The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1920-06-04
- ca ~, 60 ne1p ntln.

new IMPRESSION anu WHICH, u person
does that it's either because he doesn't
care or holds the whip! l was bound
to see him and find out; and Claire
and Billy went away together, Billy
wearing a grim do-or-die, trust-me-ab-
solutely expression on his round young
face connecting appreciation Of his
grave responsibility.
When I'd seen them OF In the eleva-
tor and closed my door ] smiled. I
wasn't sorry that Billy was getting a
wholesome nearness to the real thing
In women, albeit a very young one
but time would rapidly remedy that
difficulty; and as for Claire-well.
Billy was her first young mar and I
knew her ideals wouldn't. suffer a
through him. He might be q trihe
rough and unpublished on the outside.
but he was true blue.
There were three low raps at my
door. Or was 1t NY door?
/ listened-I must have been mis-
taken-thOugh I'd only barely closed Il
and was turning ont the hall electric.
The elevator that was taking Claire
and Billy down vas still on its way.
Could monsieur have walked up3
The raps were repeated-unques-
tionably on my door. Without wait
ing-or even thinking to call through
and ask who was there-I threw the
door open.
Mrs. Delario whipped in and closed
1t behind her.
Her face was almost concealed by
q heavy black veil, but 1 recognized
her and cried out, "Why, Mrs. Della
rio! J" in utter amazement. What I'M
der the heavens had brought her there?
She laid a black-glOved finger on
her lips to signify silence; she thrust
something in my hand; she opened the
door and whipped out as she came,
shutting it in my face.
She hadn't uttered a wOrd-she had
barely caused a sound; even the door
closed behind her nOiSeleSsly. l tore
it open as my first impulse-when /
got my breath-thinking she'd be wait
ing for the elevator. In the few sec
OndS of my establishment she had gone.
I checked a call to her-"Mrs. Della
rio'-and listened for descending foot
steps on the stairs but heard nothing.
1 sank into a hall chair, quite I'M
nerved-cOming on top of what I'd
been through that day, feel I'd have
had q juStifiable cause for a faint on
my own account; only | didn't swOon
I kept asking myself: If it weren't an
apparition how did she know which
door to knock at? | have no door
plate and she'd evidently not asked
G~eorge-he was taking the a down
with Claire AMI Billy at the moment
Mrs. Deiario popped in. 1t didn't &C
cur to me at first that she'd probably
seen me. from the corner of the stair
way, close that door after saying
coodhy to the others. There had been
three raps-classic apparitions always,
l believe, rap thrice when they wish
to enter your abode-they do not con-
descend TO push a button; and then
she'd n~Oiselessly whipped in and put
something IN my hand
l became CONSCIOUS of a hard object
in my fist; opened the fist and be-
held-the fatal box.
You could have knocked me yer
with a feather! Impossible that she'd
brought ii back! I dashed for the din
}nO rom, Whnrn tho LIGHT uynS and
pulled off the W of the box. There
lay the diamonds!
With a sweeping gesture / flung
them on the table--in one fell swoop
I'd been tumbled off my lofty perch
and had become a victim once more
just q disconnected, worried victim, re-
sponsible for the fate of nations!
And having thrown them dOwn-One
of them fell off the table, snatched
them up-mOnSieur would return at
any minute for that private interview
with me, and now what was | to tell
him? | no longer had the gem-free
conscience of an hour ago-I had the
diamonds!
But I might have saved my ago
nieS-monSieur die not return that |
night-he had other fish to fry.
The canny cleverness of monsieur's
next move gave me when ] knew it
keen intellectual joy that l for
him everything.
He had argued it GU thus: Either |
/ should succeed or / should fail with |
Mrs. Delario. If l failed it would be
one of two reasons: either she de-
MED all knowledge Of the diamonds, |
or she had confessed to me yet had
been able to bind me to secrecy. But
in either case he would read my sue
cess or failure in my face the moment
greeted me.
My face was a blank. He hadn't ex-
to find 1t that way, but SO it
a hint did l give him, first
when / opened the door, OF later while
I talked with Claire. In fact, inside
of fifteen minutes he became con-
that so far as l was concerned
H