The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-01-15

wrong ana she immediately went back
to work.
| had been standing by the bureau
while we spoke and something TO my
eye seemed missing on It. She hadn't
more than left the room when / knew
what-my revolver was gone. II lay
always on the corner where could
put my hand on It in the night In the
dark. | knew | hadn't seen il when |
cleared up the room; | knew monsieur
couldn't have helped seeing it when he
cleared out the bureau. And by the
token, / knew that he had taken H.
"rhe curw thought l. But the loss
was a good tonic, for after the first
minute OF fright at finding myself
without defense. got SO hopping mad
at the sheer meanness of the creature
Lalso so pleasing glad at the little
compliment he was paying me by adj
mitting thus he was afraid OF me and
revolver I'm comblnation-thot I'd
have sailed into him with n hatpln IL
he'd shown his face az the door. And
mt that moment heard the sound Of
latch-key working in door. | thought
Il was my own, and dashed out and
threw II wide.
It was the lady in the adjoiniof fat.
She said: GLOW these keys do stick,
sometimesl | wonder If anybody has
been tampering with my lock-"
Tampering with the lock l closed
my door without thanking her for the
reminder-I had been in the act of get
ting a new lock when monsieur called
me TO Mrs. Delario's supposed death
bed. Oh, II only had had it put on
Then ] remembered that other key on
Friday night-the Key working in my
own door and that assumed belonged
10 Mr. Man-down-stairs.
No wonder he didn't swear at me
when J called out TO him he had the
wrong fiat: Mr. Man was-monsieur
flung oa my wraps, telling Mrs.
Jimmson | had an errand out. and in
less than fifteen minutes | had a lock-
smith putting on e new Yale lock and
exchanging the small ehain-bolt for
the heaviest In the market.
l had rung when l returned with the
man TO give color to my tara CT lost
key. Mrs. Jimmson let me IN and
seemed greatly astonished to 500 a
man begin at once taking out screws.
$50 you lost your key?" she observed
placldly-just her way of taking every
thing l happen TO be doing as per
sonal matter OF her own. She was
now prepared to superintend the OPP
Grafton. "Well that's too bad to have
to go TO the expense Of a new lock
Couldn't the man find key that would
ftI The key would cost only a quar-
ter and you wouldn't have to buy
whole lock-"
Her arms were folded and she
showed she meant TO see The new lock
on to the last screw. gazed at her in
sheer wonder that a person could be
so stupid, so obtuse as not to know she
wasn't wanted; and from her, my eyes
Travelled alo->x the hall, TO the dining
room, to the table-my heart jumped.
and stopped: the hyacinths were not
there
"What have you done with those
hyacinths" | demanded, as soon as !
could control my voice.
'You mean those faded things in a
glass on the table?"
"Yes-what did you do with them?"
"If you'd mentioned them before you
went out"
"wHAT DID YOU DO WITH
THEM?"
"Why, they were so faded-I never
thought you-wanted them"
She was beginning to quail and slide
away. / caught her wrist--my fingers
left marks-she showed them to me
later.
"What-- -did-you-do- with-them?
Answer me instantly"
81 threw them out"
AS Mrs. Jlrnmson said those words
that she had thrown the hyaclnths
away-the locksmith handed me the
two keys, saying that the lock and the
bolt were all right and that was ALL l
had paid him at the shop In order to
hasten matters at the house, for l
hoped, II possible, to get the job done
so quickly that even George wouldn't
find out wnat had brought the man
In for. I was still digging my fingers
into her wrist while he gathered up
his tools and he gave the two of us
curious look, half amusement. half
wonder at my vehemence, before he
closed himself out.
AS for Mrs. Jimmson, she had been
too ~ ralyzed with fright to move. The
instant the door was shut. l dropped
her wrist and made dash for the
kitchen. hoping the garbage hadn't yet
gone down. AS did 1t. / let out one
short unpleasant word. That word
was Damn |" and into II crowded all
the pent-up feelings Of the last twenty
four hours.
saw her look Of horror as closed
the door-she thought had gone In
sane Now, I'm not given to profanity,
but am willing to admit that II may
have Its uses on 0ccaslon.-as for In