“No!” exclaimed Hannah, staring at them. “Miss Betty’s!”
“Miss Varian’s!” Wise was himself surprised.
“Yes, sir; the very ones she wore the day—the day she—was lost.”
“I’ll take charge of them,” he said, simply, and put them in his pocket.
Kelly and his broom failed to find anything further, and suddenly realizing the side light it gave on her housekeeping habits, Hannah began to explain how everything was going at sixes and sevens of late.
“Of course it would,” Zizi soothed her, as Wise returned to the hall. “Now, Hannah, tell me, did you find anywhere, any more of Miss Betty’s beads?”
“I found two, when I was sweepin’ here one day. But I slipped ’em in this drawer an’ never remembered them again. Here they be.”
She retrieved the two beads, and Zizi took them.
“Did she wear a long string of them?”
“No, miss, a fairly short string. About like that you’ve on yourself.”