Part 13 (2/2)

”I wish Ka-kee-ta was in the Pacific Ocean,” murmured Tessie, as she meekly followed Granny, for well she knew that Granny only told the truth when she said that queens did not lalligag with young lawyers.

”You've got a nerve, Bert Douglas!” exclaimed Mr. Bill, who met them at the ballroom door. ”What do you mean by running away with Her Majesty?

You should be shot at sunrise!”

”Shoot if you please!” Bert looked triumphantly at Mr. Bill. ”The queen and I had our little tete-a-two. Didn't we, Miss Gilfooly?”

”You must dance with every one,” scolded Granny. ”You can't pick and choose.” Her fingers straightened the lace shoulder-straps of Tessie's frock.

”What's the good of being a queen,” muttered Tessie, but she sounded more rebellious than she acted. She obediently danced with every one.

It was not until the ball was over, and a maid was throwing her wrap of velvet and fur over her shoulders that she missed something. She put her hand to her neck. Where was the Tear of G.o.d? The royal jewel no longer hung from her white neck. She turned deathly pale and ran from the coatroom.

”Mr. Bill! Mr. Douglas!” she stammered. ”I've been robbed!”

”Robbed!” They gathered about her. It was true. They could see for themselves that the royal jewel was no longer around her neck.

”You never left the room but once,” Mr. Bill remembered quickly. ”And Bert was with you!”

Bert bristled indignantly. ”What do you mean?” he wanted to know at once.

”The pearl was taken while Miss Gilfooly was dancing, or it dropped from her neck. You know where you took her. Suppose you look there,”

suggested Mr. Bill.

For a moment Bert looked as if he would refuse to follow Mr. Bill's suggestion, but if Mr. Bill meant what he said he meant, and not what Bert might think he meant, there was nothing to resent, and Bert hurried to the ante-room, keeping a sharp lookout in the corridor. He examined the ante-room carefully. He even slipped his hand down back of the seat of the red velvet sofa where he and Tessie had had such a pleasant little chat. He found several hairpins, a b.u.t.ton, a nickel, and two dusty lemon drops, but not one pearl. He had to go back to Tessie empty-handed. There were tears in her eyes.

”I don't dare tell Granny,” she gulped. ”She'll think I've been careless. And Ka-kee-ta!” She was frightened when she remembered Ka-kee-ta and his s.h.i.+ning ax. ”What do they do to queens who lose the crown jewels?” she wailed.

Mr. Bill put his hand on her arm. ”Buck up,” he begged earnestly. ”It must be somewhere! We'll find it. Don't you worry! Who could have taken it?”

That was the question. Who could have taken it? A sudden thought made Tessie clutch Mr. Bill's sleeve, and stare at him and at Bert with frightened eyes.

”You know,” she said, the words treading on each other in their haste to be spoken, ”that there is a party in the Suns.h.i.+ne Islands that doesn't want me to be the queen! And you know the natives are awfully superst.i.tious and won't have anybody for their ruler unless he has the Tear of G.o.d. Do you suppose one of those rebels could have been here to-night and stolen the jewel so that the natives will refuse to have me for their queen?” Her blue eyes were very, very big and frightened, and her face was very white.

”Well, I'll be darned!” muttered Mr. Bill.

”That's it! That's it!” cried Bert eagerly. ”You remember that white-headed, big-nosed chap who stole the record of your father's and mother's marriage from the Mifflin Court House?” he asked Tessie quickly. ”Perhaps he was here and stole the jewel.”

”He was freckled!” remembered Tessie with a gasp. ”The clerk said he was freckled! I remember I thought that was funny, for men don't freckle.

It's boys. I danced with a freckled man this very night!” She gasped again. ”And he asked a lot of questions about the islands. I never thought about it then. I thought he was just trying to be pleasant. What a fool I was!”

”That's the chap!” declared Mr. Bill.

”Who was he? What was his name?” demanded Bert.

”I don't remember,” faltered Tessie. ”I met so many men to-night. I don't remember any of their names. Oh, dear! What shall I do?” She looked from Bert to Mr. Bill, and when neither of them could tell her what to do she wished with all her heart that Joe Cary was there. Joe would tell her in a minute what to do.

”Well, Tessie, the party's over. It's time to go home.” And Granny, who had been talking to the president of the Junior League, came toward them followed by Ka-kee-ta. Tessie shrank away as she saw the gleam of Ka-kee-ta's ax. ”Had a good time, dearie?” Granny asked affectionately.

<script>