The Elbert County tribune., 1920-02-06
CHAPTER Vi-continued.

rs madame intending to converse
wis me, holding a weapon in her
handY'
'Is monsieur intending to converse
with me behind locked doors7"
''For ze present-yes."
VERY well, then, get 1t over. What
is it?" I felt very sure by this time
1t had nothing, directly. to do with
Mrs. Delario.
at is zis-my daughter. Claire. was
robbed of some very valuable Jewels
on re steamer coming over. Zere are
but two persons who could possibly
have committed ze seft-Mrs. Delario
and-yourself."
/ was dazed-so dazed that stam-
mered.
You say Claire was robbed coming
over on the steamer-and you think
did it?"
Precisely"
Ny wits came back with that fiat
accusation.
''Then why didn't she say something
about it at the time?" L demanded.
"Prohably because she was not
aware of it at re time-one seldom is.
to madame"
I was so completely innocent Of even
knowing that the girl had Jewels with
her-except such little trinkets as a
child values and that nobody but a
street thief would have bothered his
head over-that saw monsieur's ac-
cusation as blackmail. That word sud-
denly popped into my head and gave
me the basis of return attack.
You mean to tell me that Claire
had valuable jewels on the steamer yet
never mentioned the fact to either Mrs.
Delario or myself?"
Naturally, she says nossing-why
should she? She is under no obliga-
tion to speak of such a matter to you"
in other words. she was smuggling
valuable jewels into the country-try-
ing to get them through the customs
house without our knowing it, so we
could tell her to declare them?"
Smuggling? She is taking zem to
her musser-zey have once been pur-
chased in America"
Il don't believe she had any Jewels"
I asserted bravely. Merely to say she
had-and she hasn't got them now
doesn't prove anything. You must have
sense enough to see that for yourself"
His face had darkened again. you
doubt my word? 1 have re proof,
madame. re absolute proof-Zat she
had re Jewels wis her when she went
on board re steamer; and while on
board; and up to certain date. can
furnish proof zat would be accept in
any court-if madame renders it nee.
essary."
His tone carried conviction in spite
of myself; also, / knew he was ready
to have me put under arrest and fur
nish his proof in court. For minute
went limp and sick. But pulled my
self together for another shot at him
Then you admit she was smuggling
Jewels into the country?'
He shrugged-I thought to conceal
his uneasiness at the way I was taking
it. "Ze jewels belong to my wlfe-a
wedding gift from her fazer-if you
call it smuggling"
But they were not declared-I
know that, anyway. Well, then-since
they were not declared, they were to
all intents and purposes smuggled. We
shall now act as though they had been
smuggled-we shall at once enlist the
services of the government in your be-
half. After the jewels are discovered.
you can present evidence that they
were not subject to duty. Or, of course,
you can pay the duty. l suppose they
are worth that to you to get them
backT"
what do you mean. madame?" he
exclaimed in tone that to me sound
ed alarm. you sink / ask your gov
ernment to seek for zoze lost jewels
of my daughter? Diable-parion-and
lose zem so soon as find zem?"