The Ordway new era., 1920-02-13
/ Diamond Cut Diamond
&m0Mew0
By JANE BUNKER

and. reading as / munched. tried to
make up for lost time: and It Was not
till had finished eating that reinein-
bered to put away my coat and hat
that had thrown of on the divan.
I carried them to my bedroom and
pulled open the wardrobe door. In
the bottom of 1t lay the three tur-
quoise-beaded slippers,
Ny coat and hat fell out of my
hands on the floor and sank down on
the bed l was not merely mystified-
/ was frightened. How had they come
there:-and when! They were not
there when took out the coat in the
morning TO go to Mrs. Delario's-to
that 1 knew / could swear. for in my
hurry to be rid of her diamonds had
snatched the coat out and dropped it.
and couldn't have missed seeing the
slippers then. any more than had
missed seeing them now.
Now. under ordinary circumstances.
finding the three slippers in my ward
robe wouldn't have upset mel should
very likely have thought 1t lapse
OF memory and let II go at that: but
/ was by way of keeping tab on them
and / knew I couldn't have put them
in the wardrobe. because the last thing
/ knew of them they were gone out of
the fiat entirely. 1 could only stare
and feel horribly creepy
II this were not e manifestation.
then somebody had access 10 my fat.
But who? And why slippers;
jumped up at this thought and began
digging into my bureau drawer-I had
i've hundred dollars cash buried there
that had been paid over TO me in the
settlement Of an estate and I'd not
had a minute 10 take II to the bank.
The cash was safe Everything else
was safe, as far as l could see; not a
chair was out Of place; nothing had
been moved or touched since left the
Z fiat-only three slippers. And why
slippersf The more l thought the
more disturbed became, it was all
so uncanny. One thing was clear TO
me. though-whoever came in TO mon
key with the slippers came while ]
vas out
I'll get a new lock as my next
move in the game" said /: and this
prepared to do Immediately. not by 60
ing out and leaving the diamonds-oh.
no,-I was too really scared by the
slippers to leave the diamonds now
alone in the fiat-but by finding lock-
smith In the telephone book and inyit-
ing him to call: and 1 was diligently
pursuing him thus when my telephone
rang and l threw down the book to
answer ii. And in response to my
hello" recognized the voice Of Mon
sieur de Rayenol.
why. how do you do. monsieur
exclaimed. thinking instantly he had
some scheme on for getting me to take
charge of Claire for him. since Mrs
Deiario wouldn't keep her.
Il am as always. sank you, but 1t is
our friend. Madame Delario. wish to
speak wis you about"
Mrs. Delarioi" 1 cried. thrown OF
What about her?"
-She meets wis an accident and
wishes to see you Immediately"
IAN accidenti" I was dismayed and
thought, Poor woman. what next for
her;" but l called back. what sort
of an accident!" and before he could
tell me l added. "When did It hap
penr
My daughter and / are just now
calling on her to pay our respects and
madame faints and falls, striking Sc
verely her head. call at once re ply.
sician and he says zere may be neces
sary an operation. She refuses-until
she can speak wis you about some pri
vate matters. shall tell her you will
Gomez"
For a moment wondered IL she had
given him a hint of the private mat
ters." and l asked him point blank,
do you know what she wishes to see
me forF'
"She asks only Eat 1 send for you
Immediately. and obey her instruc-
lions 1 tell you only what re doctor
have told me-and ask me to send for
her best friend. She say 1t is your
self and she must see you. You will
come immediately"
| "Yes-immediately I'll be there In
about twenty minutes"
| I rushed TO her. buttoning my coat
as / ran downstairs. and 1t was not
until / had taken my seat in the SUBJ
| way that 1 remembered had left her
diamonds in my fiat!
CHAPTER VI.