The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-01-08

street duu AROUND DOCK unLll We
were out of earshot of other pedes-
trians; then / said: "Billy, I've got a
bunch that I've been robbed while we
were at that show. You've got to
come up with me-"
Jaw, now-don't go Worrying" he
began soothingly. Lots Of people
have lunches that never Gomez to any
thing. But Of course I'll go up with
you-call the police afterward, too, it
you want"
Don't joke" / begged. tive got
five hundred dollars in the house-it
would be just my luck" This was as
good an explanation as any, and it was
true. didn't dare to tell him about
the diamonds and my afternoons adj
venture.
Billy whistled "Good chance for
me-if you haven't been burgled al
ready. Three months in Paris for
yours truly"
BILLY. listen," begged, ignoring his
attempt to be funny and cheer me up.
tTf George has gone off the elevator,
all right-we walk up; but If George
is still on-now listen, Billy, and play
your part. for if I've been robbed
George mustn't know it: If George is
on I'll tell him you're from the office
and have come up for some papers"
George has his virtues and the de-
fects of his yirtues-he keeps tab on
everybody, in the house, who their
g.. o,,5. 49, I,ox,x of+a,, +Iax, coll opd
how late they stay. For me-who
never did such a thing-to bring an
apple checked young man to my fat
after midnight would be nothing short
of an adventure in Georges eyes--a
thing to be told through the house for
month Of Sundays afterward. So I
got out quarter--to be ready with
my thanks, in case he'd stayed on,
waiting for me, as he often did; and
there he was, smiling.
I slipped the quarter into his palm
and told him how glad I was that /
didn't have to walk up-and this gem
tleman, too, who "had come up from
the Office to get some papers, didn't
say what Office.
The car slid up-my heart slid down:
monsieur was in that fiat waiting for
me and knew it. Don't ask me to
! explain how knew it knew it,
and knew that he was in the kitchen
--or would be in the kitchen, when the
| car stopped at the sixth; that he
meant to let me come in, close the
door on myself. and then appear; that
he had the kitchen window open ready
10 retreat by the fire-escape if | should
happen not to come alone.
I say knew this. At the same time
/ L knew that I must give him the chance
Ito get away-I must let him know !
was not alone.
The car stopped. George asked If
he should wait, and replied, in a
rather loud voice, that it might take
some little time to find the papers for
Mr.. Rivers; better go down again, for
| the front door was still open and some
body might slip In. / fumbled with my
| key to let the car descend, and when
the noise had grown faint, so that
monsieur could hear every word ] said,
I opened the door crack and held it
while drew out the key, saying, so
the words would carry through the
hall, ssBilly, have you got match
| Won't you strike it before we go in
the fiat is dark"
Billy struck match and the kitchen
door slammed as / opened the front
door. knew by that that the kitchen
window was open.
The hall, by the outside gas jet,
showed nothing out of the way-that
had been rearranged to let me get in
side and shut the door without suspi-
cion. AS to the rest of the fiat -
| words fail me! 1t was literally turned
inside out and upside down. Drawers
had been emptied out on the floor,
then piled up and refilled with other
things to get them out Of the way.
Even the bookcases had been moved
and searched behind and hundreds of
books were heaped on the floor, helter-
skelter. Pictures had been taken
from the walls and pillow cushions
cut open actually, the breakfast food
in boxes, the butter and food in the
refrigerator had been searched
And in the midst Of the disorder
one thing alone had apparently not
been touched-the bunch Of hyacinths |
/ I saw it the moment / got the dining
room light turned on. There it stood
on the table, just as had left 1t when
j had crowded the diamonds down
among the stems. But were the dia-
monds therel
Z was In the act of making dash to
find out, when remembered Billy
Billy mustn't know.
He had calculated, "Love and pota-
toes! You did have bunch p
1 pulled or my gloves-I must see
4 if the diamonds were safe-jusf q