Los Angeles herald., 1906-10-21

Coward Curl" she hissed every muscle a.
culver with feigned intensity, Even thieves
have honor, but blackmailers-never'
For the subsequent instant, before her eyes
left him, the man wavered, as though actually
fearful lest she might spring upon him in her
! tger'like majesty and rend him to pieces BUT
the bulldog in his nature quickly predomnated
Now no nonsense here" he demanded, fierce
ly, stepping pace nearer; Gust hand over those
diamonds on the spot, or III call an officer and
have you arrested in an instant"
! II was fatal mistake. He saw 1T before the
last word had left his mouth Bertha had caught
II sooner. And she gave him no time to explain.
Her hauteur vanished like mists before a smiling
sun
| The room rang with her quick, exutant, tanta-
lizing laugh-the laugh almost OF iend 1t
was not laugh Of joy, but the laugh OF ecstasy;
the supreme ecstasy of suddenly gaining the up
per hand.
"And so you will call an offcer?" she tantaliz-
ngly queried. And again her unrestrained, tri-
umphant laughter filed the room. "You-you
detective and have to call an officer to make
an arrest. You can't do it yourselfT
Then she became politely, stingnely courteous.
"Ah, but ] see. Perhaps they do not allow
detectives to make arrests here. / am stranger
in the city. They doubtless keep the detectives
just for blackmailing, and have Officers to do
the cruder work of making arrests | should
really be obliged to you to have me arrested, just
to see how it is done"
This time her laugh was low, almost SOFT and
yet it had metallic vibration that pierced one
like the slender steel of bodkin.
The detective yielded, but neither gracefully
nor calamity. There was no way of getting round
it. He had played his present hand and lost.
But he promised himself he should have another
chance. OF course, he could still denounce her
to the police. But what would he gain by that
revenge and possible fiver from the je'veler
No. he was playing for bigger stakes. He could
-Fcv1 r. hido his time--to await the next deal
So he retreated towards the door. Bertha fol-
lu,feu with the graciousness of hostess at the
heels of a departing guest. She could afford to
be generous.
"You may rest assured, madam" began the
man. with some of her own mock courtesy, bow
ing deferentally chat shall dog you night and
day ! shall know your whereabouts every in
slant; your every caller your every act"
"Ohl / trust you will not take the trouble,
she pleaded, with gracious socitude. ut is
quite unnecessary, | assure you. l shall let you
know all myself. l shall not leave my room
til two O'Clock tomorrow afternoon. Then | shall
go to Frenzer's to have my brooch reset"
The mans mock courtesy dropped like man
tie He glowered at her with ill-conceaed rage.
'I shall be there" he said, meaningly. Good
day."
"Good-byel" she replied, swsetly, closing the
door
From her own window Bertha watched the
man pass down the street. AS she did so she
pucked at stray thread in the seam of her cuff.
The thread ravelled out completely, and from
the inclosed space of the seam in the soft cloth
six diamonds rolled into the palm of her hand.
She gazed at them musingly. Then she gave a
dsdainful shrug to her shoulders.
Taught" she exclaimed, aloud to herself. 81
could throw them out of the window-what do
want with them? But, no; that would be too
easy. I would rather give every one of them
back to old Frenzer than let that coward get his
hands on them" Then a sudden inspiration
came into her consciousness. She fairly beamed
with the Joy of it, 'Ill do i'll" she CRIED estat-
cally.
But it was easy to say and harder to do, Ber-
tina found that next afternoon when she re-
turned to Frenzer's, The detective was there be-
fore her. leaning with listless insolence against
a showcase just opposite where Bertha had pre-
viouslv examined the diamonds, and where, in
all probability, she would look at them again.
But she scorned to make TIE least concession
to his presence. She could ha e asked to see the
diamonds in the private room, or she could have
asked to see the diamonds in another part of the
shop under the pretense of better light. But
either would have been partial victory for the
detective, and she refused to grant it. She went
straight to the old place, not six feet from her
enemy, and exclaimed almost gaily, to the jew
eler-
'Now I'll see those diamonds again. I have
brought my brooch with me, and shall pick out
every stone"
The very proximity of the detective gave an
added zest to her exhiaration. Then suddenly
! cold shiver ran through her. Glancing into
he mirror behind the showcase, she encountered
The reflection of the detectives dark, sinister
ACE 1t was almost contorted with smile of
cunning and joy that lurked in every line Such
, look meant something and it took Bertha just