The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1919-12-05
CHAPTER vI--contInued.

'Ts madame Intending TO converse
wis INC, holding Il weapon IN her
handY
us monsieur Intending to converse
with me behind locked doors2'
"lFor re present. yes"
'syery well, then, get Il over. What
81 lt?' / felt very sure by this time
Il had nothing, directly, TO do with
Mrs. Dcarlo.
IN is zlsmy daughter, Claire, was
robbed OF some very valuable jewels
on re steamer coming over. Zere are
hut two persons who could possibly
have committed 20 seft--Mrs. Delario
and-yonrself."
was dazed--so dazed that I STAN
mered.
'You say Claire was robbed coming
over on the steamer-and you think !
did ItfH
Precisely"
My WITS came back with that fat
accusation.
"rhen why didn't she say something
about II at the timer" demanded.
"Prohahly because she was not
aware Of II at re tlme--one seldom is,
IL l may be permitted to point 1t out
to madame"
was so completely innocent Of even
knowing that the girl had Jewels with
her--except such little trinkets as q
child values and that nobody but a
street thief would have bothered his
head over-~that saw monsleur's &C
cusatlon as hlackmall That word sud
denly popped into my head and gave
me the basis of a return attack.
''You moan 10 tell me that Claire
had valuable jewels on the steamer yet
never mentioned the fact to either Mrs
Delario or myselfff
Naturally, she says nosslngwhy
should she2 she is under no obllga
ton TO speak Of such q matter to you
''In other words, she was smuggling
valuable jewels into the country--try
ing TO get them through the customs
house without our knowing 1t, so W.
could tell her to declare themr
"Smuggllng2 She Is taking zem I,
her musser-zey have once been pur
chased In America"
II don't believe she had any jewels,
asserted brayely. Merely to say sh,
had--and she hasn't got them now
doesn't prove anything, You must hay,
sense enough to see that for yourself,
His face had darkened again, "Yo'
doubt my word9 l have re proof
madame. ne absolute proof-sat sh
had re Jewels wis her when she wen
on board re steamer; and while o.
board and up TO certain date. ca
furnish proof INT would be accept Il
any eourt--if madame renders II nee
essary."
His tone carried conviction In spit
Of myself; also, / knew he was read
70 have me put under arrest and ful
nish his proof in court. For minut
went limp and sick. But pulled my
self together for another shot at him
'Then you admit she was smugglin
jewels into the countryY
He shrugged thought TO eoncel
his uneaslness at the way was takin
Il. re Jewels belong to my wife
wedding gift from her fazer-if 70
call 1t smuggling"
''But they were not declared
know that, anyway. Well. then-sine
they were not declared, they were I
all intents and purposes smuggled. "
shall now act as though they had bee
emnggled-we shall at once enlist Il
services Of the government In your b
half. After the jewels are discovere
you can present evidence that th'
were not subject TO duty. Or, OF cours
you can pay the duty. / suppose thi
are worth that to you to get the
back21
"What do you mean, madameT7
exclaimed in a tone that TO me SCUM
ed alarm. you sink / ask your 20
ernnDnt 10 seek for zoze lost 5ewe
of my daughter1 Diable-par
lose zem so soon as find zemT
mot you. but III win ask the CT