Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 182, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 August 1913 — TUNER OF NERVES [ARTICLE]

TUNER OF NERVES

{professional Adjuster and Regulator of Things That Rattle Human Beings.

By CORA A. DOLSEN.

(<Copyrlrht, 1918, by the McClure Newspaper Syndicate.) "What’s her name?” Marcella demanded. She even turned from the (mirror to stare after the new acquisition to her stepmother’s household (with curiosity. ‘Anne Raleigh, professional adjuster' land regulator of shattered nerves, (households going to the little bowiwows, or any earthly thing that rattles ■and disturbs the human system. Realty, dear, I should have died last season If It hadn’t been for Anne. She gave ■me poise and a .peace that even your father’s little ways couldn’t upset.” “Where did you get her?” ‘Marcle, you don’t ’get’ persons like lAnne. You fall heir to them. She was (giving Rose Ashton mental punches ■one day after Rose had simply gone all (to pieces over Roily’s s departure for (Nevada.”I "He didn’t get a divorce. He never (intended to. He only went for a few (weeks’ fun hunting on the Renault’s Iranch there.” “Just exactly when Anne told her, land she proved it, and put Rose on her (feet in two days. I heard her texplginiing the whole affair to Rose that day, lwhe®t my own heart was nearly broken ■—why do you laugh, Marcella?” “Because, mumsie, you’re deliciouslly funny. Your heart is made of nice ■soft malleable rubber. It just couldn’t Ibreak. The reason I asked about Miss ißaleigh is this: I saw her on the Dimtaick yacht, and she was emphatically Inot a professional adjuster then.” “Don’t you dare upset my nerves 'Just after Anne has tuned them.” Mrs. Bertrand drew her pink silk Ikimono closer around her ample shoulders and shivered. She eyed Marcella ■expectantly, but Marcella went calmly ton rejuvenating herself. Four weeks on the Dimmlck yacht to the canal and Iback had not helped matters, either in (regard to matrimonial possibilities, or complexion. It vaguely irritated Mrs. 'Bertrand to have Marcella take both ■contigencles so serenely. “She has been in town in two weeks, (though.” "She left the yacht at Charleston on ■the way south.” - ; "I can’t Imagine Anne being in any (trouble with persons like Tony DimImick and his crowd. She is above Ithem.” ‘She may be —at times” —assented (Marcella. ‘But I saw her myself with Tony one night out on deck after the (rest of us had gone down to play (bridge, and Tony told her he simply ■couldn’t stand It any longer, and she (would have to leave the yacht at (Charleston.”

Marcella paused. In the mirror she caught sight of a figure standing in the doorway. It was Anne, quite unperturbed by what she had heard, and ismlling.. She was tall, with gray eyes, la lot of reddish gold hair, and the coriners of her lips turned upward with {provoking optimism. "I think I dropped my handkerchief hinder the table,” she said lightly. “And (It’s a pet one. If you don’t mind —” She recovered the lace edge bit of smiled down at Marcella. "I think we met on the yacht three 'weeks ago, Miss Bertrand,” she said. *“Dld you all have a pleasant trip?” A perfectly natural flush slowly crept over Marcella’s smooth face. “Very pleasant.” she answered. "Mumisle, I must leave you—" “Just a minute, Miss Bertrand,” said iAnne. “Did you find your diamond (pendant?” “Marcella has no diamond pendant,. lAnne,” protested Mrs. Bertrand in distress. “I do hope this isn’t anything lunpleasant.” “While we were on the yacht, Miss (Bertrand said she had lost a valuable 'diamond pendant, and Mr. Dimmick tasked me to try and recover it. I may say now that I was In the party in a sort of professional capacity, although apparently a guest. While the yacht lay in New York harbor Mr. Dimmick ilost several .pieces of jewelry from his istateroom. His mother missed two Tings, one a very unique Florentine antique. There were only three mem"bers of his. party on board then. Yow were one, Miss Bertrand.” “I remember Tony’s mentioning it,” •aid Marcella, her face a trifle pale as ■she met the other girl’s eyes. “We located the Florentine ring. It had been sold to a well known antique shop for about half its value just before the boat sailed. A colored maid was the go-between." ’How perfectly dreadful!” exclaimed Mrs. Bertrand. “Did Tony suspect anyone?" "Not until I went on the yacht. Have you told your mother of your engagement, Miss Bertrand?" .Anne asked the question coolly, mildly. Marcella simply shook her head, and their iglances were like crossed swords. "Then perhaps lam Intruding. At any Tate Mr. Dimmick told me that you had promised to be his wife. That was the night I agreed to leave the yacht at Charleston. I had found his mother’s gold chatelaine bag and a diamond Ting secreted In a pillow in one of the herths, the lower berth, Miss Bertrand. When I told him whose stateroom they were found in, he told me to drop the case, and I suggested returning to New York to avoid embarrassment, as he was badly cut up over the discovery." “But, Anne dear, why disturb us fearfully over this affair of the Dftnmlcksr aakad Mrs. Bertrand, plain-

tively. "Marcella, why didn’t yon teß» me you were engaged to Tony?” "I am not—now,” returned Marcella, slowly. “I broke the engagement the morning after Miss Raleigh left ua. The stateroom was mine, and the jewelry was found in my pillow, mumsie. You may as well know the truth. Tony told me himself. The diamond pendant was mine. Tony gave it to me instead of a ring the night he asked me to be his wife. It belonged to his mother, and she was quite willing I should have it. Can you imagine .what it meant to me to be suddenly confronted with this horrible evidence in my own stateroom? The rings and diamonds were sewn into the pillow itself among the feathers in a chamios skin pouch.”

"I have the pouch," said Anne. There was a piece cut oft the outer flap that folded over twice, and fastened with a snap like a glove. The Florentine ring was wrapped in the other piece and I had it saved from the antique shop in New York. It fitted exactly. I’ve enjoyed the whole experience Immensely, because it was the first case I had ever tried, don’t you know? Mr. Dimmlck did not want any professional help. He felt it was a case out of the ordinary. The other two members on board the yacht while it lay in the harbor here were Rose and Roily Ashton. Mr. Ashton left for Nevada at almost an hour’s notice, and let his wife take the trip alone because he was very jealous of Tony Dimmick. And the chamois pouch was one he used to carry a silver mounted automatic revolver in.” ‘But you said, Anne, the things were sold at the antique shop by a colored maid,” put in Mrs. Bertrand. “You can’t think that Rose would do such a thing?” Anne raised her eyebrows musingly and leaned on the little mahogany tar ble before her. “A half sick, neurotic woman will do' many foolish things that she does not realize the significance nor danger of,” she answered. “Rpse was desperate and Roily shut off her credit when he left. She needed plain every day cash, and she bribed her colored maid to take the ring and the pendant and sell them for her. We have the girl, and Rose hereelf confessed to me yesterday. I wired for her husband, and she is going west to join him on a trip around the world. Mr. Dimmick refuses to press the case against them. They are young and went the pace too fast without money to float them, but Rose Is good at heart, and I know everything will come right” She hesitated, and watched Marcella’s face.

“Tony Dimmick Is down in the reception room. Will you see him?” “Why were those things put in - my stateroom to incriminate me, and why did he half believe that I was guilty?” demanded Marcella, hotly. “It spoiled my trip, and almost my life.” “Won’t you just go downstairs now, and scold Tony?” Anne suggested smilingly. “He would love to have you say anything you like. I can say, though, that (he pouch was hidden in your room as the safest place from discovery. The maid told that. She was very friendly with your own maid, Della, and rather enjoyed putting any possible suspicion on you after it was known that Tony cared for you.” “Do you know what I thought?" asked Marcella, with a sudden smile. At the door she hesitated on her way down to tony. “I used to see you talking to Tony every now’and then away from the rest, and so earnestly and confidentially. And then I saw you both that night before you left the yacht, and I was certain you were an old sweetheart that still held him in leash. I’m so sorry, Anne. May I call you Anne, too?"

Anne laughed, and stretched out both her slim white capable hands. "You may call me anything you like, professional adjuster of anything from nerves to household accounts, and I’m doing very well at it, too, thank you.” “Anne,” said Mrs. Bertrand, with a sigh of relief, when they were alone, “you are a wonder. Did you get back the diamond pendant, too?" "Tony has it for her now, with a nice new ring, Mrs. Bertrand,” smiled Anne. ‘I think I adjusted the affair rather neatly. Poor little Mrs. Ashton wont know she has such things as nerves by the time she has roughed all over the world with that tall, stubborn youngster of a husband. They don’t belong down here in New York, Mrs. Bertrand. You’ve got to have a good grip on yourself before you try the long stroke here. There’s too strong an undertow." Mrs. Bertrand barely beard her. She was at her writing desk, turning over the calendar leaves.

’They can be married in September, and Tony has not less than forty thousand a year from his grandfather, besides the tin mines, or something they get out of mines, up in Canada. And Marcella's twenty-seven. I think she’s very fortunate, don’t you, Anne, honestly now?” Just for an instant the flicker of a shadow passed over Anne’s bright face as she drew on her long suede gloves. If things had been different, if perhaps, she had been Marcella Bertrand, those gorgeous moonlit nights on the little yacht bearing to southern seas, she knew what she would have told Tony Dimmick when he came a’courting. -But it had been quite different Professional adjusters have no rights Id the courts of love. They belong in the judges* box. Anne nodded her head. 'Very fortunate," she said.