Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1920-01-21
CHAPTER xlI.-contInued.

| put | didn't mean to let him see ]
thought So Without waiting for any
more compliments finished, you see.
you'd discovered you couldn't get In
while was In. sc IL you wished 10 get
| IN. you had to come while | was out
and | gave you the chance. Perfectly
simple"
"A mere decoy-such as anybody
might use" Billy tossed at him.
81 hope you're convlnced--it was a
mere decoy." said !, pointing to The let
ter In his hand
"You have convinced me-" he re-
piled bitterly. looking at his hand
cuffs. permit me 10 congratulate you.
madame. You are re first person--man
or woman-ln Europe or America
who has caught De Ravenol in o trap
| Madame, you are clever-yOu are
brave-you are q SO sagacious intel
lect. And now. madame, permit me to
ask you. what are you going to do wis
met"
II wasn't so much what he said as
the way he said II that drove sud
| den chill through my bones. I'D been
| asking myself that for several min
utes; but as monsieur put It. 1t was
| well-like pulling up a fishing line
when you think you've got bite and
finding you've got piece of forest IL
tow. had TO say something, however.
| and this was the thing that seemed
called for:
"GIye Won nm 70 the Dolice1
Monsieur rose unsteadlly to hls feet
and holding out his manacled hands to
me--and he was really impressive In
spite Of his being so rumpled and
| slOppy-he slowly uttered: Madame
before you call In re police. have
somesIng OF great Importance to your
self to communicate"
He paused. | nodded
"zOSE DIAMONDS WHICH HAVE
BEEN STOLEN BELONG TO re EN-
PERoR OF GERMANY"
With those words monsieur actually
turned the tables on us II was at
once his statement Of our mistake and
our misfortune. Billy says he saw
warshIps carving Atlantic waves" I
saw an army with banners. and be-
hind all their immediate Significance
stood an ironclad background that
spelled determination. A minute be
fore we had been dealing with man !;
now we were dealing with a power.
am free TO admit that neither Billy
nor doubted the truth OF the state
ment once II WIS uttered-there was
an atmosphere about monsieur and his
manacled hands that carried convic-
tlOn: and while many details were still
unexplained. his statement did explain
the dlanNds. Which was the main
thing. for I'd always said they never
belonged to any hut crowned head
There are some things In this world
much too large for private parties 10
carry the responsibility of. And so
completely was | captured by an ade-
| qunte4y explained ownership that l was
| almost ready tn pull the diamonds
| from their hiding place at the bottom
of the sideboard drawer and send them
! hack-per monsieur--to the Emperor
William with my compliments, when
Billy burst out. where's your pr0of?'
| In way that struck me as lrreverent,
not to say .lde.
Monsieur repressed n sheer and re
piled that certain proofs would be
forthcoming at the prefer moment T;
and that meanwhile, throwing himself
upon our mercy and to illuminate the
mistake we'd made he would tell us
everything would start with the
legend of the so precious stones.
Once upon a time, about the four
tesnth century, or so, there lived In
one of the states comprising the now
United Fatherland, a yery powerful
grand duke or kinglet. with two grown
sons and In another neighborlng prov
ince the size Of Greater New York
lived another very powerful duke, who
boasted beautiful daughter.
Those were the days when war was
cheaper than peace. But since a war
between these two kinglets would In
ovitably lead to the total extermlna-
ton Of both parties and leave nothing
20 show for their prowess but heaps
OF fire-scorched stones and few half
witted peasants-who had no right 10
| he alive, nnyway--these wise kinglets
bethought them that by uniting their
forces-and incidentally l son and a
iaughter-they could together conquer
the surrounding territory for as much
as ten square miles.
| Now, Oscar, the prospective bride
groom, was busily engaged In dfa.
matte border war with a powerful
iuchy the size OF Nantucket, so there
was naught for II but to dispatch the
handsome younger brother, Fritz, to
plight his brothers troth by proxy.
The dates were set, and all seemed
moving along It's appointed course
when post.haste comes trusty mes
senger and delivers himself OF the
tale ne has ridden all day TO bring
that Oscar has been snltten through
the helmet. thereby losing nose, an
upper lip and chin: and was now In
the throes Of dissolution.
CONSERVATION reigned in the castle
broken by the sobs of the fair Elfreda
the shy glances of the bereayed broth.
er-who would become the heir appar
enr-nnd the wise silence OF the old
kiuglet.
II was not long before q decision
WIS reached satisfactory TO all per.
sOns--except Oscar. lying In his tent
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