The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1919-12-11
Diamond
Cut
Diamond
NHIIITIIIKHIEIHINN
CHAPTER Ix-contInued.
BY JANE BUNKER


3
The third queer thing was that there
was no business Of mine he could be
needing to see me about, and II 1t were
business Of his, he'd ask It as favor.
1t was then that my eye slid up tc the
date and saw 1t had been sent from
New York. Well If he were In New
York, why hadn't he telephoned me or
come up to the house?
wish could say 1t flashed over ME
instantly that this. was decoy de-
clutches, but 1t didn't flash at ALL
thought 1t queer, and l was puzzled;
but am free to confess that II 1t had
been an ordinary business mans mes
sage, / should have packed my suit
case, put the diamonds In my stocking,
and taken the train specified. But
while l was still wondering what my
brother could be wanting me for In this
peremptory way, Mrs. Jimmson
brought me the special delivery letter,
which, with triumph and pleasure in
her face, she said she had found un.
der the set tubs.
/ pulled 1t out of the envelope and
read:
Madame was seen by two witnesses
to carry away the package containing
the jewels referred to. If madame de-
sires to return them to their owner,
telephone Hotel Imperial at 0 a. m.
The owner gives madame this one op-
portunity to rectify her mistake with
out further trouble or publicity. Fall
ure to comply with the request to tele-
phone will prove madame's Intentions
and necessitate active measures for
the recovery of the jewels"
"Oh, you don't sayW l sneered
"Well. l wonder what next |" And by
that letter l knew l still had the dla-
monds!
So l was to telephone at nine
o'clock! By rlghts-and monsieur's
calculations--I should have received
the letter before the first delivery; In
stead, 1t had come after and by acci-
dent l hadn't read 1t till noon. The
telegram was timed nine forty-five.
1t was then that / began to see
through n hole In stone. / had not
telephoned-which proved l meant to
keep the diamonds. My next move,
obviously, would be to get them out of
the city-to my brothers, Of course.
The telegram gave me the excuse fof
doing it; also told him by what train
and station l should leave, for he had
Set them himself. But why had he set
a day train2 Why not one at night2 1t
puzzled me at first until saw his rea-
sOn-I could disappear out Of day
light crowd about four times easier
than out Of night crowd. Who would
notice, among hundreds of women 60
ing through the Pennsylvania station,
a woman as simply dressed as !, carry.
ing a common suitcase? Probably no
one.
! confess l was so much disturbed as
] thought what might so easily have
happened had acted on the telegram
that 1t was some time before / got my
wits together. One thing was clear to
me, hOwever-monsieur was going to
act with great rapidity and secrecy
secrecy-that was the main point; for
II he were sure l had the stones, he
had only TO get search warrant and
he'd have the stones.
Mrs. Jimmson came to my study
while I was pondering all this and
asked me: "What about lunch2"
sent her round to the delicatessen and
told her to buy everything she thought
she'd like to have.
Good Lord !" said as saw them
The things were calamity.
] rolled them up again, but | must
get new bunch of hyacinths; l must
do something-I must act-I must gel
the stones home to Mrs. Delario-l
must at least ask her what she wanted
done with them and tell her how un
safe they were with me.
tried the telephone, but got no an
swer, and while was clacking at II
Mrs. Jimmson came home from the
delicatessen and had to hang up.
While l ate, my mind went like &
hammer. How could ! get the dia
monus out of the house? To whom
could l entrust them? Not q Twins
soul, so far as l could see-unless
could get them back to Mrs. Delarit
herself. which didn't seem likely In tn,
present state of the case.
You see just how the man had m,
at his mercy. If I'd been a person &C
customed to sneaking round and max
ing quick getaways. I'd have know
what to d, md how to do It. In tn,
next place hadn't the least idea o
the number Of people was pitte,