The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1920-01-01

| tuo DhtnfOOm SnOWeu hI u glance
through the half-open door that no.
body lurked within. The door to my
bedroom stood fat agains. the wall;
the kitchen door nearly so. and behind
1t Billy, jammed 10 between the refrig-
orator and the set tubs, was complete
ly concealed unless one entered the
room. A low light burned here. SUI
hcient to show the rooms apparent
emptiness. We calculated that MOD
sieur would make dash for the fire
escape when / shot on the blank car
fridge from my bedroom and Billy was
then to greet him with the ammonia.
In my own room l stood pressed
against the wall just inside the door
way. In my right hand was the re-
volver.
Neither Billy nor l uttered a sound.
The little metal clock echoed along the
hall. horribly loud. II chimed the half
after seven. I counted ticks-one min
ute gone. ] counted and thought of
hundreds Of things l meant to do, or
had forgotten to do, all the while
counting mechanically. Three minutes
gone-four-hve-
A key slipped quickly. boldly. re-
gardless Of the noise It made-my
locki Mott couldn't bel The lock
turned. A quick illumination filled my
hall from the gas Jet outside and was
gone almost before had realized II.
The door closed. My heart jumped out
and rnn about the floor and tried to
hide under the bureau.
l remember thinking, Suppose II
doesn't come back but stays awayl
Then poor Billy's done for-I can't
move muscle without my hearti"
And all the time was thinking these
idiotic things, ! heard the cautious In
domitable pad, pad. pad Of whispered
footsteps. They paused at the bed
room door for glance within-noth-
ing there; paused at the bathroom
door-nothing In there; paused at the
kitchen door--nothing In there; then
made for the table.
The, light blazed up in the dining
room and my heart came back With q
plOp. Monsieur had turned up the light
In order to remove the diamonds and
leave me to discover 1t, az 1t might
chance-tomorrow or week from to-
morrow.
With the light. all my fear left sud-
denly. popped out OF the bedroom
saw monsieur with the hyacinths In
his hand-flred the blank cartridge
and yelled, Hands upi" and stood fac
Ing him and between him and the door
with smoking revolver in my hand
He said, "Mon Dieu I'-took In the
situation-and boIted for the fire es-
cape-got a smashing blow from the
kitchen door as Billy jumped from be-
hind II and theli- half a glass Of am.
monia In the face. Two seconds later
we three were writhinS strangling
heap on the floor.
The next thing | remember, l was
sitting on monsieur amidships and
Billy was swapping a handcuff.
gasped and rolled OF on the floor ;
picked myself up from the inelegant
position by way Of my hands and
knees. got a wet towel and sopped
monsieurs face as fast as l could
though why ! performed this humane
act 80 quickly, can't say and as soon
as he stopped strangling-for a lot of
the ammonia had gone into his mouth
and very little In his eyes-Billy and
dragged him to the dining room.
propped him against the sideboard and
opened a window.
believe that none Of the-three Of
us uttered a word during the entire
performance-Billy rays he can't re-
member any; but onN et the strangest
things wss that the firing OF the 70.
volver elected no investigation from
the populOus house. All this might
have happened 10 the center Of Lara
mie plains In snowstorm the day after
! the fall roundup for the amount Of no
tice man or beast took Of II.
, II was a fauItless achievement
And now we had monsieur-we bad
captured him, as Billy said we should
, all by our little own selves. He and
silently regarded the crumply creature
, sitting against the sldeboard and then
for the frst time the idea came into
our heads, "And now that we've goI
, him, what are we going to DO with
hims"
! looked at Billy and he looked al
/ me. We asked each other the question
/ with our eyes. AZ for monsieur. hll
J fears had swallowed up his chagTtn al
} the lndignities heaped upon him
Strange as Il may seem, he was ths
: firGt Of the three that found his voice.
"zere has been great mistake" h
! began, TO which Billy retorted;
ara 1o.A. Ag.ak esnwn