TH E GATE CITY JOURNAL, NYSSA, OREGON.
DIAMOND
CUT DIAMOND
Jane Bunker
Oopyrlgh. -Th» M k »H v itU Ca
"C L A IR E ’S J E W E LS ARE MRS. DELARIO’S DIAM ONDS."
Synopals.—W hile In the little Swiss town o f Vevay, where the "staid, proper
spinster” who telle the etory le upending a vacation, ehe la aaked to allow a
younK girl, Claire de Itavenol, to be her companion back to the United State*.
Although form ing an attachment to the girl, the heroine take* a dislike to
Monster de Itavenol, Claire’s father, and declines. On the boat she finds
Claire In the care o f a casual acquaintance, Mrs. Delarto, whom she had met
while each was purchasing a pair o f slippers, exactly alike, which figure largely
In subsequent events. When they reach N ew York, where Claire was to have
been met by her mother, the latter does not appear, arid Claire perforce goes to
Mrs. Delarto's home. In the confusion at the custom house, the spinster carries
off one o f Mrs. Delarlo's slippers. Through that happening she learns later
that someone unknown to her has been In her flat. Calling on Mrs. Delarlo,
that lady shows her some remarkable gems, believing them to be rubles, but
which are really blood-red diamonds, and easily worth a million dollars. Mrs.
Delarlo admits the gems were smuggled, but offers no explanation. W hile
they are talking, a [founding on the door throws them Into consternation. The
caller asserts he Is an officer o f the law, with a warrant for the arrest o f
Mrs. Delarlo's son on a charge of stealing the diamonds. She outwits him and
persuades the spinster to take the gems to her home for safe keeping. Next
morning, realising the responsibility In her possession o f the diamonds, the
spinster takes them bark to Mrs. Delarlo, but while there she learns that that
lady's son has been kidnaped, supposedly on account o f the gems, and agrees
to keep them In a bunch o f hyacinths and has the lock o f her door changed
and a chain-bolt added. Over the telephone De Itavenol Informs her Mrs.
Delarlo has met with an accident and urges her to call at once. Hastening to
her friend, and leaving the gems, the heroine Is met by De Itavenol, who for
the first time gives a strong hint o f his real character. _______________________
C H A P T E R VI— Continued.
“ Is mndame Intending to converse
w ls me, holding a weapon In her
hand?”
“ Is monslenr Intending to converge
with me behind locked doors?”
“ F o r ze present— yes.”
‘‘V ery well, then, get It over. W hat
Is It?” I felt very sure by this tim e
It had nothing, directly, to do with
Mrs. Delurlo.
‘‘It Is zls— my daughter, Claire, was
robins! o f some very valuable Jewels
on ze steamer coming over. Zere are
hot tw o persons who could possibly
have committed ze seft— Mrs. D elarlo
and— yourself.”
I was dazed— so dozed that I stam
mered.
“ You say Claire was robbed coming
over on the steamer— and you think I
did It?”
i “ Precisely.”
M y a lls came bock w ith that flat
accuso^ u.
^
"T h en w hy didn't she soy something
about It at the time?” 1 demanded.
’ “ Probably because she was not
aw are o f It at ze time— one seldom Is,
I f I nmy be perm itted to point It out
to madame,”
. I wns so com pletely Innocent o f even
knowing that the girl had Jewels with
her— except such little trinkets as a
child values and thut nobody but a
street th ief would have bothered his
head over— that I sow monsieur’s ac
cusation as blackmail. That word sud
denly popped Into my head and gave
me the basis o f a return uttack.
“ You mean to tell me that Claire
had valuable Jewels on the steamer yet
never mentioned the fact to either Mrs.
Delarlo or m yself?”
‘‘Naturally, she says nosslng— why
should she? S h e 'ls under no obliga
tion to speak o f such a m atter to you.”
“ In other words, she was smuggling
valuable Jewels Into the country— try
ing to get them through the customs
house without our knowing It, so we
could tell her to declare them ?"
“ Smuggling? She Is taking zem to
her mStsser— zey have once been pur
chased In Am erica.”
“ I don’t b elieve she had nay Jewels,"
I asserted bravely. “ M erely to soy she
hail— and she h n *i’t got them now—
doesn't prove anything. You must have
sense enough to see that fo r yourself."
Ills face had darkened again. “ You
doubt m y word? I have ze proof,
madame, ze absolute proof— zat she
hod ze Jewels wls her when she went
on hoard ze steam er; and while on
b o a rd ; and up to a certain dale. I can
furnish proof znt would be accept In
any court— I f madame renders It nec
essary.”
H is tone carried conviction In spite
o f m yself; also, I knew he wns ready
to have me put under arrest and fur-
■Ish his proof In court. F o r a minute
> went limp and sick, nut I pulled my-
-**!f together fo r another shot at him—
"T h en you admit ahe wns smuggling
Jewels Into the country?"
H e shrugged—I thought to conceal
■Us uneasiness at the way I waa taking
It. “ Ze Jewels belong to my w ife— a
wedding g ift from her faser— I f you
call It smuggling— ”
“ But they w ere not declared— I
know that, anyway. W ell, then— alnce
they were not declared, they were to
•11 Intents and purposes smuggled. W e
shall now art as though they had been
smuggled— we shall at once enlist the
services o f the government In ynnr be
half. A fter the Jewels are discovered,
you can present evidence that they
w ere not subject to duty. Or, o f course,
you can pay the duty. I suppose they
are worth that to you to get them
hack?*
“What do you mean, madame?” he
exclaimed In • tone that to me sound
ed ala-in. “You sink I ask your gov-
ernnwsit ts seek for to te lost Jewels
o f my daughter? Dlable— pardon— and
lose zem so soon aa I And arm?”
“Net you. but I— I will ask the cua-j
toms house officials to take up the
case.”
"Y ou? . . , Y ou ? . . . Madame,
o f what are you sinking?”
“ I — yea, certainly,” I replied firmly,
follow in g up my advantage; fo r lie
had given It aw ay to me that he didn’t
wish the customs house to know about
this little smuggling o f Claire's. “ Since
you have seen lit to accuse me o f a
robbery I know nothing about, I shall
— I must— do all I can to help Claire
get her Jewels buck In order to prove
iny own Innocence. I w ill go to the
customs house and report the whole
m atter tom orrow morning.”
“ You w ill do nosslng o f ze s o rt!” H e
fn lrly hissed the words at me. “ You
w ill tell nobody zat ze Jewels have
been stolen— nobody.
And you w ill
g ive me your promise before you leave
zls room.”
H e turned scarlet, and then deathly
white, but he got control o f himself
Immediately.
' f o tbul was the w ay the wind blew .
M y s h o f had carried home— I fe lt I
had him, a good deal worse than he
LaA me. I gave him another dose o f
the same ammunition— “ I certnlnly
shall— there's nothing else to do. Now,
then, what w ere the Jewels C laire wns
smuggling In?"
I lo kept bock a retort by biting his
lip and glured at me.
“ W hat w ere the Jewels?” I repented.
“ Yott must at least tell nie that— since
you accuse me o f taking them. What
w ere they? I know absolutely nothing
about them. You may b elieve m e or
not as you choose, but It’s your own
loss I f you don’t ”
My words seemed to shake his con
viction fo r a moment— but only fo r a
mom ent; what he sold next le ft m e no
doubt ns to the gravity o f my situation
In the matter.
"A n d now, madame, w e lay all sub
terfuges and evasions to ze side. Zere
are hut tw o persons who could have ze
Jewels o f my daughter— yourself and
Madame Delarto. I have already ques
tioned her, fu lly— to he quite frank— I
have search ze house— wls her permis
sion I have also search her person by
means o f a woman detective— and she
has convinced me znt she has not ze
Jewels o f my daughter."
"N either have I." I snapped,
l i e went on ns I f I hadn t spoken.
“ M y evidence Is positive, and wls
Madame D elarlo’s denial o f all knowl
edge—l o r wish znt I send fo r you and
give you ze opportunity to explulu
“ W here Is Mr*. D elarlo— let m e see
her Immediately," I broke In. “ Do
you mean to say she accuses me o f
robbing your child?"
"I do not say she precisely accuses
— but she has seen yon— and Claire
has seen you— w ls ze package contain
ing ze Jewels In your hand."
I hurst out hotly, 'T h a t s a lie —
every word o f tt I I never touched her
Jewelry— or the package containing
her Jewelry. N ever."
n e flushed a deep red at the Insult,
but he wns making every effort to con
trol him self—seeing how enraged I
was, he probably thought I ’d use my
hatpin on him next— and I whipped
him on, feelin g that I had the upper
hand.
“Yes, monsieur— I »h all make yon
take this case to court,” I went on
rapidly. “ A fte r that I «h all aue you
fo r false arrest—and Imprisonment. I f
I’m Imprisoned. But meanwhile, 1
shall im mediately set the easterns
l ouse officials on the hunt fo r your
daughter’s Jewels and And out wheth
er they w ere actually brought Into
Am erica or not. I f the Jewels are In
the least valuable— as you seem to he
trying to make out— there’ll he quite
a neat little duty to pay, provided
they’re not
confiscated
outright—
which is more than likely. Monsieur,
you have overlooked the fact that I
asked Claire— snd I heard Mrs. De
larto ask her—I f she had anything to
declare and she told m e she had not.
So I shall he a witness In the govern
ment's cm»« against you."
H is expression bad changed from
anger to cynical contempt, and he
sneered: “ V ery clever, madame— very
creditable to madame'a nerve—ha. ha I
Madame Is afraid o f nosslng bat to
lose zoze go valuable Jewels o f my
daughter— " and with that he stepped
so close I thought he was going to lay
hold o f me.
I stepped back, Just out o f Immedi
ate reach and took a firm grip on my
hatpin.
“ And sow , madame— we— lay— all—
subterfuges— and evasions— to— ze—
side:
W here are ze Jewels o f my
daughter?”
“ And now, monsieur,” I mocked, “ we
— lay— all — subterfuges — and — eva
sion— to— the— side: I don't know.”
W ith a quick dive o f his hand Into
his pocket he whipped ont a small re
volver.
“ Perhaps zls w ill refresh madame’s
memory," he leered..
W ell, It refreshed madame’s some
thing— fo r want o f a better term I ’ll
call it creative genius.
I waved the
revolver aside with a gesture o f con
tempt and began: “ Since monsieur
has been at all this trouble to obtain
an Interview with me, may I ask a few
questions? It may be o f Importance
to both o f us.”
“ Proceed.”
“ Monsieur Is, I believe, a stranger
In America. Has monsieur ever ac
quainted him self with N ew York state
laws?”
‘T o some extent— yes.”
“ W ell— ah— I wns merely wondering,
you know, i f monsieur were aware o f
the fact that In N ew York state, kid
naping Is a capital offense— that Is,
punishable with death?”
“ Hut what has kidnaping to do wls
our present case?” he asked frowning.
‘‘Oh, only that monsieur Is, at the
present moment, In the act o f kidnap
ing me.”
That hit him, but he held his
ground.
“ I do not see It, madame. Kidnaping
consists In taking ze person by vio
lence and against ze wish.”
“ N ot In N ew Y ork state. Monsieur
forgets that he Is not In France or
Germany, but In N ew York. The New
York courts hold that forcible deten
tion against the w ill is kidnaping. You
are at this moment, in the eyes o f the
law, a kidnaper.”
“ Im possible!” he exclaimed.
“ Certainly,” I returned. “ You have
only to look up the cases and convince
yourself. In the Ilallorun case, a year
ago, Halloran only locked a girl up
and refused to let her out when she
asked. H e did her no barm and made
no threats"— here I looked at the re
volver In a significant way— "but he
got twenty years. But In the Comlnsky
“ Perhaps Zis W ill Refresh Madame's
M em ory."
ense— the man who was electrocuted
last week, as you probably read in the
papers— Comlnsky locked a woman up
and threatened her with a revolver,
l ie got the death penalty.”
As these fictitious cases dropped off
my tongue, monsieur, with a catlike
slyness, slipped the revolver hack Into
his pocket, though he made no move
to open the door as I had hoped. Still,
I saw I had gained ground with him—
though the ground I longed fo r lay out
side the house.
“ Very good,” said he, a fte r some sec
onds o f consideration; “ w e are not
kidnaping madame. Madame has ze
Jewels— o f zat I am positive— elzer
upon her person, or In some place con
cealed, and until madame decides to
return zem, she w ill make herself com
fortable here wlsout food or water, but
I f she wishes to g ive zem to me now,
she may depart at once.”
I laughed In his face.
I think this disconcerted him more
than anything I’d done.
“ H ow long do yon think yon can
keep me here?” I demanded.
“ Zat depends on madame,” he re
turned with a shrug and a significant
glance at the shuttered windows.
"T on speak as though von supposed
nobody knew where I waa.”
“ It Is useless fo r yon to call to
Mndnme Delarlo— she will not come.”
“ I wasn't thinking o f doing It. But
iny brother w ill com e! H e knows that
I am here and he la coming fo r roe. He
was In my house when your message
came. H e had com e over from Phila
delphia with hla law yer and some pa
pers fo r me to sign. When you told
me Mrs. D elarlo waa so 111, I waited
fo r nothing— rushed down here as fast
aa I could. My brother and his lawyer
ware to follow me here In an hour sad
r
first I did not reeogulze their rolcesj
then they mentioned your name.
Bruce paused, made another effort,
then went on. Mrs. Warren "a s then
saying aome nice things about you,
when Mrs. Travers remarked : '"h u t
a pity she allows her young husband
to run everything.
Why, when you
asked her where she bought her
pretty cushions and the reading
By J. K MARSHALL
lamp, she looked confusedly at her
husband and he hud to answer,
- l1 should
hate to think that
I would
(Copyright, 191». by the McClure News
ever become a nonenlty In my heme.
paper Syndicate.)
I wonder how sueh men would feel
There was no more devoted and
If their wives Interfered In their
happy couple than the Wards, who had
business?’ 1, well, I was furious. I
been married a few short w eeks; but
couldn’t bear to hear any more, hut
today Helen was not happy. Tills was
when I got to the office and thought
due to the fact thut she hud taken the
things over, I knew thr.t Mrs. Trav
time this morning to review the events
ers spoke the truth. Oh. please don’t
o f the past fe w weeks.
She knew
cry, Helen.” And Bruee dropped tils
that Bruce loved her dearly, and
head on his hands. “T o think that
In his good-heartedness would deny
I should ever give anyone cause to
her nothing to make her happy. But
say those things and to pity the
now she was to acknowledge he had
one serious fault, which was a men dearest girl In the world.”
Helen dried her tears. She was
ace to their future happiness.
His
hurt, and she knew what Mrs. Trav
belief that it was his sole right to
ers said was true, hut how dared she
supervise everything about the house
speak that way and how humiliating
hold clashed harshly with her free
for poor Bruce.
and Independent ideas.
“ Bruce, you have never given any
Helen had religiously refused to
one reason to pity me. Don’t sny
allow these thoughts to enter her mind
that.
And, even if Mrs. Travers did
until last evening, when they had en
suspect, she doesn’t belong here. As
tertained fo r the first tim e in their you know, Mrs. Warren Is my dear
new home. She had looked forward
est friend, nnd I have no doubt that
with much pleasure to this event, and
i f you had heard the rest of their
thought with a touch of pride how
conversation you would have heard
Mrs. Warren would compliment her on
Mrs. Warren telling her, kindly but
the haven o f delight thut she and
firmly, that she knew us to he the
Bruce had created fo r their home. But
happiest o f couples, and that she
what a bitter disappointment It had
just Imagined those things.
Mrs.
been to her as she stood by and heard
Warren never speaks unkindly of any
Bruce, In answer to the many pleas
one, nor lets a chance go by to
ant exclamations from the guests, ns
say something nice about one when
they viewed the furnishings, assume
nnother in her presence makes dl.<-
the credit to himself. In a proprietary
ngreeahle remarks.”
manner, with not one word o f praise
Bruce lifted
his head.
“ Well,
fo r herself. T h e realization o f this
from now on things will be different.
trait In Bruce had spoilt her evening,
I have been brought to my senses.
and she was unable to be the gay,
I f I hnd only listened to you when
C H A PTER VII.
light-hearted girl they had always
you talked o f those things, Instead
known.
o f being so sure I was right, in my
I See Through the P ie t
A fte r the guests hnd departed
way.
I
wonder that you
There are moments when I fa irly Bruce hnd nsked her what was own
thrill at the thought that I am an w rong; but her efforts at an expla didn’t— ”
“ I did, this afternoon,” Helen In
American citizen.
Such a moment nation only aroused In him a feeling
terrupted, lending him out to the
came a fte r I had shot through the ves o f resentment.
H er gentle remon
“ And, o h !” and her
tibule door and found m yself In the strance at his persistently Ignoring living room.
complacent street. I was safe— safe— her, not only In the selection o f the face lit up. “ Why, Bruce, Mrs. War
safe. I was where I could appeal to household furnishings but their ar ren nnd Mrs. Travers came into
the first passing man to protect me In rangement as well, had brought forth Gambles’ Just hs I was buying these
new curtain nnd cushion covers.”
the name o f American womanhood.
from him his declaration that he was
“ Thank heaven for that!” mut
In the Jubilation o f my freedom and mnster o f his home.
tered Bruce. ‘T h e y are a great Im
safety I stopped and looked back at
She realized the futility o f further
the house. The holland shade was discussion o f this subject with Bruce, provement to the room, Helen, and
drawn downstairs, but as I looked, a becuuse she knew hint to be too posi from now on, you— ’’
“ No, not Just me, Bruce dear— t s.”
finger— I knew It must be monsieur’s— tive In his ideas. She thought over
pulled an edge o f the shade and an all this carefully, and made up her Helen said, softly, as she slipped
Into his arms.
eye peeped at me.
mind to change things.
Yes, she
“ I hope I have ¡earned my lesson
I was hi the midst o f a grin o f de would begin right now.
She called
rision at him when my eye was caught her mother on the phone and asked in time,” murmured Bruce, as he
hent his head down to kiss 1 the
by something at an upper window. It her to go shopping with her.
dearest girl and wife In all the
was a hand— a waving hand— a hand
Helen bought new silk covers for
that said, “ Go away— go away— go the round cushions, new curtains for world.”
away 1” as fast aa It could, and said It the windows and a beautiful rich
to me.
brown cover fo r the library table. COMING CHANGES IN JAPAN
An Instant later I saw a face and She had wanted these things In the
recognized Mrs. Delarlo. Then the face living room, when she was first mar Many Symptoms That Revolution,
was gone and the hand said, “ Go ried. W ell, now she was going to
Probably Peaceful, le Due in Land
a w a y !” again and disappeared also.
of Chrysanthemum,
have them. Mother had always se
Monsieur, seeing me standing, ap lected these things at home. Other
parently Interested In something hap women planned the arrangement o f
Tn the kingdom of the Chrysanthe
pening upstairs, pulled the shade out their homes. So would she.
mum there are symptoms which cause
a little farther. So what I did was de
A fte r they had tea, she left her observers to pause. All over the coun
liberately to cross the street and sig mother nnd went home.
Hurriedly try small groups are forming—not of
nal him to raise the window.
slipping Into her large blue gingham labor men—hut o f Intellectuals— of
“ Raise the window— I want to speak apron, she went to work. First, she students with a fair admixture of the
to you 1” I shouted.
took down the curtains in the living middle anil even o f the upper classes.
T h e window was raised about six room. Mrs. O ’Brien hnd cleaned the There Is something coming In Japan—
Inches and monsieur put his evil, ratty windows Just two days ago, so she a great ehnngc— no man yet quite
could now put up the new curtains. knows when it will come or whither it
face down to lister,.
she
opened
her
packages. will go—some call It revolution others
“ Now do your darnedest 1” said I. Then
a
beautiful,
rich
golden restoration. Another symptom ts the
And then I snapped my fingers at him “ W hat
brown,”
she
thought,
as
she
held
the attitude of the Japanese woman. The
and walked away.
“ And Japanese woman Is thinking and act
Though It was early I began to feel curtains up to admire them.
ing; did she not start the rice riots
hungry and I kept on till I reached a how well they looked with the brown
one year ngo? Religious movements
French restaurant where I generally ru g !” Soon the room took on a new,
have been started within the last SO
lunch when I ’ :n downtown. It was too pretty effect. True, the curtains nnd
yenrs with Japanese women—women
other
things
that
Bruce
hnd
bought
soon fo r the music, but my own
of the people— at their head. These
thoughts were music enough Just then, were lovely, hut they were not just
what Helen had wanted; and then, movements hnve millions of adherents.
and anyway I felt safe.
Then outside of Kyoto what Is that
But by the time the salad came the she must show Bruce that she. too.
growing conglomeration of buildings?
could
plan
and
furnish
a
room
with
reaction set In. Th e world turned drab,
Actually a city of refuge to which Jap
excellent
taste,
nnd
that
It
was
ner
mottled with black responsibility and
anese o f all classes are coming, sell
right.
streaked w ith red indignation. I roh
H er work completed, she found It ing their possessions nnd coming—ex
a young girl I Good heavens!— her fa
traordinary ns It may sound—as to a
ther must be Insane to bring such an would he a little more than an hour sanctuary in prevision of the times to
She
accusation against m e! I seen with liefore Bruce would he home.
come. In the midst of the clt.g, Is a
her jew el case in my hands! Prepos would have plenty o f time to dress strange-looking structure built In rend-
nnd
read
aw
hile
before
starting
to
terous! And poor, poor Mrs. Delarlo—
She bail Just been Iness for the emperor. Much may hap
she, too, hnd been accused, on top of prepare dinner.
In
the
sun
parlor
a few minutes, try pen In Japan, but there Is nothing to
all her trouble about her diamonds.
show that ties 30 centuries olil—be
I had raised my coffee to my tips ing to become Interested In a lute tween sovereign nnd people—will snap.
but hadn’t tasted It, when the words novel, when Bruce arrived. She saw The I vends are religious, far more than
went through iny head like a shot: him coming up the walk, carrying a political, nnd the revolution or restor
“ C L A IR E ’ S J E W E L S
ARE
MRS. square white box under one nnn and ation to come is economic, not con
a long box in his other hand. “ Flow
D E L A R IO ’ S D IA M O N D S !”
stitutionul.—Christian Science Moni
Mrs. D elarlo had sworn to me that ers and candy,” thought Helen. This tor.
they w ere hers. Had she robbed Claire had happened once before, when
coming over In the steamer? Im pos-) Bruce le ft the house In n bad humor
His Misapprehension.
slble! She was too good a woman. | after breakfast, beenuse Helen had
“ H i! Whur nr 1 at?” feebly
served
bacon
with
their
<eggs.
and
But even so, how had monsieur con
inanded Mr. Gap Johnson of Ram
nected me with them? Had she told Bruce did not eat pork "in any way. Ridge. Ark., after the aeeidt
shape
o
r
form
."
Flowers
and
candy
him? That seemed Impossible a ls o ;
“ What’s been coming off arotin 1 ,i
snd yet I fe lt I ’d really never shaken were his peace offering, which should anyhow?"
Well, he must
his conviction that I had thisn— and cover any breach.
"You drove onto the railroad cn
She usually ran
that he meant to get them by fa ir learn differently.
Ing Just in time to be struck by
to
the
door
to
meet
him.
but
today
means or foul.
tiyer.” replied the physician.
•lie pretended to be reading.
engine demolished your wagon, nnd
Bruce entered the house and. plac
“ Aw. that’s it?
Must have sot
ing his packages on the table, he
knocked me plumb out o f my head
Enter a friend in need—
went to her quickly.
a spell, fo r 1 shore thought my 14 c
Billy Rivers.
"H elen, dear.” he began. “ 1 want
dren had mobbed me for something
to talk to you.
It Is about last
nuther they didn't like.”— Kan
night."
(T O BE C O N TIN U E D .»
City Star.
Helen gazed at him In surprise.
Marvelous Hair Rope.
Why. what did It mean? This peni
The Psychology of 11
One o f the moat remarkable hair tent tone from Bruce. And he had
“ H ow do you like your ne
ropes ts mentioned by Sir Frederick never before said he was sorry. Per
Ivor*?"
Treves in his hook entitled “ The haps she had been too hasty about
“ All right. The first thing
Other Side o f the Lantern." H e de buying the new things fo r the living
was to borrow our lawn-mow
scribes it as lying curled up like a room
“ Have they returned it?"
gigantic caterpillar within the grez*
“ Oh. Bruce: w a it! I want to tell
"N ot yet. and I hope they’ll
Buddhist temple at Kioto. It meas you about this afternoon. I— "
Then they'll be careful not t
ure* 800 feet In length .a d three
ghe was Interrupted by Bruce. ‘1
early In the morning or at i
inches In diameter, and Is made up of have been a selfish cad.
I know
contributions from the heads o f many how you must feel about my select- when It would attract my
hundreds o f thousands o f Japanese log everything fo r our home, and unduly."—Boston Transcript.
♦»omen. Long nan It was used to drag trying to supervise their arrange
Regal Paraphernalia.
file timbers to the building and to hoist ment. But I must tell yon how I
“Jack told me l was quee
them Into place, and now tt is care came to realize this. This morning
heart.”
fully preserved, a sacred relic. wlth- going to town Mrs. Warren and Mrs.
“ W ell?"
Ut the fa s t edifice It helped to e iU a
Travel* got on at Homewood. They
“I asked him where the <-r
took the seat right back o f me. At •Is were."
I am to go with them to the notary’*
to sign the pa par*. The hour la al
most up !”
Monsieur bit his tip*. H ere was a
contingency he hadn’t reckoned with
— that I had arranged to have some
one call fo r me. Then a bright Idea
struck him. “ Zat m atter Is simply ar
ranged," said he with a wlcktd smile.
“ I tell your dear brozer zat you have
already gone home to him, and he w ill
not wait.”
I tried to laugh again, though I fear
I made hut a poor attempt at It, fo r I
was beginning to be frightened. Bui
I said:
“ Don’t flatter yourself you
could deceive my brother with a tale
like that— he knows me too well. I told
him I would wult and he knows 1
would keep my word. H e would know
the Instant you said I had gone— he
would know the minute he looked Into
your face— that something was wrong
— here. In five minutes he’d be back
with the police and break In the door.”
This took the wind ont o f hla sails
fo r a minute. Then he rose to the
situation In a masterful w a y ; and I
must say fo r him that he was no mean
adversary. Drawing the key from his
pocket he unlocked the door, saying,
"And now madame w ill telephone her
brozer zat Madame Delarto la dying
and he Is not to come today about ze
important papers."
I saw my one chance lay In pretend
ing I ’d do It and then breaking loose;
so I stepped out— he at my heels ready
to grab me— and making a fein t o f
going upstairs to the telephone, he fo l
lowed suit by putting one foot on the
lowest step. A t that, I gave a loud,
wild-western “ whoopee!” right In his
face, and punched him In the chest as
hard as ever I could. H e lost his bal
ance, went rolling backward and sat
down on the floor. B efore he recov
ered from the shock o f my unladylike
behavior, I had bolted through the
front door and reached the street.
A Lesson
in Time