Carolyn Wells

“ What is your answer, Pearl—little Pearl?”
“There can be but one answer,” she returned, tears in her lovely eyes. “I love you, you, whoever you are, or whatever your name is. I am so overcome at what you have told me—I am so bewildered—I can’t seem to think it all out yet. But one thing I know—I love you and I’m glad—glad you love me.” ”

“ I know how the world will look at us, and I know it’s best and wisest to keep our secret for a time. I can’t get used to it myself! Tommy—I think I shall always call you Tommy—you did wear a wig, didn’t you? But, as you assured me, you are not bald!”
And they laughed together at the idea.
“Also, I miss your gold teeth,” Pearl Jane went on. “That was a clever dodge.”
“Yes—I felt I must make myself into two men, as widely differentiated as possible. So the gold caps and the big glasses and the wig seemed enough, and they were enough to allay any and all suspicion. ”

“ Lane came in and declared that he had himself discovered another way to look, and he wished Barham’s sanction of his work in that direction.
“It is a woman,” Lane said, and at once he saw, from the expression on Andrew Barham’s face, he had hit it right—so far.
“I deduced much from that pair of long, white gloves,” Lane went on. “They are of a make superior to those worn by most of the ladies at that party. They are Paris gloves, and they are small and dainty. ”

“ I hold that she wore this costume in order to gain admittance to the masquerade at the studio of Thomas Locke, and that Mrs. Barham had already told her of his masquerade, and that she, Mrs. Barham, expected to be there.
“I don’t believe that Mrs. Sayre went to the studio party with any intention of killing Mrs. Barham, but I believe she went there expecting an expose of Mr. Barham’s double life. I believe Mrs. Barham had suspicions of this, and had told Mrs. Sayre of them. Now, Mr. Barham, is she the one you have had in mind in connection with this matter?”
“Yes,” said Barham, “she is.” ”

“ Barham that evening was being—well, the word must be used—was being blackmailed by Mrs. Barham at that time. I have traced Mrs. Sayre’s movements that evening, and both her maid and her husband say that she went on an errand to her dressmaker’s early that evening and afterwards returned home, and went later with Mr. Sayre to the party at Mrs. Gardner’s. I have checked up this story, and I find she did not go to her dressmaker’s at all that evening. Her story was that she would go to her dressmaker’s wearing a masquerade costume that she wished to have remodeled. ”