The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-02-05

| mond thief--that's what he was !" |
blew off. "He was in the act of steal
ing million dollars worth OF dia-
monds. And foiled him!'
"Wow! You did,"
II should say ! did! And what's
more, I've got the diamonds here
there-behind you in those hyacinths."
"Wow!" he whooped, and before |
knew what he was doing he was out
of his chair, his hand on the glass.
Don't touch them ~ l shrieked.
j "Wow!" he cried, dropping his hand
and jumping back. "Do they bite?"
Motley sting. They pizen your
very soul. But, Billy-stop wowing--
I'm watched"
He sat down with the command,
I"Divulge the dread secret" and be-
tween bites told him the whole story
up to Eureka, and brought in the slip
per to prove it.
through and asked him, "And now now
am l going to get those beastly things
out of the house and where am / 60
ing to get them to? She doesn't dare
| to have them at her house"
"Oh, I can take them away and
hide 'em, if that's all you want" he
answered carelessly.
ut isn't ALL" retorted, bit indig-
nant. "It's only the beginning of a
new chapter of misery for the whole
of us-it's throwing the responsibility
on you without getting me out of the
nett won't save me from being kid
mapped and searched and maybe MUIR
dered to keep my mouth shut"
Billy nodded at that and said.
| you're right"
He took cigarette out of his case
and with a short, MAY II" lighted up
and began to blow rings, gazing at
them abstractedly. l nibbled crumbs.
After I'd stood his silence for half a
cigarette, I repeated my question and
told him, We've got to do something
right ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS"
"Of course" He smoked another
quarter and threw the cigarette with
energy into the empty chicken tin,
bouncing up as he spoke.
"What are We going to do?' he gave
forth masterfully. Were going to
trap that bold man all by our little
own selves-you and /. And We'll give
| him one nice lesson on stealing dia-
monds from defenseless women-and
threatening YOU"
| "But we've got to hurry" / urged.
Il can't live this way much longer
it's simply killing mel"
"Sure," Billy agreed, suppressing a
smile at me. "Pm hurrying all I can.
i calculate to have your 'mossoo' in
handouts tomorrow night" And he
unfolded his plot and entered into it
! with fervor. The truth is Billy and |
were having the fun of our lives
The scheme was to decoy monsieur
to the fiat by letter from Mrs. Della
rio indicating where the diamonds
were hidden: we banked on his re-
membering the one place he hadn't
searched-the hyacinths; and if he got
the tip we believed he'd return the mo-
ment / went out.
After some discussion Billy and
decided not to take Mrs. Delario into
our confidence, not knowing how she'd
act in the crisis, which necessitated
our initiating her writing. The only
sample of her writing we had was her
address in my notebook and some
titles of books on spiritualism she'd
wished me to read. But the sample
did rs, and the joint literary efforts of
myself and Billy produced the follow
ing-this purporting to be from me to
her:
My Dear Mrs Delario: Since he searched
/ everything but the bunch of hyacinths as
| told you over the telephone Tuesday this
struck me exquisiteiy neat, convincing
| touch, for his detective must have reported
| both that / telephoned and the number Of
| the call)--I thought the same place would
! continue safe in of second invasion.
| got fresh bunch, you will know where
| If anything happens to me. IL SO, come and
| get them at once; break il the fiat If you
! have to.
am going to try to see you Saturday
night for final arrangements If can slip
out without being seem Expect me between
eight and ten Be sure to be alone so we
/ can talk. / still hold to my promise-one-
third to you if you will help to dispose
| of gum drops
"Gum drops" was Billys touch-he
declared that "mossoo" would read it
diamonds sure as anything.
And this, purporting to be from her
to him:
Monsieur; I have refused to have anything
| to do with this matter since I know the
i truth of the ownership. Under the circum-
| stances, I feel she is foolish to try to hold
| on. Get the hyacinths while she is at my
house tonight, and the trouble will be over
| for everybody.
i / typed my own letter with a carbon
copy while Billy laboriousiy produced
! the one from Mrs. Delario.
The decoy letters we sent to the ho-
tel where monsieur was staying. The
Numerals Came From Europe.
That the system of numerals we