The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1919-12-25
CHAPTER V--continued.

Haven't you some way OF hiding
them? Really I don't see how can
take the onsibility-suppose I'm
| robbed!''
"YOu won't be-"
"But you don't know. / may have
been followed home last night"
"You were not-that man was work
| ing alone"
It was on the tip of my tongue to
tell her my real reason was that
didn't like being mixed up in SNUG
Cling affair; but out Of pity--and COM
| mon human decency for woman in
trouble-I refrained, and she hurried
on, "You needn't fear about losing
them-I see the word safe in yellow
letters over your head and I know,
| absolutely-they'l be safe with YOU"
To me that wasn't convincing, and
/ made last effort to rid myself of
the incubus and suggested, "Your son
couldn't he find means to hide them?"
'Eugene!" Her face clouded with
fear. 81 don't even know where he is
this morning-he hasn't telephoned
me, or anything, since telephoned
| him last night to hide-and every time
think of him / get the impression of
trouble There isn't living soul
can appeal to now but you. Oh,
please-a day-two days-until I can
decide what to do. Help me now, and
I swear to you that will explain ev-
erything-"
The telephone bell suddenly rang
out from the upper hall. Her hands
| flew to her heart, as they had the
night before when the house bell rang !;
but without word she FASTENED up
stairs to answer the call.
While she was gone had few min
utes to think, and took my stand,
once for ali: I'd help her through
thick and thin. / therefore slipped the
box back where I'd taken it from, and
was preparing to leave with it as soon
as I could say goodby to her, when she
! reeled into, the room, looking as If
she'd had the shock Of dreadful news.
Eugene. My son!" she gasped, al
most with scream. Hes been kid
napedr' and with that she tainted.
/ caught her as she fell and let her
slide to the floor as gently as my
| strength would allow, and / was con-
sidering whether to try to find the
bathroom upstairs and get some water,
or to search the lower regions for the
wild-eyed Swede and send her for the
nearest doctor, when ! heard Mrs.
Delario's voice: "Save my diamonds
save my son. Coco at once!''
/ didn't go-in fact she held me so
I couldn't-and somehow. between us,
she managed to get up on the sofa,
where she released my hands, implor-
ing me to save the diamonds.
Those men are coming" she urged.
"In five minutes it may be too late
you'll be caught-Tll lose everything
my future-Lila's future-you're safe
If you go instantly"
1t was incoherent, but rapid; terri
bly, earnest. She gave me a feeble
push, and, hardly knowing what / did,
fled the house-for the second time
in twenty-four hours with a million
dollars worth of diamonds in my
stocking.
had dashed down the steps expect
ing to encounter-and escape from
a pair Of dark-browed Villains; actu-
ally did encounter a delivery boy hop
ping off his wagon, who almost
knocked me over with his basket and
then berated me soundly for getting in
| TO M
going.
Ny humping into the grocery boy
dislocated the alarm in which had
left Mrs. Delario, and it didn't seem to
occur to me on the return trip that /
might be followed, or that [ should
take at least some small precautions
to elude possible shadow. My mind
WAS so engrossed with Mrs. Delario
and what had happened to her son that
I really quite forgot / had the dia-
monds myself! / bought bunch Of
hyacinths at florists and left an or
der at the grocers, and it wasn't till
I was inside my fiat that the thought
really struck me, Sim. the one who is
in danger-I have the diamonds!, and
it was too late for me to find out If
I'd been Swallowed home or not.
However. my depression was pres
emily succeeded by mood of elation-
at last was living things! l was en-
joying the game for its own sake. On
with the dance, Mr.. Robbers-let's see
If you can get the diamonds! Which
only goes to show what fools some
women can be, sometimes. For If
meant to hide the diamonds where
they'd be safe, why didn't I take them
instantly to my bank and put them Ia
q safe-deposit box? A mere man would
have done it on the spur of the mo-
ment without stopping to think about
it; and the idea never entered my
head. So let slip my one chance of
something brilliant and did what
ninety-nine out of hundred other
women would have done under the
same circumstances: HID THEM IN
MY FLAT. And In that one act pit
ted myself against the most subtle in
fniifgpncp amazing c0mDlica fi0ns md