I sat up suddenly.
“If Harbison were worth the trouble!”
I repeated. What did he mean? Had he seen—
“I mean just this,” Max said slowly.
“There is only one unaccredited member of this
household; only one person, save Flannigan, who was
locked in the furnace room, one person who was awake
and around the house when Anne’s jewels went,
only one person in the house, also, who would have
any motive for the theft.”
“Motive?” I asked dully.
“Poverty,” Max threw at me. “Oh,
I mean comparative poverty, of course. Who is
this fellow, anyhow? Dal knew him at school,
traveled with him through India. On the strength
of that he brings him here, quarters him with decent
people, and wonders when they are systematically robbed!”
“You are unjust!” I said, rising and facing
him. “I do not like Mr. Harbison—I—I
hate him, if you want to know. But as to his
being a thief, I—think it is quite as likely
that you took the necklace.”
Max threw his cigarette into the fire angrily.
“So that is how it is!” he mocked.
“If either of us is the thief, it is I!
You do hate him, don’t you?”
I left him there, flushed with irritation, and joined
the others. Just as I entered the room, Betty
burst through the hall door like a cyclone, and collapsed
into a chair. “She’s a mean, cantankerous
old woman!” she declared, feeling for her handkerchief.
“You can take care of your own Aunt Selina, Jim
Wilson. I will never go near her again.”
“What did you do? Poison her?” Dallas
asked with interest.
“G—got camphor in her eyes,”
snuffed Betty. “You never—heard
such a noise. I wouldn’t be a trained nurse
for anything in the world. She—she
called me a hussy!”
“You’re not going to give her up, are
you, Betty?” Jim asked imploringly. But
Betty was, and said so plainly.
“Anyhow, she won’t have me back,”
she finished, “and she has sent for—guess!”
“Have mercy!” Dal cried, dropping to his
knees. “Oh, fair ministering angel, she
has not sent for me!”
“No,” Betty said maliciously. “She
wants Bella—she’s crazy about her.”
Really, I have left Aunt Selina rather out of it,
but she was important as a cause, not as a result;
at least at first. She came out strong later.
I believe she was a very nice old woman, with strong
likes and prejudices, which she was perfectly willing
to pay for. At least, I only presume she had likes;
I know she had prejudices.
