The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-01-30

and Whiried me into the seance room
and locked the door on rs before we
exchanged syllable
We sank into chairs. felt as IL a
tidal wave had swept from under me
and left me not even hanging up in
coeonut tree but sitting still in peace
full security. 1t was she who got us
down from the high peaks to the levels
where conversation can go afoot with
out falling OF, by asking, .And how
are you-after it all?" to which re-
piled, but how are you-afteF II air.
and we both laughed.
Her laugh died away into an indig-
nant froWn. 'fYou never heard any
thing like it" she cried. HE came
here with a detectiye-and it wasn't
five minutes after you got out Of the
house, Monday-and accused me-
me l-of stealing Claire's bracelets -
"Braceletsf' / echoed.
"Yes-me"
said @Oh," slowly. 1 hadn't ex-
pected she'd grind the word jewels
quite so fine.
Did you ever hear anything quite
SO outrageous?" she rushed on. 'HTo
come here and say / robbed his child
OF jewelry! / don't believe she had
any jewelry, anyway-it was all a
trumped-up story to get something ont
of me; but was so indignant" and
she poured out the whole tale.
Well it's all over" she concluded
Il didn't care how much monsieur
searched- knew 1 hadn't robbed
Claire, and l knew that SO long as
you had my diamonds they were safe
didn't worry after the first day
or So"
She said my diamonds" and now
had to tell her! ~
Mrs DeIario there seems to be
misunderstanding about those dia-
monds," | began suayely.
She gave start and asked, "How.
misunderstanding You mean they're
not worth all you said7 Well-7yOu
didn't tell me positively they were
worth-that-" She seemed to hesitate
at "a million dollars which is what
said.
"oh, yes-I still stick to that-that's
the worst of it: they are worth it
| that's what made them shining targets
for that thief"
'ThiefI'' she cried. "You say
thief tool Then he was, after all !r
She was very much excited, and re-
peated the word several times with a
kind OF joy and ran on rapidly: 81
wouldn't tell you what thought about
him, but / knew he was a thief. ]
knew it in Paris-I knew it In Ant.
weip-it was in Antwerp-after P6
made all the arrangements to bring
Claire oyer-that / heard 1t clairaudi.
emily, De Rayenol is a thief. l knew
it herein this very room-the first
time he came" And then she smiled
at me benignantly: 'And thanks &c
you he didn't get my diamonds. SC
we're safe-Claire's safe-sheu never
know the truth about her father from
me.
claire never had any jewelry-the
whole accusation was trumped up 70
get the chance to rob me- But how
under the sun did he know had those
diamondsT'
HE says he put them there-or at
least Claire did-in your slipper" ]
blurted.
Her hands few to her heart
''Neyerr' she cried. Never in the
| world u
And he says they're his" / persist.
ed. feeling I'd got my opening at last.
put It that way partly to disabuse
her mind of the idea that monsieur
was thief: partly to save her from
the too sudden shock of the Emperor
William. saw I'd have TO let her
down gradually.
They're mine,s she returned vehe-
mently. Il swore to you they were
mine. I swear to you agaIn-now-
herein the sight of God-they are
mine. Consider" her tone was al,
appeal now, IF they had not been
mine-if / had stolen them from
Claire-wouId have shown them to
your Would have asked you to help
ME dispose of themT''
/ was forced TO admit. Moot
course not'-I had already taken that
into consideration.
"Yes-I grant you that You honestly
believe they're yours" / admitted.
But what I've got TO know is. how
they came TO be yours"
She told me then. hestlating no
longer, the unbelievable story-unbe
lieyable by every modern standard and
from every scientific point of view,
explaining why she'd preyaricated in
the first instance about her uncle. II
wasn't, after all, quite what you'd call
by so harsh q name as lying.
CTo BE coNTINUED9
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