The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1920-01-22
By JANE BUNKER

had been rearranged 10 let me get In
side and shut the door without suspi'
cion. As to the rest of the fiat =
words fail mel 1t was literally turned
inside out and upside down. Drawers
had been emptied out on the floor,
then piled up and refilled with other
things to get them out of the way.
Even the bookcases had been moved
and searched behind and hundreds of
books were heaped on the floor, helter-
skelter. Pictures had been taken
from the walls and pillow cushions
cut open; actually, the breakfast food
In boxes, the butter and food in the
refrigerator had been searched.
And in the midst of the disorder
one thing alone had apparently not
been touched-the bunch of hyacinths
saw it the moment / got the dining
room light turned on. There Il stood
on the table, just as had left 1t when
1 had crowded the diamonds down
among the stems. But were the dhl-
monds therel
was in the act OF making dash tO
find out, when I remembered Billy
Billy mustn't know.
He had calculated. "Love and pota-
toes You did have hunchp
/ pulled off my gloves-I must see
IL the diamonds were safe-iust n
touch with the end OF my fingers and
I'd know
81 didn't do 1t with hunch. Billy"
said /, and 1 stopped to pick up table
drawer and slide it into place, for
there was considerable barricade be-
tween me and the hyacinths that were
now out of my reach.
II didn't suppose you did," Billy was
generous enough TO admit.
al did 1t with a piece Of unmitigated
folly"
"Say-where did you leave the
casb?" he questioned quickly. and re-
membered the five hundred dollars
that I'd forgotten for the moment.
forgot the diamonds and sank into
the nearest chair. l stammered, BILLY,
must know the worst, and I'm afraid
to ego to my bedroom and s-see II It's
gone. 1t was In the b-bureau drawer"
u
the hall. Then saw the electric light
illuminate the doorway and heard
Billy:
Love and pumpkinsi Come here
quickl"
l rushed after him, without waiting
to see If the diamonds were safe. He
pointed to the bed: ".Will you look al
that"
All the bed covers had been thrown
of and on the mattress lay the five
|. hundred dollars, spread out in rows
of tens and fives!
The sight fairly caved me in. II was
great deal worse than If the money
stantly struck me, and Billy too, fol
Billy said It, was, "That fellow Ger
, tainly had plenty of time. and whats
more, bet he was waiting for you"
"He was." said 1 with conviction
catching at the foot of the bed fol
support.
Billy gathered up and counted th'
money. 1t was all there, five hundre,
, dollars.
snow what-do you make-o
| that?" he meditated.
, I knew what I made Of II, but To-
/ Mrs. Delarlo's sake did not tell Billy
t He handed the bills to me.
"Theres more to this" he observed
"Some mystery. I must search tn,
r other rooms"
"LlstenW said.
, We listened but heard nothing
/, Then he opened the bathroom door
nobody there. And with that h,
marched straight to rhe kitchen doc
, and back to me In a flash.
"You open the front door and ge
ready to yell bloody murder II any
thing happens" he commanded.
"No, Billy" returned. coming I,
my senses and pulling out my hatpin
: that had already once done duty tina
r day. "I'll get ready to do bloody mur
} der"
: He flung open the kitchen door an,
] we went In together.
Our mysterious burglar had van
e ished.
HcW oic Noops ruiu ioiiiy suuiy
sand I might have caught him II L,
7 been minute sooner. Just my luck.
He pointed to the open window as h,
spoke.
. To me that open window meant
. had missed death because of Billy.
! swayed. He grabbed my arm ant
steered me to the dining room an,
berthed me In the chair I'd Just left
"Get me glass Of water. Billy"
"Say. this is NEWs!" he chucxled
while I drank. Mysterious robbery O
well-known authoress-oh, / say, thi
: is NEWSp
' He took the glass to the kitchen an
came back with a notebook In hi
I hand. ! stumbled to my feet and 60
!, him by the shoulders.
"Billy Rivers. this is not newsl It
D life and death. Not a living soul mus
Q know of this fill faII II no won ur