Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1920-02-14
CHAPTER xV--continued.

| was IlGHL, Elliy looked at it differ
emily. Connected cuss :" he later con
fided. wanted to take the whole
credit to himself"
"Oui, madame" monsieur went on.
and all the While I felt him searching
my face fer a sign OF what ] had ac-
compllshed with Mrs. Delario. "Nos-
sing can be safer-I argue-zan a
fancy slipper. 1t is not worn on re
steamer in ze cold Of winter, and mad
anne have so assure me Eat her bag
! gage, because of her so good cousin.
is pass wisout difficulty And who
would accuse madame of"-he gave
me knowing look and finished ambig-
uously-"of to smuggle zoze valuable
papers Eat do not concern her? All.
not would be incredible wisout to
see zem-and we have take care Eat
zey are not seen And 10 accomplish
zis we have put zem where zey are al
most but not quite seen. l have ex-
plain all zis to Claire and she have
understand parfaitement, Oui"
The smugness with which he deiiv-
cred himself of this was really anus
ing, and I couldn't help a smile, which
encouraged him to add-at the same
time looking piercinPly at me-with a
deprecating shrug:
"And just at re moment Of beautiful
| completion madame carries off one Of
zoze slippers-We know not which"
All of us laughed and the tension
that had been quite plainly felt in our
little company broke.
Claire went on to tell us how, in
| Antwerp, she had occupied a room
communicating with Mrs. Delario's the
| day before they sailed, and how papa
/ had taken Mrs. DelariO out to see the
great Rubens in the cathedral and
she-Claire-pleading a headache, had
! remained behind and had gone through
| Mrs. DeIario's things so she could tell
| her father what there was they could
use had discovered the slippers and
had taken them to her room and shown
them to her father that night and he
said they would do admirably" and
she had got them back while Mrs. Del
ariO was asleep.
But it wasn't easy to put the box
into the slipper when it came to the
point. Mrs. Delario keenly felt the
obligations OF her charge and proved
a far too devoted chaperon. At last
the chance arrived ana the box was
! slowed. What, then, was the poor
! child's CONSERVATION to hear me twit-
ting Mrs. Delario into wearing the
slippers!
"She nearly had me them Claire
confided with noticeable glee at her
own ability &c cope with the situation.
81 got the box out just one minute be
fore she came into our stateroom.
But this fright nade me so i'll l
couldn't stay at table that night"
81 should think So" said Billy, and
gave a sly glance in my direction that
said, 81 take back all I said about her
last night--she wasn't really in it at
all. 1t was all the old scoundrel Of a
'mosS0o.'
Claire seemed ready to end here, but
wasn't ready to have her. What was
1 to tell monsieur? My turn was COM
ing in a minute, and what was / to
say? / kept on with Claire. Then SO
far as you know, the box came through
the customs house in one of those slip
pers? And what were you to do after
that?"
The words were hardly out Of ny
mouth when the front bell rang and
George handed in a telegram addressed
to monsieur.
Monsieur tore open the yellow enye-
lop and rapidly scanned the message A;
ftowned; hesitated; started 70 speak
and stopped; looked at me inquir-
ingly; asked if there was a telegraph
Office near and when [ told him where
It was excused himself from our com
pany 10 send an immediate and ur-
gent reply and instructed Claire to
answer every question l might care to
put and with that he hurried off with
the curt ceremony Of one who expects
to be back on the quarter hour stroke.
There was. however. but little more
/ needed to discover from Claire; still
there was one thing, and I asked her
bluntly, your father came over ahead
Of US Oh a faster steamer? He was on
the wharf in disguise when we ar
rived?"
She blushed furiously and STAN
mered "Y-yes-he WIS there" and
added hastily: But ! didn't know he
was there. He told me there would be
someone-to take charge-when ! gave
the signal that everything was al
right
"Oh, there was q signaI!"
COZ course. ! had 70 let The other
one know who bad the box"
you mean you lad TO let your ia
ther know e.