The Taney County republican., 1920-03-25
Maaa 9 % o Q @ % Q aGaSTIS
by JANE BUNKER
$@HH&%~e@e~@@@~HH@@~1%NeH
Copyright by the Bobbs-Merrill Company.

was how her memory had slipped one
little cog and allowed her belief to
roll smoothly OF and land her--ln
Tibet! She thought the box had been
sent TO her in Paris, but she had
worn her slippers on the steamer
/ was about to remind her of this as
the first step to what ! saw was go
when she burst out "But how could
he have known about the dIamOnGs?--
that l had them in Paris. The only
way | Cnn explain 1t is that either the
Duval girl told hIm--and she was In
a trance and wouldn't have remem-
bered her prOpheCy--or he's wonder
full psychic himself. But the
audaclty Of the thanksgiving he put
them In my slipper"
"ClaIre did" l corrected, by way of
beginning.
'It's the same thing. What lie
TO say they're hisw
l hurried on: "Claire did 1t on the
steamer-the night before we landed.
That was how she had been set to
smIggle them through the customs
house. She didn't know what was in
the bOx-She thought it n cipher on
tissue paper to save her fathers life,
and IL 1t was found on her he'd he
put to death; but If 1t was found on
you or me--all right--we couldn't cx-
plain. for we didn't know anything"
"And do you believe that?" Mrs,
DelarlO demanded, her face n picture
of nmazement--ut me!
With that went through the whole
story Of my experiences with mon
sirur, adding no comments on her
story, but telling only his and Claire's
and the legend of the diamonds.
1t took a long timG--it took long
nerve. While | talked | did not once
look at her--I would not witness the
defeat Of her deep religious convic-
tiOns and the dissolution Of her hopes.
| ended apologetiCnlly, $50 you sec, aC-
cordng to that, the diamonds really
belong to the Emperor William |
could not bring myself to come out
with 1t tiat.footedly and say they posi-
lively did
"WellT
Her tone was so peculiar that |
looked up quickly. And her face was
n study. She was obviously puzzled,
but amazement still held It's ground
amazement at me; pity Mt me, too, for
my credullty. And moment before
had been almost ready to shed tears
over her!
Hes cleverer than I thought" she
commented. much. Oh, very much
Cleverer-if he can deceive you like
that.
"And he's much more dangerous
than | th0ught-hc must have very
powerful occult influences working
with him, or very remarkable psychicS
on the earth plane who can get names
and dates. And It NIL shows how care
ful I've got to be. I'm glad you
told me. / see how l must guard my
self"
| experienced strong rcvulsiOn of
feeling toward her-her manner Of tax.
ing what I'd told her gave me a posi-
tive shock. I'd wasted both my sym.
pathy and my reasoning powers on
her. And | saw the Vaccinations she'd !
be the center 0f-the wrath of the |
Emperor William, that I'd been
threatened with. bounding her, perhaps |
to DEATH | must save her from her |
own fOlly-I must convince her in |
spite of herself and for her own good. |
II / didn't De Rnyenol would before |
he got through with her. and hated |
to think what he'd do: he had too |
much at stake himself to care what |
happened to her.
"But wait a minute" / struck in
boldly: "yOu're forgetting that you
wore the slippers on the steamer-that
knocks Paris: the diamonds could not
have been In the slipper when you
bought it-or while you were In Paris"
"Why, so did" she admitted. And
/ thought for a second that she wa
vered-that / had given her belief a
serious blow. But If | did II rebound
ed Immediately. "And that makes II
only the more wonderful ~ she cried,
and repeated 1t with delight at the
discovery. She did not no.
tice my dry and somewhat disguised,
ut certainly does" but bubbled on
ut only goes to show their powers
their all-seeiDg, all-helplng powers
They made me the gift in Paris, and
then, seeing 1t might be discovered too
tlnlr- the knowledge | pos
sessed such wealth and was smuggling
Though l didn't know l vas Snug
cling lt-but l should have felt | ought
10 say something at the customs house
I / had known 1t on the steamer"
Icut In with positive violence: "YOu
mean they-whOever they are-put the
'ox in your slipper In Paris, then took
I out on the steamer so you could
year the sllpper-and then put It back
Ifter you had worn the sllpper7 You
mean that7'
Certainly. Why notf" she answered
almly.
declare ] could almost have sworn
{ her! "Why mott" gasped.