The Elbert County tribune., 1920-01-16
Anyway the other i've


nuch-her willingness to excuse and |
to wait for final proofs of peoples de-
linquencies. She hadn't even men,
toned her suspicion to Claire; at the
same time the incident decided her
that she could on no account keep the
child longer in the house. the worry
of looking after her was too great, and
she had told Claire this and that IL her
father didn't arrive by Monday Claire
would have to go to a boarding school
for safekeeping till he did Monsieur
lie pere opportunely arrived next
morning and took Claire away. That
was Thursday-the day before she
called on me-and Claire had been
with Mrs. Delario just since Monday
Very naturally. then. in all the story
l never once thought of the slipper and
that Mrs. Delario might be suspecting
Claire of taking 1t also. But having.
SO to speak. settled Claire In saying
that she had left on Thursday after
noon, Mrs. Delario quickly switched
the conversation on the real subject of
my visit. She introduced It by saying
that Lila-who was still in boarding
ing down and might have to be sent
abroad for treatment-she seemed to
be developing spinal trouble. though
the doctors here really didn't seem to
know what allied the child; and then
the sentence / clearly remember was,
I'm very greatly In need of money"
fear / must have drawn back sud-
denly-I actually thought she was try
ing to borrow of me-for she smiled
and answered my unspoken words: 81
don't mean 1 want to borrow anything.
I have some property I want to dis
pose of. / want to sell some rubies."
''Why. Mrs. Delario, I'm not a
dealer" I replied quickly.
81 know you're not-that's why I
thought you could help me better than
anyone else. The stones were left me
by great-uncle in France. and 1 may
as well confess it now-they came In
duty free"
"Smuggled ~ interjected.
"Well. a friend brought them over
and they weren't found when the bag
gage was examined. But don't you see
that was why / could sell them a.
bargaln?"
81 don't know anybody who deals In
smuggled gems"
"Of course-but you needn't tell
that-you don't actually know how
they got in-you are selling them for
a friend. It's because you don't know
that that you can sell them better
than can. At least you wouldn't mind
\ Ill
what they're worth so I'll have some
thing to go on? 1 haven't an idea how
valuable they are"
"Take them to Tiffany's," I sug-
gested.
"Pm afraid to take them anywhere,
to tell you the truth. Eugene took
them to place on Maiden lane yes
terday. and the people acted so queerly.
Eugene-he's very psychic-got the
impression that they were going to ac-
cuse him of smuggling them or some
thing of the klnd-stealing the rubies,
perhaps from them-and he put them
in his pocket and ran out. He thinks
he was followed, but he couldn't make
sure. Don't you see how easy 1t
would be for anyone to accuse lone
woman of theft"
But how would they prove any
thing?" I interrupted. 'If the stones
are yours"
She stopped me with bitter laugh.
Cant you see that the mere public
accusation that I'd stolen Jewels would
ruin me professionally? 1t would put
me instantly under suspicion of fraud
in all my dealings. oh. you don't
know; you haven't conception of
what this life MEANS" she went on n
little wildly. "You don't know the
struggle just to make ones daily
bread. A lawsuit would ruin me finan-
cially-I have no money to hire law
yer to defend me-"
felt myself give in to her then, as
a friend. Yes. I'd help her in every
reasonable way.
"You mustn't labor under any false
impressions about me-" she went on.
Il have little property-not enough
to support two people-and what. I
earn. / live here rent free-they pay
the rent-the circle that meets here
twice week. l have the house much
as a minister has his parsonage. If
there were ever any scandal-if they
turned me out from here-I'd be prac-
tically penniless. 1 couldn't make
fresh start with that hanging over me-
And then my sonr'
said, well, get the stones and I'll
look at them If you care to have me
do that"
She left me with grateful smile,
but returned so quickly that rather
guessed she had the stones on her
person. 1t was a dingy little paste
board box she'd come back with. fas-
tened with a common little elastic.
She slipped the elastic and placed the
hax a