Aunt Jane's Nieces Out West

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Thank you!"

And then, before they could recover from their astonishment, he turned

abruptly and fled to his room.

The girls stared at one another a moment and then began laughing. Arthur

seemed crestfallen, while Uncle John handled his small box as gingerly as

if he suspected it contained an explosive.

"How ridiculous!" cried Patsy, her blue eyes dancing. "And did you

notice how scared poor Ajo was, and how he skipped as fearfully as though

he had committed some crime? But I'm sure the poor boy meant well. Let's

open our boxes, girls, and see what foolishness Ajo has been up to."

Slipping off the cover of her box, Beth uttered a low cry of amazement

and admiration. Then she held up a dainty lavalliere, with a pendant

containing a superb pearl. Louise had the mate to this, but the one Patsy

found had a pearl of immense size, its color being an exquisite shade of

pink, such as is rarely seen. Arthur displayed a ring set with a splendid

white pearl, while Uncle John's box contained a stick pin set with a huge

black pearl of remarkable luster. Indeed, they saw at a glance that the

size and beauty of all these pearls were very uncommon, and while the

others expressed their enthusiastic delight, the faces of Mr. Merrick and

Patsy Doyle were solemn and perplexed. They stared at the pearls with

feelings of dismay, rather than joy, and chancing to meet one another's

eyes they quickly dropped their gaze to avoid exchanging the ugly

suspicion that had forced itself upon their minds.

With a sudden thought Patsy raised her head to cast a searching glance

around the lobby, for although their party was seated in an alcove they

were visible to all in the big room of which it formed a part. Yes, Mr.

Isidore Le Drieux was standing near them, as she had feared, and the

slight sneer upon his lips proved that he had observed the transfer of

the pearls.

So the girl promptly clasped her lavalliere around her neck and openly

displayed it, as a proud defiance, if not a direct challenge, to that

detestable sneer.

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