The Elbert County tribune., 1920-04-02

exchanged syllable.
We sank into chairs. 1 felt as II
tidal wave had swept from under me
and left me not even hanging up in
coconut tree but sitting still In peace
full security. 1t was she who got us
down from the high peaks to the levels
where conversation can go afoot with
out falling off, by asking. "And how
are you-after 1t all?" to which l re-
piled, But how are you-after 1t allf"
and we both laughed.
Her laugh died away into an indig-
nant frown. "You never heard any
thing like It," she cried. "He came
here with n detective-and It wasn't
five minutes after you got out of the
house, Monday-and accused me
me ,--of stealing Claire's bracelets !"
"Braceletsfr / echoed.
'Yes-me."
said "Oh." slowly. 1 hadn't ex-
pected she'd grind the word Jewels
quite so fine.
did you ever hear anything quite
so outrageous?" she rushed on. ITO
come here and say robbed his child
of jewelryl l don't believe she had
any jewelry, anyway-it was all
trumped-up story to get something out
of me; but l was so Indignant" and
she poured out the whole tale.
well. it's all over" she concluded.
81 didn't care how much monsieur
searched-I knew hadn't robbed
Claire. and knew that SO long as
you had my diamonds they were safe.
l didn't worry after the first day
or So"
She said my diamonds" and now
/ had to tell her
"Mrs. Delario there seems to be
misunderstanding about those dia-
monds,' l began suavely.
She gave start and asked, ''how,
MISUNDERSTANDING You mean they're
not worth all you said? Well-you
didn't tell me positively they were
worth-that.' She seemed to hesitate
at "a million dollars" which is wha:
l said.
'oh. yes-I still stick to that-that's
the worst of 1t: they are worth it
that's what made them shining targets
for that thief
Thief! % she cried. "You say
thief too! Then he was, after all r.
She was very much excited, and re.
peated the word several times with
kind of JOY and ran on rapidly: ~
wouldn't tell you what thought about
him, but l knew he was thief. l
knew 1t in Paris-I knew 1t In Ant
werp-it was in Antwerp--after I'd
made all the arrangements to bring
Claire over-that heard 1t clairaudl-
emily. DE Ravenol is a thief l knew
1t herein this very room-the first
time he came" And then she smiled
at me benignantly: "And thanks to
you he didn't get my diamonds, so
we're safe-Claires safe-she'll never
know the truth about her father from
me.
claire never had any jewelry-the
whole accusation was trumped up to
get the chance to rob me. But how
under the sun did he know l had those
diamonds?'
HE says he put them Thereon at
least Claire did-in your slipper" ]
blurted.
Her hands flew to her heart.
"Never!" she cried. "Never in the
world! -
And he says they're his" persist.
ed. feeling I'd got my opening at last.
l put it that way partly to dlsabuse
her mind of the idea that monsieur
was thief; partly to save her from
the too sudden shock of the Emperor
William. l saw I'd have to let her
down gradually.
They're mine," she returned vehe-
mently. II swore to you they were
mine. l swear to you again-now-
herein the sight of God-they are
mine. Consider" her tone was al
appeal now, "if they had not been
mine-if l had stolen them from
Claire-would / have shown them to
you? Would / have asked you to help
me dispose of them?'
1 was forced to admit, "No-of
course not"-I had already taken that
into consideration.
"Yes-I grant you that you honestly
believe they're yours" 1 admitted.
But what I've got to know is, how
they came to be yours
She told me then. hesitating no
longer, the unbelievable story-unbe-
lievable by every modern standard and
from every scientific point of view,
explaining why she'd prevaricated In
the first instance about her uncle. II
wasn't, after all, quite what you'd call
by so harsh name as lying.
CTO BE CoNTINUED.)