The Ordway new era., 1920-04-16

exchanged a syllable.
We sank into chairs. felt as II
tidal wave had swept from under me
and left me not even hanging up In
| coconut tree but sitting still in peace
full security. 1t was she who got us
| down from the high peaks to the levels
| where conversation can go afoot with
out falling Off, by asking. "And how
are you-after 1t all?" to which re-
piled. But how are you-after it allf"
and we both laughed.
Her laugh died away into an indig-
| nant frown. "You never heard any
thing like it." she cried. "He came
here with detective-and 1t wasn't
five minutes after you got out of the
house, Monday-and accused me
me of stealing Claire's bracelets"
"Bracelets?" / echoed.
"Yes-me."
1 said "Oh." slowly. 1 hadn't ex-
pected she'd grind the word jewels
quite. so fine.
Did you ever hear anything quite
SO OutrageOus?" she rushed on. ITO
come here and say 1 robbed his child
of jewelry! l don't believe she had
any 5ewelry. anyway-it was all a
trumped-up story to get something out
of me; but was SO Indignant" and
she poured out the whole tale.
"Well. it's all over" she concluded.
II didn't care how much monsieur
searched-I knew / hadn't robbed
Claire. and l knew that so long as
you had my diamonds they were safe.
didn't worry after the first day
or So"
She said my diamonds" and now
had to tell her
Mrs. Delario there seems to be
misunderstanding about those dla-
monds," 1 began suavely.
She gave a start and asked, "Aow,
misunderstanding? You mean they're
not worth all you said? Well-you
didn't tell me positively they were
worth-that." She seemed to hesitate
at "a million dollars" which is wha:
1 said.
"Oh, yes-I still stick to that-that's
the worst of 1t: they are worth it
that's what made them shining targets
for that thief"
Thief" she cried. "You say
thief too! Then he was, after all !"
She was very much excited, and re-
peated the word several times with a
kind of JOY and ran on rapidly: II
wouldn't tell you what thought about
him. but l knew he was a thief.
knew 1t In Paris-I knew 1t In Ant
werp-lt was in Antwerp-after I'd
made all the arrangements to bring
Claire over-that heard 1t clairaudi-
emily, DE Ravenol Is q thief knew
1t herein this very room-the first
time he came" And then she smiled
at me benignantly: "And thanks to
you he didn't get my diamonds. SO
we're safe-Claire's safe-she'll never
me.
"Claire never had any jewelry-the
whole accusation was trumped up to
get the chance to rob me. But how
under the sun did he know had those
diamondsT
HE says he put them there-or at
least Claire did-in your slipper"
blurted.
Her hands flew to her heart
"Never!" she cried. "Never in the
worldw
"And he says they're HIS" persist
ed. feeling I'd got my opening at last.
1 put 1t that way partly to disabuse
her mind Of the idea that monsieur
was thief; partly to save her from
the too sudden shock of the Emperor
William. l saw I'd have to let her
down gradually.
They're mIne." she returned vehe-
mently. II swore to you they were
mine. swear to you again-now-
herein the sight of God-they are
mine. Consider" her tone was al
appeal now, "if they had not been
mlne-if / had stolen them from
Claire-would l have shown them to
you? Would have asked you to help
me- dispose of them2"
was forced to admit, .No-of
course not"-I had already taken that
into consideration.
"Yes-I grant you that you honestly
believe they're yours" I admitted.
'But what I've got to know is, how
they came to be yours"
She told me then, hesitating no
longer the unbelievable story-unbe-
lievable by every modern standard and
from every scientific point of view,
explaining why she'd prevaricated in
the first instance about her uncle. 1t
wasn't. after all, quite what you'd call
by so harsh a name as lying.
CTo BE CoNTINUED.)