Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1919-12-31

commented on 1t freely-I remember
his speaking of miss at one end of
the sextette as "sweet bunch of pet
ticoats" and wondered what his
mother would say to that. But the
thing dragged along in its meaningless
changes, and sat there trying to find
some conference in its plot-or at least
some CLEAN of real humor besides
horseplay, and all the while there kept
running through my head the words.
''Your fiat is being robbed-robbed-
robbed"
Billy and I came home on a local
that dumped its passengers at One
Hundred and Thirty-seventh, and
said, Lets walk up" Bnd pulled him
out of the station and then into a side
street and around block until we
TRANS; then I said: 'Billy, I've got
bunch that I've been robbed while we
were at that show. You've got to
come up with me-"
"Aw, now-don't go worrying" he
began soothingly. 'sLots of people
thing. But of course I'll go up with
you-call the police afterward, too, if
you want"
Don't joke" 1 begged. "Pve got
five hundred dollars in the house-it
would be just my luck" This was as
good an explanation as any, and it was
true. I didn't dare to tell him about
the diamonds and my afternoons adj
venture.
Billy whistIed. "Good chance for
me-if you haven't been burgled al
ready. Three months in Paris for
yours truly"
"Billy. listen" begged, ignoring his
attempt to be funny and cheer me up.
eff George has gone off the elevator,
all right-we walk up; but if George
is still on-now listen, Billy, and play
your part, for if I've been robbed
George mustn't know it: If George is
on I'll tell him you're from the Office
and have come up for some papers,"
George has his virtues and the de-
fects of his virtues-he keeps tab on
everybody in the house, who their
friends are, how often they call and
how late they stay. For me-who
never did such a thing-to bring an
apple-cheeked young man to my fiat
after midnight would be nothing short
of an adventure in Georges eyes-a
thing to be told through the house for
a month of Sundays afterward. So /
got out quarter-to be ready with
my thanks, in case he'd stayed on,
waiting for me, as he often did; and
there he was, smiling.
I slipped the quarter into his palm
and told him how glad I was that l
didn't have to walk up-and this gen.
tlemau, too, who ''had come up from
the office to get some papers"-I didn't
say what office.
The car slid up-my heart slid down:
monsieur was in that fat waiting for
me and / knew it. Don't ask me to
explain how / knew it knew 1t
and l knew that he was In the kitchen
or would be in the kitchen, when the
car stopped ut the sixth; that he
meant to let me come in, close the
door on myself, and then appear; that
he had the kitchen window open ready
to retreat by the fire-escape If should
happen not to come alone.
say knew this. Atahe same time
knew that must give him the chance
to get away-I must let him know
was not alone.
The car stopped. George asked II
he should wait. and replied. in
rather loud voice, that 1t might take
some little time to find the papers for
Mr.. Rivers; better go down again, for
the front door was still open and some
body might slip In. fumbled with my
key to Let the car descend, and when
the noise had grown faint, so that
monsieur could hear every word said,
opened the door crack and held 1t
while I drew out the key, saying. so
the words would carry through the
hall, "Billy, have you got match?
Won't you strike 1t before we go IN
the fiat is dark"
Billy struck q match and the kitchen
door slammed as I opened the front
door. I knew by that that the kitchen
window was open.
The hall. by the outside gas Jet