're an angel. darling. You'll stick by me?"

"To my last breath."

She wept a little on his shoulder, his big arms were so comforting, and she was so exhausted.

Then suddenly she drew back. Her eyes had a bright hope, a purpose in them.

"Darling, will you trust me? Will you do something for me?"

"To the best of my ability, my girl. I've never failed you yet, have I?"

"Never. Daddy dear. I only want time. and I'll get that necklace back. Don't breathe a word to those detectives. but I'm sure I know who took it!"

"Tell me, my pet, We'll put the law on him-or her. The law'll move quickly."

"Listen. I haven't the evidence yet--not nearly enough to convict the--the person. But if you'll give me just one week-one little short week--leave it to me--I'll clear up everything."

He stroked her head as though she were a child who had to be humored. "But what could a little thing like you do against a thief? The affair's beyond us. It's in the hands of the law now.'

"It won't be—not yet--not if you do as I say—if you'll agree to my plan, darling! Oh, you must—you must—"—she pleaded frantically— "if you want this thing kept out of the papers--if you want justice at all--you've got to agree to my scheme!"

"Out with it then," said Jake dubiously. Certainly they were in the dickens of a mess. If a scandal leaked out in the papers, it would kill Sadie!

Vernon seized on this. "You know what all this means to Mother? You know how she depends on the opinion of people?"

He groaned. Sadie's absurd social ambitions were his very old afflictions!

"I want just one little week to work in, and no questions asked. I tell you I've a shrewd idea of what has happened to the necklace. But if suspicion were thrown on the person NOW. nothing would come of it. But I'll find ways and means, Dad- it will never go through the bank, but I want you right now to write a check for $50.000. please!"

"Jumping Jehosophat! That's a tremendous sum, Maggie!"

"I know. But it's the amount the necklace is insured for. The check'll never go through--it'll never be cashed--it's just to be written as a sign of good faith, to Drouet's. We'll get them to promise to hold it for one week--against the loss of the diamonds. They'll promise us to return our check the minute I get back the real necklace."

"But-."

"No buts. You'll have to pay in any case, if you don't let me go ahead with my plan, darling. I signed a paper making me responsible for the necklace when I took it from the jeweler. Now I've lost it, they claim. I won't account for all my movements. so that makes me the criminal, in their eyes. If I tell everything I know now, if I account for my movements, I'll spoil everything, and they'll never catch the real thief."

Jake Tyson pondered this. While he trusted his young daughter, he was skeptical of her ability as a detective. Still and all, she was so desperately eager---he was financially able to put up $50,000 as a guarantee --. her reputation, the family reputation were worth it. And maybe the check would never be put through.

"Darling. write it now. Drouet's will wait the week. Let me get busy on the job in my own way. I'll show you!"

Jake yielded to her pleading. He adored his daughter, though he did not often show it. And there seemed a method in her madness. Certainly it would keep a scandal out of the papers in the meantime. anyhow....

Vernon scarcely slept that night. her mind revolving various courses of action.

She had been "not at home" to the telephone calls of Prince Karinoff She did not wish, at this stage. to discuss the missing necklace with him. Nor did she wish him to know that she definitely suspected him.

He had deliberately drugged that cup of coffee in the Gypsy Pavilion, after the Pageant, she was sure How else could one account for the dizzy, drowsy feeling that had overcome her almost immediately she had drunk the coffee?

Then-taking her in that condition of semi-consciousness to his apartment--and permitting her to pass the night there! It had surely been done for two reasons--to remove the real diamond necklace and substitute the imitation in its place—and to compromise her. so that her lips might be sealed!

The cad! The criminal!" Lots of queer little traits about the Prince that had seeped into her subconscious mind during their brief acquaintance--and which she had carelessly forgotten or ignored-. now rose to the surface.

The look he had given Mrs de Bray as they all got in the new car, preparatory for departure for Hot Springs!

Vernon had been exclaiming over the beautiful interior --it almost seemed that a knowing wink had passed between them!

Then there was the night in Hot Springs -- quite late it was -- when she had surprised Mrs. de Bray coming out of the Prince's bedroom?

There were several queer, things about Mrs. de Bray and the Prince. thought Vernon. Mere straws at the time. But now showing how the wind was blowing.

When Mrs. de Bray had left Hot Springs so suddenly. the Prince had accompanied her.

Yet-Mrs. de Bray was the very one who was consistently furthering the Prince's chances with Vernon! Surely friendship alone couldn't be the motive? They had known these people such a short time. And Mrs. de Bray somehow had always been in the center of their money-spending .. :

It gradually dawned on Vernon that Mrs. de Bray had been skillfully feathering her own nest, One of the principal ways in which the unscrupulous "needy" got along in this town-especially in so-called "Society'--was the "commission racket."

The Tyson family had been fools, permitting themselves to be so exploited!

The first move that Vernon would make would be a visit with Mrs. de Bray. As tactfully and as circumspectly as possible, she would drag out of Mrs. de every scrap of information about Prince Karinoff, rather than to believe that the Prince really had fascinated her.. . (To Be Continued)

Copyright, 1925. King Features Syndicate, Inc.