u hear about Jeff Stokes? No, I see you haven't.
Well, he's been appointed wireless operator at Rocky Point."

"Oh, I'm so glad," cried Peggy, impulsively; "that's been his ambition
for a long time."

Rocky Point was a projecting neck of land about two miles east of Sandy
Bay. It was quite an important signalling station for ships passing up
and down the Sound. The position which Jeff Stokes had secured was a
lucrative one in a way, and, at any rate, was in direct line of promotion.

The two Bancrofts waited to watch Peggy take the air in her now staunch
aeroplane. It was not until she had vanished with a whirr and a whiz that
Jimsy thought of starting his own car.

"Gracious," cried Jess, as they sped along, "how I wish that the mystery
of those jewels could be cleared up."

As she spoke they were passing by the cottage occupied by Gid Gibbons.

"Oh, look, there's that horrid Fanning Harding and Gid Gibbons's daughter
at the gate," cried Jess.

At the same instant as she uttered the exclamation, Hester Gibbons looked
up in time to see Jess's gaze concentrated upon her. She whisked about,
her skirts swinging as she did so. But she did not turn quickly enough
for Jess's sharp eyes not to see that she snatched at something she had
been wearing at her throat.

The millionaire's daughter was almost certain that the object Hester
snatched at in such a hurry was a ruby brooch, or at least an imitation
of one. She had distinctly caught a ruddy flash as Hester's hand moved to
her throat.

Jimsy, too, had noticed it, it seemed, for he suddenly observed:

"Seems queer for Hester to be wearing jewelry. Her father must be making
money fast nowadays."

"Yes," said Jess, but her voice was distant and preoccupied. She was
certain that her eyes had not deceived her. It had been a ruby that
Hester Gibbons had pulled off and hastened to conceal. Obeying an
impulse, she turned and gazed back over the top of the tonneau.

Through the dust cloud behind the car she could see that Hester and
Fanning Harding were once more in deep conversation at the gate. She
wondered what they could find so engrossing to talk about, and also
speculated on several other things. She, however, avoided mentioning her
suddenly aroused suspicions to Jimsy. He was so hasty. Inwardly she made
a resolve to seek out Peggy the first thing the next day and compare
notes with her. She could not help feeling that matters were assuming a
very complicated aspe