The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1920-01-22
CHAPTER lx--ccntinued.

The third queer thing was that there
was no business of mine he could De
needing TO see me about, and IL II We're
business of his. he'd ask it as favor.
It was then that my eye slid up 10 Tue
date and J saw it had been sent from
New York. Well. il he were IN New
York. why hadn't he telephoned me OF
come Up to tee house!
wish could say it flashed over me
Instantly that this was a decoy oe-
signed to get me into monsieur
clutches. but it didn't flash at all
tbought it queer, and / was puzzled;
hut + nm free to confess that If 1T nad
been an ordinary business mans mes
gage | should have packed my SUIT
case nut the diamonds in my stocking,
and taken the train specified. but
white I was still wondering what my
brother could be wanting me for in this
nerenptory way, Mrs. .Iimmson
brought me the special delivery letter,
which. with triumph and pleasure IN
her face. she said she had found I'M
der the set tubs.
pulled it out of the envelope and
read:
"NIadame was seen by two witnesses
TO carry away the package containing
the Jewels referred to. If madame de-
sires to return them to their owner,
telephone Hotel Imperial at a. m.
The owner gives madame this one OPP
port1lnity to rectify her mistake with
out further trouble or publicity. Fail
IRE to comply with the request to tele-
phone will prove madame's intentions
and necessitate active measures for
the recovery of the jewels"
"Oh, you don't say!" | sneered.
"Well. I wonder what next!' And by
that letter L knew l still had the dia-
nondsl
So I was to telephone at nine
o'clock! BY rights-and monsieur's
calculations-I should have received
the letter before the first delivery; in
stead. it had come after and by acct
dent I hadn't read it till noon. The
telegram was timed nine forty-five.
It was then that / began to see
through a hole in a stone. had not
telephoned-which proved l meant TO
keep the diamonds. My next move,
obviously, would be to get them out of
the city-to my brothers, of course.
The telegram gave me the excuse for
doing it: also told him by what train
and station / should leave, for he had
set them himself. But why had he set
n day train? Why not one at night? 1t
puzzled me at first until saw his rea-
SOM could disappear out OF day
light crowd about four times easier
than out of night crowd. Who would
notice, among hundreds of women go
ing through the Pennsylvania station,
woman as simply dressed as I, carry
Ing a common suitcase? Probably no
one.
l confess / was so much disturbed as
I thought what might so easily have
happened had acted on the telegram,
that it was some time before I got my
wits together. One thing was clear to
me, however-monsieur was going to
act with great rapidity and secrecy
secrecy-that was the main point: for
sc he were sure had the stones, he
had only to get search warrant and
he'd have the stones.
Mrs. Jimmson came to my study
while / was bordering all this and
asked me: what about lunch?'
sent her round to the delicatessen and
told her to buy everything she thought
she'd like to have.
The moment she was out of the
place. tore open the bunch of hya-
cinths. The diamonds were there
"Good Lord!'' said as / saw them
The things were calamity.
! rolled them up again, but ! must
get new bunch Of hyacinths; must
do something must act-I must get
the stones home to Mrs. Delario-l
must at least ask her what she wanted
done with them and tell her hoy un
safe they were with me.
tried the telephone, but got no an
swer. and while / was cIacking at II
Mrs JimmseI came home from the
delicaiesssen and had to hang up.
Willie ] ate, my mind went like &
hammer. How could | get the dia