picked them up, long ago."

Young Mershone seemed searching the floral booth as earnestly as the
others, and awkwardly knocked the Doulton vase from the shelf with his
elbow. It smashed to fragments and in the pool of water on the floor
appeared the missing pearls.

There was an awkward silence for a moment, while all eyes turned
curiously upon Louise, who served this side of the triangle. The girl
appeared turned to stone as she gazed down at the gems. Mershone laughed
disagreeably and picked up the recovered treasure, which Diana ran
forward and seized.

"H-m-m!" said the detective, with a shrug; "this is a strange
occurrence--a very strange occurrence, indeed. Miss Von Taer, do you
wish--"

"No!" exclaimed Diana, haughtily. "I accuse no one. It is enough that an
accident has restored to me the heirloom."

Stiffly she marched back to her own booth, and the crowd quietly
dispersed, leaving only Arthur, Uncle John and the Major standing to
support Louise and her astonished cousins.

"Why, confound it!" cried the little millionaire, with a red face, "does
the jade mean to insinuate--"

"Not at all, sor," interrupted the Major, sternly; "her early education
has been neglected, that's all."