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

had been rearranged to let me get in
side and shut the door without suspi-
cion. AS to the rest OF the fiat -
words fail me! 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, helter-
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 touched-the bunch of hyacinths
saw it the moment I got the dining
room light turned on. There it stood
on the table, just as had left it when
| had crowded the diamonds down
among the stems. But were the dia-
monds thereI
was ia the act of making a dash to
find out, when I remembered Billy
Billy mustn't know.
He had calculated, "Love and pota-
toesl You did have a hunchi'
/ pulled off my gloves-I must see
If 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 I, and I stopped to pick up table
drawer and slide it into place, for
there was considerable barricade be-
tween me and the hyacinths that were
now out of my reach.
81 didn't suppose you did," Billy was
generous enough to admit.
81 did it with a piece of unmitigated
folly
"Say-where did you leave the
cash?" he questioned quickly, and 1 re-
membered the five hundred dollars
that I'd forgotten for the moment.
forgot the diamonds and sank into
the nearest chair. / stammered, BILLY,
I must know the worst, and I'm afraid
to ego to my bedroom and s-see If it's
gone. 1t was in the b-bureau drawer"
Billy struck a match and went down
| the hall. Then saw the electric light
illuminate the doorway and heard
Billy:
Love and pumpkinsl Come here
| quick!"
! l rushed after him, without waiting
| to see if the diamonds were safe. He
pointed to the bed: "Will you look at
that -
| All the bed covers had been thrown
off aud on the mattress lay the five
hundred dollars, spread out in rows
of tens and fives!
The sight fairly caved me in. It was
a great deal worse than if the money
had been stolen. The thought that in
stantly struck me, and Billy too, for
Billy said it, was, 'That fellow GER
tainly had plenty of time, and what's
more, l bet he was waiting for you"
HE was" said I with conviction,
catching at the foot of the bed for
support.
Billy gathered up and counted the
money. 1t was all there, five hundred
dollars.
..Now what-do you make-of
that?" he meditated.
I knew what made Of it, but for
Mrs. Delario's sake I did not tell Billy.
He handed the bills to me.
"There's more to this" he observed.
"Some mystery. I must search the
| other rooms"
"Listenp' I said.
We listened but heard nothing.
Then he opened the bathroom door
| nobody there. And with that he
marched straight to rhe kitchen door
and back to me in a flash.
ssYou open the front door and get
ready to yell bloody murder if any
thing happens" he commanded.
s'No, Billy" returned, coming to
my senses and pulling out my hatpin,
that had already once done duty that
day. s'TIl get ready to do bloody MUIR
der"
He flung open the kitchen door and
we went in together.
Our mysterious burglar had van
ished.
"Fiew the COOP" said Billy sadly.
"And / might have caught him IL I'd
been q minute sooner. Just my luck"
He pointed to the open window as he
spoke.
To me that open window meant /
had missed death because of Billy.
I swayed. He grabbed my arm and
steered me- to the dining room and
berthed me in the chair I'd just left.
"Get me glass of water, Billy"
"Say, this is NEWSr" he chuckled,
while drank. Mysterious robbery of
well-known authoress-oh, say, this
is NEWSp
He took the glass to the kitchen and
came back with notebook In his
hand. I stumbled to nay feet and got