CHAPTER VI

Who stole the ring?

There were no preliminaries and less ceremony about searching Dorothy.  Within the office she was confronted by the superintendent of the store, and then the woman detective explained that a valuable ring had been taken from a tray on the counter, and she had reason to believe Dorothy or Tavia knew something about the missing article.

Tavia could not, or would not, keep her anger within bounds.  She simply declared the whole thing an outrage, and promised that Dorothy’s father would demand satisfaction for the insult.

Dorothy almost forgot her own predicament in trying to calm Tavia.  She assured her it would be all right—­was all a mistake, and, after all, what would it matter?  When the detective would be satisfied they knew nothing about the ring—­

Dorothy’s little Indian bag had been looked into by the superintendent, and now he stood before her with something in his hand.

“Is this it?” he asked of the woman detective.

Tavia and Dorothy stood speechless.  He held up to their gaze a handsome ring!

“In my bag!” faltered Dorothy.

“If this is your bag,” replied the man.

“Then some one put it there,” declared Tavia promptly.

“No doubt of that, miss,” said the man significantly.  “It did not walk in there.”

“I mean some one who tried to get us into trouble.  The little woman in black!” she exclaimed suddenly.  “I knew she had a motive in following us!”

But this assertion had no effect upon the store people.  They were evidently accustomed to persons making ready excuses, and paid no heed to Dorothy’s appealing eyes, her flaming cheeks, or her general astonishment.

“I never saw that ring before,” she managed to say.

“You will have to explain all that to the police,” the man declared, while the woman detective was smiling “audibly” at her catch.

“But I tell you it is all a mistake!” Dorothy almost shrieked, realizing now she must do or say something to defend herself.

“A woman has been following us all day,” added Tavia, “and at the jewelry counter she almost pushed me through the case.  I am positive she stole the ring, and got scared, or something.  Then she must have tossed it in Dorothy’s bag.”

“You should go on the force,” said the man with a sneer.  “You know how to make a case out, all right.”

“And you know how to impose on innocent girls,” cried Tavia, while Dorothy begged her to be quiet.

Just then another young lady entered the office.  She proved to be head clerk from the jewelry counter, and had been sent for by the superintendent.

He questioned her sharply as to the actions of Dorothy and Tavia while they were in her department.  Did they appear hurried, or did they seem to crowd others?  These and like questions were put to the clerk.  Dorothy felt by this time that the whole thing was a farce.  How could they help crowding?  And why would they not appear in a hurry, when there were not half enough clerks to attend to the customers?