The Jasper news., 1919-12-25

his disguise and let her whistle for
them. Instead of that he got glare
from me lone twist Of my hand and
had zone of those slippers"-he
didn't know which and he didn't dare
to speak for fear I'd recognize him!
And thus his whole plot fell to the
ground-also all my interesting occult
mystery about three rotating slippers
that toed the wall of their own accord
after they'd been set heel to the wall
and then walked out Of a locked nat
and then came home and hid In my
wardrobe.
Monsieur had turned the slippers
when he set them down hurrtedly-the
suggestion Of all the other slippers,
toe to the wall, had been too strong for
his memory of three slipperC heel to
the wall after he had picked them up.
That was his one inexcusable blunder
in the whole affair-it had set me
watching.
But Claire thief !-or the accom-
plice of theft That high-bred girl
that rare, accomplished childl
couldn't believe it-I wouldn't be-
lieve 1t. She was acting In good faith
whatever she did. Perhaps he had
convinced her that the diamonds were
hls-that Mrs. Delario was robbing
him! felt II then the boldest. clever
est plot l had ever heard of actu-
ally admired him for the daring and
the intellectually of it-as feat 1t
| stimulated me.
Yes, once having the key to 1t In
the slipper, saw the whole plot as
plain as day; the one point puzzling
me was: how did monsieur know
had the diamonds now? couldn't
make that out at all-not II ] believed
Mrs. Delario hadn't told him, and
thought she was the only other living
person who knew 1t. Well, / had them.
and I'd keep them for all of monsieur
until ! returned them to her.
At quarter after six or thereabouts
l heard the front bell ring three two's
I'd told Billy Rivers to use as his sig
nal, and I skinned along the hall in
my Eureka frame of mind-neyer once
thought Of precautions or of calling
through first and making sure It was
! Billy-and flung the door open wide.
AS the door few back realized the
fool thing I'd done; and then without
even looking to see who It was caught
the door and tried to shut II again.
But he pushed. looked. then cried
"Billy" and grabbed him by the arm.
| knew l didn't deserve it-it ought by
the rights of romance to have been the
villain.
"Oh, Billy-my deliverer-you dear I"
l gasped the minute the door was shut.
II declare you're good enough to
kiss" and with that up and did It J
Billy was embarrassed. He ap-
praised my salutation at, "Aw-say-"
and sheepish grin; 30 l felt obliged
to add, as dragged him along the hall,
"But used to kiss you years and
years ago"
why, so you did-in my Stone
age" acknowledged Billy, his tone Inn
plying that he'd passed through some
cons Of civilization since; and with
that he thrust big package In my
hands, saying laconically, "Some eats"
Some eats!" I gurgled. remember
Ing suddenly that / was starving.
"Billy-I could kiss you again"
"Aw-say-" he parried. and grabbed
the package and began tearing OF the
wrapper. "It's so sudden-but thank
you ever SO much. and for heavens
sake tell me what's happenedi I'll
bust If you don't"
1--WE run OFF with a million dollars
worth of diamonds, that's all"
For minute Billy looked as II he
thought I'd run Off with my senses
then he observed IN that soothy, con.
densed tone very sane young person
uses to a respected elder whose mind
is wandering:
~ think you'd better eat some.
thing - Immediately" (Full period
here-it says, "We'n talk about what
ails you when you're feeling more
yourself.") where's your can
opener?"
was so i11ngry at the sight of food
that little panicky pains ran round my
insides and up my throat, and
pranced into the kitchen for the opener
: and plates, leaving Billy to think what
he pleased about my mental state.
had the wit, though. to tell him SSH l.
Just at that moment Mrs. Thing
downstairs began her supper-time per
formances. Little had I ever dreamed
that her daily torture Of an otherwise
lnoffensive plano would sometime
prove blessing to me. Billy whis
| narad hoarsalu aSUhat'a thot9 Nh.