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CHAPTER FIVE

DANIEL TAYLOR entered quickly without acknowledging the presence of his inferiors and crossed to his desk by the window. He was a man above medium height, broad of shoulder, thick through the chest and giving the idea of one who was alert and aggressive mentally and physically. Those in the service who had set themselves against him had been broken. His path had been strewn with other men’s regrets; but Taylor climbed steadily, never caring for what was below, but grasping eagerly for power.

Naturally a man of his type must have had other qualities than mere aggressiveness to aid him in such vigorous competition. He had commended himself to the powers above him for snap judgment and quick action. And although men of his temperament must inevitably make mistakes, it was notorious that Taylor made fewer than his rivals.

Toward men like Duncan and Gibbs who were not destined to rise, men who could be replaced without trouble, Taylor paid small heed. They did what he told them and if they failed he never forgot. It was to the men above him that Taylor showed what small social gifts nature had given him. He had sworn to rise in the service and he cultivated only those who might aid him.

After glancing over the papers arranged on his desk he called to Duncan: “Has Miss Cartwright been here yet?”

“No, sir,” Duncan responded promptly.

His superior pushed the buzzer on his desk and then looked across at the uncomfortable Gibbs. “Want to see me?” he snapped.

“Yes, sir,” Gibbs made answer as Peter the doorkeeper entered in answer to Taylor’s summons.

“Then wait outside,” Taylor said, “I’ll see you in five minutes.”

“Yes, sir,” Gibbs said obediently and made his exit.

The deputy-surveyor turned toward the attendant. “Peter, let me know the instant Miss Cartwright arrives. Don’t forget; it’s important. That’s all.”

He dismissed Peter with a nod and then called to Duncan.

“Did Bronson of the New York Burglar Insurance Company send over some papers to me relating to the theft of Miss Cartwright’s jewels?”

Duncan took a long envelope and laid it on his chief’s desk. “Here they are, sir.”

Taylor looked at the documents eagerly. “By George!” he cried, when he had looked into them, “I knew I was right. I knew there was something queer about the way her diamonds were stolen.”

Duncan looked at him frowning. He prided himself upon his grasp of detail and here was the Chief talking about a case he knew naught of. “What diamonds?” he asked. “The case wasn’t in our office, was it?”

“No,” said Taylor, “this is a little outside job my friend Bronson’s mixed up in, but it may be a help to us.” He went on reading the papers and presently exclaimed: “It’s a frame-up. She wasn’t robbed, although she collected from the company on a false claim.”

“But I can’t see – ” the puzzled Duncan returned.

“No,” said his chief, cutting him short. “If you could, you’d have my job. Has the Mauretania got to Quarantine yet?”

“Not yet, sir,” Duncan answered.

“Telephone Brown to notify you the minute she does. Tell him we’ve got to know as soon as possible whether Denby declares that necklace; everything depends on that.”

“But he may declare it,” Duncan observed sagely.

“If he does we haven’t a case,” his superior said briefly, “but I’ve a feeling there’s not going to be a declaration.”

“I think so, too,” Duncan asserted, “and I’m holding Ford and Hammett to search him.”

Taylor frowned and drummed on the desk with his fingers. “I don’t know that I want him searched. Let them do nothing without my instructions.”

“But, Chief,” Duncan protested, “if he doesn’t declare the necklace and you don’t have him searched he’ll smuggle it in.”

“I know, I know,” Taylor said impatiently, “but I’ve got to be cautious how I go about taking liberties with a friend of Michael Harrington’s. He has more influence than you’ve any idea of. We’ve got to be sure we have the goods on Denby.”

Duncan looked at the other with grudging admiration. “Well, I guess it won’t take R. J. very long to land him.”

Taylor turned on the speaker with a scowl. “What’s he got to do with this?”

“I thought you might have interested him in it,” Duncan said meaningly.

“I don’t know anything about him,” Taylor returned.

It was like the Chief to refuse to take his underlings into his confidence, Duncan thought, so he took his cue and changed the subject.

“Well,” he said, reverting to the proposed search of Denby, “if we don’t go through him at the dock, what are we going to do?”

“Let him slide through easily and think he’s fooled us,” Taylor said. “He may be pretty clever. Do you remember that man who stuck the sapphire we were hunting for into a big rosy apple he gave to a woman in the second cabin and then took it away from her before she had time to eat it? We’ll see if he talks to anyone, but I think he’ll take the pearls right down to Westbury. He’ll be off his guard when once he gets down there.”

“Have you got one of the Harrington servants to spy for us?” Duncan cried.

“I’ve got what will be better than that with a little luck,” Taylor said with a smile. “Don’t you know that Miss Ethel Cartwright is going down to Westbury this afternoon to spend the week-end with the Harringtons?”

“You don’t mean you’re going to use her?” Duncan exclaimed, incredulity in his tone.

“It wouldn’t be a bad idea, would it, Jim?”

“It would be a peach of an idea if you could do it, but can you?”

Taylor chuckled. It was plain he had some scheme in his crafty brain that pleased him more than a little.

“I’m going to answer that as soon as I’ve had a little confidential chat with Miss Cartwright.”

He broke off to turn to the doorway through which Gibbs’ head protruded.

“Can I see you now, Chief?” Gibbs asked.

“What is it?” Taylor snapped.

“There’s a deaf and dumb chicken out here,” Gibbs replied anxiously.

“A what?” the other demanded.

“A girl that can’t hear or speak or write. They say she’s smuggled a bracelet in but they’ve searched her eight times and can’t get a trace of it, so they sent her to you.”

“They don’t expect me to make the ninth attempt, do they?” the Chief queries.

“Why, no,” Gibbs told him, “but they thought you might hand her the third degree.”

“Bring her in,” the autocrat commanded. When Gibbs had closed the door Taylor turned to Duncan. “She’s probably bluffing. Put that chair here. We’ll try the gun gag on her. There’s a revolver in my second drawer. When I say ‘Go,’ you shoot. Got it?”

“Yes, sir,” Duncan said, anticipating a theatrical scene in which his chief would shine as usual. Duncan always enjoyed such episodes; he felt he shone with reflected power.

Gibbs dragged in a young girl and stood her in front of the chair to which the Chief had beckoned. “Sit down,” Gibbs commanded. The afflicted woman who was named, so Gibbs said, Sarah Peabody, remained standing. “Hey, squattez-vous,” her captor commanded again in a louder voice. Still Sarah was unmoved. Gibbs scratched his head and summoned his linguistic attainments to his aid.

“Setzen sie,” he shouted, but Miss Peabody remained erect.

Gibbs turned away with a gesture of despairing dignity. “I’m done,” he asserted; “that’s all the languages I know. I used to think it was a terrible thing that women could talk, but I guess the Almighty knowed more than I did.”

Duncan essayed more active measures. He pushed her into the seat. “Hey you,” cried he, “sit down there.”

Gibbs watched a little apprehensively. If Sarah Peabody had been normal, he would have pictured her as a slangy and fluent young woman with a full-sized temper. He had dealt with such before and they invariably defeated him in wordy combat. In duels of this sort Gibbs was slow to get off the mark.

Taylor came toward the afflicted one and looked shrewdly into her face. “She’s not shamming,” said he. “She’s got that stupid look they all have when they’re deaf and dumb.” He watched her closely as he said this.

“She ain’t spoke all day,” Gibbs volunteered, “and no woman what could, would keep from talking that long.”

“Women will do a lot for diamonds,” his chief observed.

“None of ’em ever do me for none,” Gibbs remarked placidly.

Suddenly Taylor addressed the girl roughly. “If you’re acting,” he cried, “you’d better give it up, because I’m certain to find out, and if I do, I’ll send you to jail.” Still the girl paid no attention but only stared ahead blankly. “So you won’t answer, eh?” said her inquisitor. “Going to force my hand, are you?” He raised his hand to signal Duncan and then added: “Go.”

The loud report of the revolver, while it made Gibbs jump, had no effect upon the young woman. Taylor shook his head wisely. “I guess she’s deaf and dumb all right, poor girl. What’s it all about, Gibbs? What is it you think she’s done?”

“She’s got a bracelet chuck-full of diamonds, and we can’t find it.”

“How do you know she’s got it?” the Chief asked.

“She showed it to a woman who was in the same cabin,” Gibbs returned, “and the woman came and tipped us off.”

“Why, the dirty hussy!” cried the girl, who had previously been bereft of hearing and speech, rising to her feet, her eyes flashing, and her whole face denoting rage.

Gibbs looked at her, his eyes bulging with startled surprise, and then turned his ox-like gaze upon Taylor.

“For the love of Mike!” said Gibbs at length, but Sarah Peabody cut short any other exclamations.

“Do you know why she told about me?” the girl demanded. “She wanted to alibi herself and make you folks thinks she was an honest God-fearing lady that would never smuggle – and she had four times as much as I did. Why, it was her who put me up to smuggling and taught me to be deaf and dumb.” Sarah ground her white teeth in anger. “I’d like to meet her again some time.”

“You shall,” Taylor cried. “When we arrest her we’ll need your evidence to testify against her.”

“You can bet I won’t be deaf and dumb then,” Miss Peabody cried viciously.

“Where’s the bracelet?” Taylor snapped. “Don’t waste time now.”

But the smuggler was no fool and not intimidated by his tones. “Wait a minute,” she said craftily. “What’s going to happen to me?”

“Produce it, pay the duty, and we’ll let you go free for the tip.”

“You’re on,” said Sarah joyously. “Just take a look at the ring handle of my parasol. I’ve painted over the stones, that’s all.”

Gibbs grabbed it from her and examined it closely. “Well, can you approach that?” he said helplessly. “And I’ve been carrying it around all day!”

Taylor turned from his examination of the parasol as Peter the doorkeeper entered. “Miss Cartwright here?” he asked quickly.

“Yes, sir,” answered the man. “She’s just arrived.”

“Bring her in as soon as these get out,” Taylor said dismissing him.

“Take her away now, Gibbs,” he said, indicating the owner of the magic parasol. “Turn her over to Shorey, he can handle her from now on.”

“All right, sir,” Gibbs said, still undecided as to why he had been fooled.

Sarah looked at him with scorn. “I’ll be glad to have someone else on the job. I’m sick o’ trottin’ around with a fat guy like him.”

“Say, now,” Gibbs protested in an injured manner.

But Taylor had a bigger scheme on hand and waved her away impatiently. “Take her along, Gibbs.”

She gave Taylor an impudent little nod of farewell. “Ta-ta old Sport. I certainly fooled you, when you had that gun shot off.”

Gibbs had grabbed her by the arm and was now pushing her toward the door. “And I could have kept it up,” Miss Peabody asserted in a shrill tone, “if it hadn’t made me sore, her putting over one on me like that. And she was so blamed nice to me. But when one woman’s nice to another she means mischief, you can bet your B. V. D.’s.”

Even Taylor smiled as she went. He had nearly met defeat but his habitual luck had made him victor in the end. He hoped it would aid him in a far more difficult interview which was to come.

Duncan took advantage of his good humor to ask a question.

“Do you really think you can get Miss Cartwright to help us on the Denby case?”

He had so often seen her name in the society columns that he doubted if his chief, clever as he was, could successfully influence her.

Taylor looked at him curiously. There was in his eyes a look that spoke of more than a faint hope of success. Few knew better than Duncan of his ability to make men and women his tools.

“Jim,” he said with an air of confidence, “I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if she offered to help us.”

The door opened and Peter entered.

“Miss Ethel Cartwright,” he announced.

Taylor rose to his feet as she entered and bowed with what grace he could as he motioned her to a chair.

Miss Cartwright was a tall, strikingly pretty woman of twenty-seven, who looked at the deputy-surveyor with the perfect self-possession which comes so easily to those whose families have long been of the cultured and leisured classes. It was plain that this rather languid young lady regarded him merely as some official whom she was bound to see regarding a matter of business.

“Sorry if I kept you waiting, Miss Cartwright,” Taylor said briskly.

“It doesn’t matter in the least,” she returned graciously. “I’ve never been at the Customs before. I found it quite interesting.”

“My name is Taylor,” he said, “and I’m a deputy-surveyor.”

“You wanted to see me about a ring, I think, didn’t you?”

“Yes,” he answered. “The intention evidently was to smuggle it through the Customs.”

“Do you really think so?” she demanded, interested. “I haven’t the faintest idea who could have sent it to me.”

“Of course you haven’t,” he said in his blandest, most reassuring manner. It was a manner that made the listening Duncan wonder what was to follow. His chief was always most deadly when he purred. “It’s a mistake,” he continued, “but the record will probably shed some light on the matter. Duncan,” he called sharply, “go and get those papers relating to Miss Cartwright.”

His assistant looked at him blankly.

“Papers?” he repeated. “What papers, sir?”

“The papers relating to the package sent Miss Cartwright from Paris.” There was a significance in his tone that was not lost on Duncan. Gibbs would have argued it out, but Duncan though in the dark followed his cue.

“Oh, those papers,” he answered. “I’ll get ’em, sir.”

When he had gone the girl turned to Taylor.

“Do you know,” she asserted, “I feel quite excited at being here and sitting in a chair in which you probably often examine smugglers. One reads about it constantly.”

“It’s being done all the time,” he responded, “among all sorts of people. Now, Miss Cartwright, since we are talking of smuggling, I’d like to have a little business chat with you if I may.”

The girl looked at him astonished. She could not conceive that a man like the one looking at her could be serious in talking of a business proposition.

“With me?” she demanded, and Taylor could see that the idea was not pleasing. He resolved to abandon his usual hectoring tactics and adopt softer modes.

“I mean it,” he asserted. “You said you’ve read about all this smuggling and so on. Believe me, you’ve not read a thousandth part of what’s going on all the time, despite all our efforts to check it. The difficult part is that many of the women are so socially prominent that it isn’t easy to detect them. They move in the sort of world you move in.” He leaned forward and spoke impressively. “But it’s a world where neither I nor my men could pass muster for a moment. Do you follow me?”

“I hear what you say,” she said, “but – ”

He interrupted her, “Miss Cartwright, we are looking for someone who belongs in society by right. Someone who is clever enough to provide us with information and yet never be suspected. We want someone above suspicion. We want someone, for instance, like you.”

That his proposition was offensive to her he could see from the faint flush that passed over her face and the rather haughty tone that she adopted.

“Really, Mr. Taylor,” she cried, “you probably mean well, but – ”

Again he cut her short.

“Just listen a moment, Miss Cartwright,” he begged. “I have reason to know that your family has been in financial difficulties since your father died.” He looked at her shrewdly. “The position I hinted at could be made very profitable. How would you like to enter the secret service of the United States Customs?” He could see she was far from being placated at his hint of financial reward.

“This is quite too preposterous,” she said icily. “It may possibly be your idea of a joke, Mr. Taylor, but it is not mine.”

“I’m not joking,” he cried, “I’m in dead earnest.”

“If that’s the case,” she returned, rising, “I must ask you to get the papers regarding the ring.”

“They’ll be here at any moment,” he answered. “I’m sorry you don’t care to entertain my proposition, but it’s your business after all. By the way,” he added, after a moment’s pause, “there’s another little matter I’d like to take up with you while we’re waiting. Do you recall a George Bronson, the claim agent of the New York Burglar Insurance Company, the company which insured the jewels that were stolen from you?”

“I think I do,” she returned slowly, “but – ”

“Well, that company has had a great deal of trouble with society women who have got money by pawning their jewels and then putting in a claim that they were stolen and so recovering from the company on the alleged loss.”

The girl looked at him, frowning. “Are you trying to insinuate that – ”

“Certainly not,” Taylor purred amiably. “Why, no. I’m merely explaining that that’s what Bronson thought at first, but after investigating, he found out how absurd the idea was.”

“Naturally,” she said coldly.

She had come into the deputy-surveyor’s office with an agreeable curiosity regarding a present sent her from Paris. But the longer she stayed, the less certain did she feel concerning this hard-faced man opposite her, who had the strangest manner and made the most extraordinary propositions. What business was it of his that her jewels had been stolen?

“But there were some things he could not understand,” Taylor went on.

“May I ask,” she cried, “what Mr. Bronson’s inability to understand has to do with you?”

“Simply,” said Taylor with an appearance of great frankness, “that he happens to be a very good friend of mine and often consults me about things that puzzle him. The theft of those jewels of yours mystified him greatly.”

“Mystified him?” the girl retorted. “It was perfectly simple.”

“Perhaps you won’t mind telling me the circumstances of the case.”

“Really,” she returned sub-acidly, “I don’t quite understand how this concerns the Customs.”

“It doesn’t,” he agreed readily, “I am acting only as Bronson’s friend and if you’ll answer my questions I may be able to recover the jewels for you.”

The girl’s face cleared. So far from acting inimically, Mr. Taylor was actually going to help her. She smiled for the first time, and resumed her seat.

“That will be splendid,” she exclaimed. “I did not understand. Of course I’ll tell you everything I know.”

“The first feature that impressed Bronson,” said the deputy-surveyor, “and me, I’m bound to add, was that the theft seemed to be an inside job.”

“What does that mean?” Miss Cartwright queried, interested.

“That there was no evidence that a thief had broken into your home.”

“But what other explanation could there be?” she inquired. “Our family consists of just my mother, my sister and myself, and two old servants who have lived with us for years, so of course it wasn’t any of us.”

“Naturally not,” Taylor agreed as though this explanation had solved his doubts. “But how did you come to discover the loss of the diamonds?”

“I didn’t discover it myself,” she told him. “I was at Bar Harbor.”

“Oh,” said Taylor with the confidential air of a family physician. “You were away. I see! Who did find out?”

“My sister. It was she who missed them.”

“Oh, your sister missed them, did she?” he said.

He pushed the buzzer and wrote something on a slip of paper.

“So of course,” the girl continued, “it must have been some thief from the outside.”

Taylor looked thoughtful. “I suppose you’re right,” he admitted, and then asked quickly: “I wonder if you’d mind telephoning your sister to come down here now?”

“Why, she came with me,” Miss Cartwright returned. “She’s outside.”

“That’s fine,” he said brightly. “It makes it easier.” He pushed the buzzer again. “Perhaps she’ll be able to help us.”

“She’ll come if I wish,” said the elder sister, “but she knows even less about it than I do.”

“I understand that,” Taylor said smoothly, “but she may remember a few seemingly unimportant details that will help me where they wouldn’t seem significant to you.”

He looked up as Peter came in. “Ask Miss Cartwright’s sister to come in for a moment. Tell her Miss Ethel wants to talk to her.”

“Amy will tell you all she can,” the girl asserted.

“Just as you would yourself,” Taylor said confidentially. He had no other air than of a man who is sworn to recover stolen diamonds. Ethel Cartwright admitted she had misjudged him.

“It must be wonderful to be a detective and piece together little unimportant facts into an important whole.”

“It is,” he answered a trifle drily; “quite wonderful.”

Amy Cartwright was brought into the deputy-surveyor’s room by Peter. Plainly she was of a less self-reliant type than her elder sister, for the rather startled expression her face wore was lost when she saw Ethel. She was a pretty girl not more than eighteen and like her sister dressed charmingly.

“You wanted me, Ethel?” she asked.

“Yes, dear,” the elder returned. “Amy, this is Mr. Taylor, who thinks he may be able to get back my diamonds for me.”

Amy Cartwright shot a quick, almost furtive look at Taylor and then gripped her sister’s arm. “Your diamonds!” she cried.

Taylor had missed nothing of her anxious manner. “Yes,” he said. “Your sister has been kind enough to give me some information in reference to the theft, and I thought you might be able to add to the facts we already have.”

“I?” the younger girl exclaimed.

“Yes,” her sister commanded. “You must answer all Mr. Taylor’s questions.”

“Of course,” Amy said with an effort to be cheerful.

Taylor looked at her magisterially. “How did you discover your sister’s jewels were stolen?”

“Why,” she replied nervously, not meeting his eye, “I went to her dressing-table one morning and they weren’t there.”

“Oh!” he exclaimed meaningly. “So they weren’t there! Then what did you do?”

“Why, I telephoned to the company she insured them in.”

“Without consulting your sister?” he asked. His manner, although quick and alert, was friendly. Ethel Cartwright felt he was desirous of helping her, and if Amy seemed nervous, it was her first experience with a man of this type. She had so little experience in relying on herself that this trifling ordeal was magnified into a judicial cross-examination. She determined to help Amy out.

“You must remember,” she said to Taylor, “that I was out of town.”

“Of course!” Amy exclaimed with a show of relief. “How could I consult her when she was in Maine?”

“Were you certain she hadn’t taken her diamonds with her?” he asked.

Amy hesitated for a moment. “I think she must have told me before she left.”

“Hm!” he ejaculated. “You think she did?”

Amy turned to her sister. “Didn’t you tell me, Ethel?”

Miss Cartwright knit her brows in thought. “Perhaps I did,” she admitted.

“But you didn’t telegraph your sister to make sure?” Taylor queried.

“Why, no,” the girl said hesitating and seemingly confused. “No, I didn’t.” She was now staring at her interrogator with real fear in her eyes.

“Well, that doesn’t make any difference,” he said genially, “so long as the jewels were stolen and not merely mislaid, does it?”

“No,” she said with a sigh of relief.

“There’s one other point,” he said, turning to the elder sister. “You received the compensation money from the company, didn’t you?”

“Naturally,” she said tranquilly.

“Please don’t think me impertinent,” he said, “but you still have it intact, I presume?”

“Only part,” the girl returned. “I gave half of it to my sister.”

“I rather thought you might have done that,” he purred as though his especial hobby was discovering affection in other families, “That was a very nice generous thing to do, Miss Cartwright. But you realize of course that if I get your jewels back the money must be returned to the Burglar Insurance people in full,” – he looked significantly at the shrinking younger girl, – “from both of you.”

Amy Cartwright clasped her hands nervously. “Oh, I couldn’t do that,” she exclaimed.

Ethel turned to her in astonishment.

“But Amy, why not?”

“I haven’t got it all now.”

“But, dear, what did you do with it?” Ethel persisted.

Taylor seemed to take a keen interest in Amy Cartwright’s financial affairs.

“That’s quite an interesting question,” he observed judiciously. “What did you do with your half?”

“I – I paid a lot of bills,” the girl stammered.

“Paid a lot of bills!” her sister exclaimed. “But Amy, you distinctly told me – ”

“One minute,” Taylor interrupted. “Now, Miss Amy,” he said sharply, “what sort of bills did you pay?”

“Oh, dressmakers and hats and things,” she answered with a trace of sullenness.

“Of course they gave you receipts?” he suggested.

“I don’t remember,” she answered.

“Oh, you don’t remember,” he said, fixing her with his cold eye. “But you remember whom you paid the money to?”

“Of course she does,” Ethel cried, coming to her sister’s aid. She was herself puzzled at this strange man’s attitude. “You do, don’t you, Amy?”

“Why, yes,” the other said weakly.

“Give me the names!” Taylor demanded, and then looked angrily up to see who had entered his office unbidden. It was James Duncan, apologetic, but urged by powers higher than those of his chief.

“The Collector and the Secretary want to see you right away, sir,” he announced.

“I can’t leave now,” Taylor cried angrily. And in that moment both girls realized of what ruthless metal he was cast. Gone was the amiable interest in family matters and the kindly wish to aid two girls in getting back their trinkets, and there was left a strong remorseless man who showed he had them very nearly in his power.

But Duncan dared not go back with such a message.

“I explained you were busy, Chief,” he said, “but they would have you come down at once, as the Secretary has to go back to Washington. It’s about that necklace. The one coming in on the Mauretania this afternoon.”

“Oh, very well,” his superior snapped. “I shall have to ask you ladies to excuse me for five minutes.”

“Certainly,” Ethel Cartwright returned.

At the door Taylor beckoned to Duncan and spoke in a whisper. “Get outside in the corridor and if they try to leave, stop ’em. And I shall want to know what they’ve been talking about. Understand?”

“Sure, Chief,” Duncan returned.

When both men had gone from the room Amy clung half-hysterically to her strong, calm sister. “Oh, Ethel, they know, they know!”

“Know what?” Ethel asked, amazed at the change in the other.

“That man suspects,” Amy whispered. “I know he does. Did you see how he glared at me and the way he spoke?”

“Suspects what?” Ethel asked. “Amy, what do you mean? What is there to suspect?”

“Don’t let them take me away!” the younger sister wailed. “Oh, don’t, don’t!”

Ethel drew back a step and looked into the trembling Amy’s tear-stained face.

“What is this you are saying?” she asked sharply.

“Ethel, your jewels weren’t stolen.” There was a pause as if the girl were trying to gather courage enough to confess. “I took them. I pawned them.”

“Amy!” cried the other. “You?”

“I had to have money. I took them. A woman told me I could get it by pretending to the company the things were stolen. She said they’d never find it out and would pay. I tried it, and they paid.”

Miss Cartwright looked down at her, amazed, indignant, horrified.

“Do you mean to say you deliberately swindled the company?”

“I couldn’t help it, Ethel,” she declared piteously. “I didn’t think of it in that way. I didn’t mean to. I didn’t, indeed.”

“Why, why, why? Why in God’s name did you do it? Tell me quickly, why?”

Amy could no longer meet her sister’s glance. She dropped her head.

“I lost a lot of money gambling, playing auction bridge.”

“Playing with whom?” Ethel demanded sharply.

“People you don’t know,” the younger answered evasively. “It was while you were away. It wouldn’t have happened if you’d been home. We all dined together at the Claremont and afterwards they simply would play auction. I said no at first but they made me. I got excited and began to lose, and then they said if I kept on the luck would turn, but it didn’t, and I lost a thousand dollars.”

Ethel Cartwright needed no other explanation as a key to Taylor’s manner. It was certain that he knew and would presently force her poor frightened little sister into a confession. It was no time for blaming the child or pointing out morals, but for protecting her.

“Ssh,” she whispered, “Ssh!”

“I didn’t mean to do it,” Amy reiterated. “Believe me, I didn’t.”

“Tell me what happened then?” Ethel asked in a low tone.

“I couldn’t pay, of course, and the other women said they’d have to ask mother or you for the money and if you wouldn’t pay I should have to go to jail. I didn’t know what to do. I nearly went out of my head, I think. At last Philip Sloane offered to lend it me.”

The elder recoiled from her. “That man!” she cried horrified. “Oh, Amy, and how often I have warned you against him!”

“There was nothing else to do,” her sister explained. “You were away and I had no one to go and ask.”

“Stop a minute,” Ethel said. “If you borrowed the money and paid the debts, why did you need to take my diamonds?”

Amy hung her head. “When he lent me the money he said I could pay it back whenever I wanted to, in a hundred years if I liked.”

“Well?” Ethel cried anxiously. “Well?”

“But a day or so later he came to see me, mother was out, and his manner was so different I was frightened. He – he said a girl who accepts money from a man is never any good, and nobody will believe them no matter what they say. I didn’t think men could be like that. He said he’d forget about it if I went away with him. He said nobody would know it – he could arrange all that – and he threatened all sorts of things. Oh, everything you said about him was right.”