The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1919-12-12
By JANE BUNKER


cion. AS to the rest Of the fiat -
words fail mel 1t was literally turned
inside out and upside down. Drawers
had been emptied out on the floor.
then piled up and refilled with other
things to get them out of the way.
Even the bookcases had been moved
and searched behind and hundreds of
books were heaped on the floor, heller
SHELTER. Pictures had been taken
from the walls and pillow cushions
cut open; actually. the breakfast food
in boxes, the butter and food in the
refrigerator had been searched.
And In the midst of the disorder
one thing alone had apparently not
been t6uched--the bunch of hyacinths |
| saw II the moment / got the dining
room light turned on. There II stood |
on the table, just as ! had left 1t when
had crowded the diamonds down
among the stems. But were the dia-
monds therel
was In the act of making dash to
find out, when remembered Billy
Billy mustn't know.
He had calculated, Love and pota-
toes You did have bunch !"
/ pulled off my glovesI must see
II the diamonds were safe-just a
touch with the end of my fingers and
I'd know
II didn't do 1t with bunch, Billy"
said /, and stopped to pick up table
drawer and slide 1t into place, for
there was considerable barricade be-
tween me and the hyacinths that were
now out of my reach.
II didn't suppose you did" Billy was
generous enough to admit.
Il did II with piece of unmitigated
folly"
"Say---where did you leave the
cash?" he questioned quickly, and / re-
membered the FIVE hundred dollars
that I'd forgotten for the moment.
forgot the diamonds and sank into
the nearest chair. 1 stammered. BILLY,
, must know the worst, and Pm afraid
to ego to my bedroom and s-see If it's
, gone. 1t was In the b-bureau drawer"
, Billy struck match and went down
: the hall. Then saw the electric light
, illuminate the doorway and heard
Z Billy:
Love and pumpkinsi Come here
I quickr'
[ l rushed after him, without waiting
! to see If the diamonds were safe. Ht
s pointed to the bed: "Will you look a
( that
/ All the bed covers had been thrown
Off and on the mattress lay the flv'
r hundred dollars, spread out in row
/. OF tens and fivesI
r The sight fairly caved me in. 1t wa
great deal worse than IL the none.
8 had been stolen. The thought that in
}. stantly struck me, and Billy too, TO
/. Billy said 1t, was, "That fellow Ger
0 talnly had plenty of time, and what
v more, bet he was waiting for you"
d ale was" said 1 with conviction
IS catching at the foot of the bed 70
e support.
Billy gathered up and counted tn
o money. 1t was all there, five hundre
N dollars.
lr "Now what-do you make
"a thatT' he medltated
10 l knew what l made of 1t, but fo
IN Mrs. Delario's sake did not tell Bill.
II He handed the bills to me.
rt 'HThere's more to this" he observed
a "Some mystery. / must search til
Or other rooms"
"Llstenw 1 said.
In We listened but heard nothin
n, Then he opened the bathroom door
Id nobody there. And with that
marched straight to the kitchen doc
M and back to me In a flash.
/ 'sYou open the front door and g
N ready TO yell bloody murder If an
IN thing happens" he commanded,
1T sNo, Billy" 1 returned, coming
my senses and pulling out my hatpi
n that had already once done duty tn
or day. "rll get ready TO do bloody mu
to der"
= He flung open the kitchen door al
en- we went In together.
he Our mysterious burglar had va
he ished.
he "Flew the COOP" said Billy sad
lat "And might have caught him II
dy been a minute sooner. Just my lucE
lid He pointed to the open window as
spoke.
me 10 me lndl open WlHuOW HSunt
ice had missed death because of Billy.
/ / swayed. He grabbed my arm a
steered me to the dining room a
If berthed me in the chair I'd just lie
''Get me glass of water, Billy"
Ike aSay, this is NEWSl" he chuckl
for while drank. mysterious robbery
for well-known authoress-oh, say, t
ne is NEwSt"
my He took the glass to the kitchen Q
len came back with notebook in
hat hand. I stumbled to my feet and
aid, him by the shoulders.
! it .'BIly Rivers, this is not pewsl
so life and death. Not living soul IN
the know of this till tell 1t. Do you
oh? derstand?"
n DWELL hut . he hegan. 90 rObb