The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1919-11-27

can tell what anybody will do-per-
haps she'd have done just the same II
I'd told her not to: for she mixed
those slippers up and set them In
row beside my bed along with oxford
ties and bath slippers.
II was on the day that Mrs. Jimm-
son cleaned that Claire came tripping
up to see me and tell me that her fa-
ther had arrived.
II was the first time I'd seen her
since we'd parted at the cable Office.
and OF course I had to spare her a
few minutes and hear what she had to
say. She was staying with her father
ut hotel--mamma hadn't yet come.
because grandpapa was dying every
day and she didn't dare to leave him.
And then she suddenly wished to know
/ II all Americans lived the way Mrs.
Delarlo did. and did American ladies'
work.
had to ask her what she meant.
and she explained that everything at
Mrs. Delario's was $50 unlike the way
they lived abroad" !" that Mrs. Delario
never left her bedroom unlocked for
single minute; that all the upstairs
rooms were locked; that she made
r-Claire-keep her door locked,
"because," she said, "you never can
tell :" that people, most OF whom were
strangers, were coming to the house
all day from nine till FIVE. Mrs. Della
rio called them "sitters" and gave
them readings" in an awfully queer
room where the shutters weren't ever
opened; and she - Claire-believed
that Mrs. Delario took money for
these readings. though she never would
say what she read; and II she took
money how could she be lady ]
Though she was very nice and kind
and papa wanted her to keep Hsr--
Claire-till her mother arrived, cnd
Mrs. Delario wouldn't on account Of
her work, and what sort Of work could
1t possibly be?
saw by that that Mrs. Delari0
hadn't taken Claire much into her con-
fidence--Clalre said even her father
couldn't guess what Mrs. Delarlo did,
exactly. though he thought he knew
little. only he didn't know that Ia
dies did II In America.
While 1 was considering what I'd
better say the clock struck and
bounced out OF my chair In hurry
1t was the hour of an appointment
and here i was five miles away, gos
siping.
told Claire had to run. and she
followed me to my bedroom while
got my coat. and 1t was she who ex
claimed, "why, there's Mrs. Delario'i
slipper! She's hunted everywhere fol
II. You picked 1t up at the customs
house and put 1t In your suitcase"
"Tm the thief" / laughed, slippint
on my coat.
Claire took couple Of steps t6wart
the slippers and said, "rll take 1t bacl
to her"
"No, my dear-just leave It. dom
know which Is hers-I see Mrs. Jimm
son has mixed them all up-and
haven't time to find out now."
"Oh, can soon TELL" and Claire wa
: about to pounce on them. but heade,
2 her Off.
e "That's a matter for me to atten,
to. Claire. and entirely between Mrs
! Delario and myself"
$ BY this time l had on my veil ant
i gloves, and hearing the elevator stop
I ping at the floor. shooed Claire an
!. bolted for II.
: Now I'd looked Mt the slippers a
n Claire spoke and they were. standin
: HEEL TO THE WALL. between
p paid of oxford ties and pair O
bath slippers that were toe to til
$ wall. as were all the rest but thes
}. three slippers; and noticed this par
e ticularly and remembered 1t later com
i ing home in the cars when the inciden
= recurred to me, and wondered why
e since Claire was no longer with Mr.
Delario--she had been SO anxious I
+ take the slipper back. and II she neet
ed an excuse-possibly--t her fathe
d for going to the house to see he
e friend, and how II II hadn't been 10
s Mrs. Jimmson could have let he
s. take the slipper and been glad to hav
It her do 1t and how Mrs. Jimmson mus
d have pleased herself IN placing tn
'e slippers just that way, backs to tn
% wall, so they'd show OFF to best advai
e tage as works Of art and decorate tn
room ut large with their beauty; an
s. how 1t must have puzzled her to fin
IS three slippers all alike In my room
,e not two. not four. but three; and wh
h three? And what would the goo
c. creature say If I told her I'd stolen tl
odd one? .it
y These thoughts may seem too trivii
'r to mention, but the point Is that
D. thought them and they were so obv
n ously suggested by the way Jimmso
L placed the slippers. heel to the wal
70 But here's the uncanny thing that hal
d pened: When l got home one hor
% after seeing them that way and turne
I on the light my eyes fell upon III
,S .tt-.-. rvrrUsy Vrrvrnt rrnHray