The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1920-06-04
CUT DIAMOND
Jane Bunker

couldn't help an inward snort at
the cool way In which he took the pro-
prietorship of the situation in my
house-a snort tempered with good
natured elderly amusement at his i'm
petuOsity and its juStifiable cause. He
was nearly as pale as Claire and
dreadfully agitated. But l was already
running to the bathroom for the water
to revive her, as twenty-four hours
previous I'd u for water to assuage
papa.
Billy was on his knees. From under
one prOtruded the note that had
caused the damage. l went down on
my knees and applied the wet towel.
Billy fished forth the note and with
out conjunction read it aloud.
NY child: ct was in FRENCH Return to
the hotel Immediately. Ask Mr.. Rivers to
escort you. VOTRE PERE.
Nothing very nerve-shattering and not
a word about her mother; so evident
ly she'd been expecting something and
this had keeled her over on general
principles.
"What was in yours?" demanded
Billy.
I reached out and got it off the ia
BILE where I'd thrown it and rave it
to him. Nothing about her mother"
said I. "rhis getting her away is just
a dodge 20 see me alone"
"Yon're not going to-" Billy ex-
claimed. with some dismay.
1 sopped at Claire's face and an
swered: 81 don't knOw-it depends
on how soon he comes"
"I wouldn't-it isn't safe for you"
"You come here the very first thing
in the morning. and if I don't answer
your ring"
Claire just then stirred, and we
relapsed again, and Billy doubled up
his fists and made a motion toward the
front door, indicating that if l didn't
answer he would break it in.
"That's it-and the very first thing
in the morning. 7 don't know what
else to dO-and-'' I leaned over Claire
%anxiously, and whispered to myself
rather than Billy: "This is pretty
bad"
"Where's that ammonia" he de-
manded, making a wry face ard adding
, in a whisper: "DO you suppose she
knows?"
"Of course not" I retorted. You
J don't cyxnnncn hn uae StIch - fool DC
TO tell his own child how we done HIM
last night, It's in the kitchen, where
we left it."
r well, she'll never know from me
and I hope she'll never know from
you" admonished Billy. rising from his
knees and searching my face for the
assurance.
/ responded with something very
like a glare-Billy was really taking
| quite a bit on himself just them
hope I knew without being told by a
boy who went to chOOl to me what
the common decencies Of the case
were! But all l said was: "Please
get it,"
A few drops of ammonia on the tow
ell and she gasped. Then she MUIR
INJURED: "Oh, mamma" in tragic ac-
cents, and relapsed again. was
about to send Billy TO the nearest doc
toI he could get in captivity, when h
bell rang-George wanted to know
when the young lady would be ready
--"the shutters waitin' an he's in a
hurry"
Billy--who answered the ring
snapped out: Let him wait-it's
what he's paid for. Go down and tell
him we're coming"
He slammed the door, for a moment
forgetting Claire, and she started up
at the noise with her cry: "Oh, mann
ma - and then seeing me: "Oh, you"
"Yes-T'm here,'' I soothed, and
thought she was going off again and
gave her q good mart swat with the
towel and u good sharp, Claire"
In spite of our assurances, 1t was q
good half-hOur before she was any,
thing like all right and we got a co
herent account from her and found
she only thought something had hap
pened to her mother. It was a full
three-Quarters of an hour before she
was ready to leave.
I was more than half-minded to go
with her, and but for monsieur's explic-
1t note-which I read again after
Claire came to her sensesI should
not have LEI her go OF that way, even
with Billy, though l knew that so far
q $ devoted perfect care went, he'd give
it to her as well as !. More accepta-
bly,, mayhapl
I had q growing uneasiness that
monsieur's surreptitious return for
words alone with me markedla change
In the current of events. Had he al
ready discovered without my help that
Mrs. Delario had the diamonds? Had
he seen her since LEFT the house? And
was he prepared to drop on her with
the law? Certainly I had already mo-
ticpd ho had ahnuf him The afr Of