Others standing by saw the costly thing whisked obliquely up into
the air. It was still ascending on the blast when it passed
out of the range of vision.
"O-o-o-oh! My beautiful jeweled scarf!" sobbed the woman hysterically.
The crowd quickly formed about her. She was recognized as Mrs.
Macey, the wife of a wealthy real estate operator.
"It was careless not to have it fastened more securely, but it's
no use to cry over what can't be helped now, my dear," replied
her husband. "Get into the carriage and I'll see if any trace
can be found of the scarf."
Still sobbing, Mrs. Macey was helped into the carriage. Then
Mr. Macey enlisted the help of the bystanders.
In every direction the street was searched. The fronts of the
buildings opposite were examined; the gratings in the sidewalk
were peered through. But there was no trace, anywhere, of the
jeweled scarf.
"It will be worth two hundred and fifty dollars for anyone to
find it and return it to me," shouted Mr. Macey. That scattered
the searchers more widely still. Presently a woman friend drove
home with Mrs. Macey, while her husband remained to push the search.
He kept at it until two o'clock in the morning, half a hundred
men and boys remaining in the search.
Then Mr. Macey gave it up. The gaudy, foolish trifle was worth
about five thousand dollars. As the night wore on Mr. Macey began
to have a pessimistic notion that perhaps some one had found the
scarf but had been too "thrifty" to turn in such a precious article
for so small a reward.
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