The Taney County republican., 1920-03-04
CHAPTER XII.
The Capture.

Wnen nothing happehcu were inoIc
alarming than when he was boldly at
tacking. You may imagine, II you can,
what I went through on Saturday! My
one diversion was to rehide the dia-
nonds This time-atter | had taken
them out Of the hyacinths and poked
a thimble among the stems-I sealed
them In an envelope and thumb-tncked
1t TO the bottom Of sideboard drawer.
The drawers sledded In and out on rum
merit deep enough to allow the enve-
lop to pass. All day long I kept think
ing, "What will happen II monsieur
doesn't take the baiti" 1t seems
strange 10 me now. hut never once
asked myself, "What will happen II he
doesi"
The last half hour before Billy came
was positively the longest In my life,
and when the bell did finally ring |
was shot through the heart and ready
to die.
came to life Immediately, whIs-
pered through the door, who's
there?" and heard, "Ann Preswick"--
the password we'd agreed on.
"Then he hasn't killed you!" were
my first words.
"Who? Your 'mOssOo? MOI
killed him on the stairs last night
or pretty near"
didn't see why Billy should bestow
the prOprietOrshlp on me--he wasn't
my ''mOssoO." as reminded Billy while
he was pulling pair of handouts out
of his overcoat pocket.
"a mere detail" he returned. "IIe
will be your own in an hour" He flung
Off his cont. "Where do we hide these
togs?"
my wardrobe. -. But he won't
come"
"Oh, yes, he wlll--he told me So"
thought Billy was joking and made
no reply.
every interesting man," unused Billy.
"Not at all the sort Of person you'd
expect TO find In diamond robbery.
Wonderful knowledge of European pol.
itics--and American politics, too"
"Billy. what do you meanT l de-
manded.
"Why. I took your 'mossoo' home
to his hotel last night--and-"
"You didn't" gNsped,
"Of course ! did Why not7 You
don't suppose I'd go Off and leave him
here TO murder you, do your Billy
was making the most out Of his story,
could see.
"But -- how did you - man.
age-it" was still gasping.
~ didn't. He did. He wasn't going
10 give himself away by going up
stairs; he said he was going down. So
we went down together, and kept
talking to him. When we got TO the
street we just kept on till I'd seen
him home. We were thick rs thieves
by that time. / invited him to see
Chinatown tonight and he accepted"
"Billy! You never"
"Yes, didl And It's how l know
he's coming tOnIght-see? went
round this morning in time for the
first mail. He was waiting for it,
Oh, he got the letter all right And
as soon as he read II he came over
and told me he couldn't go TO China
town tonlght-he had diplomatic busi-
ness that might take him to Washing
tOn-which means here. SeeT"
"B!lly. you're the cleverest thing I
ever saw" I cried with real admira-
tIon.
"Thanks--comlng from you | appre.
clate that" He said It In an Offhand
way, but I could see he WAS feeling
very set up over himself And didn't
blame him. He added, "What the
'mossoo' was really after--why he
wouldn't let me go out In the dark
alone--was TO know who l was calling
on. told him It WAS the people In
the front fat and couldn't get In. I
told him 1t was their cousin from Bos-
ton I was calling on and maybe they'd
gone TO the theater. That led to our
talking about plays; that led TO an in.
spiration Of genius and asked him II
he'd seen Chinatown; that led to my
invitation and--the rest you know"
"Bllly, you are positively the clever
est man ] knowv
'Didn't think I'd grow up like that,
did your. And that's not all. As for
the pretty daughter--your little Claire
that you think so much of-don't faint
new-well, she's In It up to the neck
and over her ears. She's Ills accom-
plice, all right. Here's her cable mes
sage" He drew out a bit Of paper
on which he'd copied 1t and read:
Born q girl. Mother and child do
ing well. CLAIRE"
"But this ls--this isn't" / STAN
mered.
"Quite so," agreed Billy. ut Is and
It isn'ti 1t is a code. It isn't piece
of insanity. I've read tor ! think l
have. Listen now: BOrn'-the pre-.
clous thing that was expected has
come to pass successfully; that is, the
diamonds have arrived safe and
sound"
He glanced at me for approval and
then puekered up his brow While Cd.