The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-03-12

forged papers from France-perhapk
zey extradite me before can even say
farewell to my child
But haven't you got some proofs on
your side2' I ventured "You can make
It evident to the court"
o-ze--court y he fairly Kissed
the words at me. mon Dieu-what Is
1t you say? Re messenger Of re EN-
peror under arrest In American de
drew out his handkerchief aud wiped
his brow. "What does 1t matter II i
prove zis or zat--I am under arrest
she is left at re mercy Of zoze scoun-
drels! I could kill zem with my naked
handsp'
'Why not let Mrs. Delario take her
Immediately to Californian was the
bright suggestion from me.
He met it with scorn. "How far does
madame get wis her? To Chicago? To
Pittsburgh? Probably she does not
even leave New York! She gets into
sleeping-car, and man--two men
man and woman, perhaps-step up
to her and say, You are kidnapping Eat
young girl--you are under arrest
come wis us immediately And Ma
dame Delario--what does she do? She
goes wis zem-naturally; she dares
not do uzzerwise. She gets in car
riage wis zoze strange people and zey
take her where zey please--she and
young girl can do Messing. | do not
need to be told how easy it isl have
experience in zoze sings-I know how
easy it will be, even in your boosted
New York and your America be
cause ! know re people have to deal
wis.,
l realized that that was the way he
had fixed it for me-the time he sent
me the decoy telegram-but / did not
remind him of e. Instead, admit
ted:
"Yes-I see, it could be done. It
wouldn't be safe"
"Zey care not for Eat" he broke in.
Mon Dieu How is she to be saved?"
He looked at me and there were tears
in his eyes. .., I'D.
The only thing could suggest was,
eve might appeal for police protec-
tion," which he met with something be-
tween a groan and Shrek.
re police! Never! We must ex-
haust all Eat we can sink of to try
all places where we may hide, she and
I.
"Mrs, Delario will conceal Claire,
and for myself" he stopped to con-
slider this moment and asked again /:
"You do not sink Eat so-called detec-
tive suspects Eat am here? Well, zen
l hide here for re present"
"Oh, I can't keep you herel" I cried
in some dismay.
mo, madame do not suggest it,
He smiled little. "But / can trust
you to keep my confidence Eat I have
gone to my apartment below?"
"Oh-I remember! But how are you
going to get into it? There's probably
man in the hall now, waiting for you
to come down."
ne fire escape-after dark. Eat is,
If dare trespass upon your hospital
ity for zis afternoon"
"Yes, of course" answered as cor
daily as I could; though the prospect
didn't fill me with any joy-a whole
afternoon shut up alone with him and
the diamonds!
ut really isn't safe for you to stay
here" began, when the rumble of the
dumb-waiter gave me another bright
thought. "And the fire escape won't
do, either-somebody would be sure to
see you. You'll have to go down by
the dumb-waiter, and you'd better do
1t as soon as possible-in case that
man comes back. And he will know
he will"
Monsieur considered this moment
and then asked: "But how should T
arrive inside my own apartment? Re
door to Eat little lift is shut and fast
ened on re inside"
"Tll lend you my icepick and YOU
can pry the door open. It's easy
enough to do-the elevator boy once
got into my own fiat that way for me
when l had lost my key-borrowed an
icepick from some one in a flat below
and came up the dumb-waiter."
All see," and he agreed with me
1t would be safer for him to go. Think
ing might start him on his down.
ward way and be rid of him before
Billy came--and l was expecting him
to return from Mrs. Delario's every
minute and thought it much wiser to
see him alone and hear the news about
Claire-I stepped into the kitchen to
get the icepick and show monsieur
how to use it on his door.
The dumb-waiter was rumbling I'M
and up-apparently it was stopping at
my fiat; and thinking it might be
something for me, or else a mistake for
the fiat below, to which l would have
to call down, you've got the wrong
nat r l stopped moment, icepick in
hand, to see if the bell would ring.
CTo BE coNTINuED)
QaHnrH CXais,, e.