The Powder River County examiner and the Broadus independent. [volume] (Broadus, Mont.) 1919-1935, 1920-05-07
DIAMOND
CHAPTER xv-continued.

tATee. personally 1 Ielt liked the
man the better for it, read 1t as the
effort to shield the girl and minimize
her part In the affair. And in that
was right; Billy looked at it differ
emily. Connected c,lss - he later con-
fi'led. "Wanted to take the whole
credit to himself
''Oui, madame" monsieur went ON.
and all the while I felt him searching
my face for u sign of what l had nc.
complished with Mrs. Delario. mos.
ting can be safer-I argue-zan a
fancy slipper. 1t Is not worn on ze
steamer in re cold of winter, and mad
nme have so assure me Eat her bag.
gage, because Of her SO good cousin,
is pass wisOut difficulty. And who
would accuse madame Of''-he gave
Inc knowing look and finished ambig-
uoisly-"Of to smuggle zOze valuable
papers Eat do not concern her? All,
not would be incredible wisOut to
see zem-and we have take care xat
Fey are not seen! And to accomplish
zis we have put ZEN where xey are al.
sM'st but not quite seen. have ex-
plain oil zis to Claire and she have
understand parfaitement. Oui.''
The smugness with which he deltv-
cred himself Of this was really anus.
Ing. and l couldn't help a smile. which
encouraged him to add-at the same
time looking piercingly at me-with a
dcprecating shrug:
And just at re moment of beautiful
completion madame carries of one of
zoze slippers-we know not which,
All Of us laughed and the tension
that had been quite plainly felt in our
little company broke.
Claire went on to tell us how, in
Antwerp. she had occupied room
communicating with Mrs. Delario's the
day before they sailed. and how papa
had taken Mrs. DelariO out to see the
great Rubens in the cathedral and
Notwithstanding headache. had
remained behind and had gone through
Mrs. DelariO's things so she could tell
her father what there was they could
use; had discovered the slippers and
had taken them to her room and shown
them to her father that night and he
said they "would do admirably" and
she had got them back while Mrs. Del
ariO was asleep.
But 1t wasn't easy to put the box
Into the slipper when it came TO the
Point. Mrs. DelariO keenly felt the
obligations Of her charge and proved
a far too devoted chaperOn. At last
the chance arrived and the box was
slowed. What. then. was the poor
child's consternn,i ion to hear me twit'
Ting Mrs. Delario into wearing the
<lippers!>
''She nearly had me them" Claire
c"niitled with noticeable glee Mt hel
own ability to cope with the situation
II got the box out just one minute be-
fore she came into our stateroom
But this fright made me so i'll
couldn't stay ut table that night"
Il should think so," said Billy, and
gave sly glance in my direction tina,
said. II take back all said about hei
last night-she wasn't really in 1t a,
all. 1t was all the old scoundrel Of q
.nOssOO.'"
Claire seemed ready to end here. but
I wasn't ready to have her. What was
to tell monsieur? My turn was com
ing in minute. and what was td
say? kept on with Claire. ''Then sc
far as you know, the box came through
the customs house in one of those slip
rers? And what were you to do aftel
that:"
The words were hardly out Of my
mouth when the front bell rang and
George handed in telegram addressed
to monsieur.
Monsieur tore open the yellow enve
lop and rapidly scanned the message
frowned: hesitated; started to speai
aud stopped: looked at me inQuir
ingly; asked II there was a telegraph
Office near and when l told him where
It was excused himself from our com
pany to "send an immediate and ur
gent reply" and instructed Claire II
answer every question might care te
put and with that he hurried off Will
the curt ceremony Of one who expects
to be back on the Quarter-hOur stroke
There was. however, but little more
needed to discover from Claire; still
there was one thing, and asked hel
hluntly, "Your father came over ahead
of US on faster steamerf He was OF
the wharf in disguise when we ar
rived?"
She blushed furiously and STAN
meretl. "Y-yes-he was there" and
added hastily: But didn't know he
was there. He told me there would bt
someone-t0 take charge-when gave
the signal that everything was al
right"
"Oh, there was a signal!"
''Of course. had to let the 0thel
one know who had the box"
"You mean you had to let your t.
thcr known