The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-01-16


news of my departure "for the eve
ming" and monsieur could creep up-
stairs, unseen by his all-seeing SOY.
We therefore took our prearranged
places. 81.
The fiat was almost dark. One low
gas jet lighted the dining room and
showed the hyacinths on the table
so monsieur could see the moment he
entered the front door; low light in
the bathroom showed at a glance
through the half-open door that no.
body lurked within. The door to my
bedroom stood fiat against the wall !;
the kitchen door nearly so, and behind
1t Billy, jammed in between the refrfg-
orator and the set tubs, was complete
ly concealed unless 'one entered the
room. A low light burned here, suf-
ficient to show the rooms apparent
emptiness. We calculated that mon
sieur would make a dash for the fire
escape when / shot on the blank car
fridge from my bedroom and Billy was
then to greet him with the ammonia.
In my own room I stood pressed
against the wall just inside the door
way. In my right hand was the re-
yolver.
Neither Billy nor I uttered sound.
The little metal clock echoed along the
hall, horribly loud It chimed the half
after seven. counted ticks-one min
ute gone. counted and thought Of
hundreds Of things I meant to do, or
had forgotten to do, all the while
counting mechanically. Three minutes
gone-four-fye-
A key slipped quickly, boldly, re-
CARELESS of the noise it made-my
lockl Not couldn't be! The lock
turned. A quick illumination filed my
hall from the gas jet outside and was
gone almost before had realized it.
The door closed. My heart jumped out
and ran about the floor and tried to
hide under the bureau.
/ remember thinking, Suppose 1t
doesn't come back but stays away7
Then poor Billy's done for--I can't
move a muscle without my heart !"
And all the time was thinking these
idiotic. things, heard the cautious in
domitable pad, pad, pad Of whispered
footsteps. They paused at the bed
room door for a glance withfn-noth-
ing there; paused at the bathroom
door-nothing in there; paused at the
kitchen door--nothing in there; then
made for the table.
NfI.a H~bH hIn1nI ~, n, mi q
room and my heart came back with q
pIop. Monsieur had turned up the light
in order to remove the diamonds and
leave me to discover it, as it might
chance-tomorrow or a week from to-
morrow.
With the light, all my fear left sud-
denly. I popped out Of the bedroom
saw monsieur with the hyacinths in
his hand-fred the blank cartridge
and yelled, Hands up!" and stood fac
ing him and between him and the door
with a smoking revolver in my hand.
He said, Mon DieuT--took in the
situation-and bolted for the fire es-
cape-got a smashing blow from the
kitchen door as Billy jumped from be-
hind it and then half glass of am
monia in the face. Two seconds later
we three We're a writhing strangling
heap on the floor.
The next thing I remember, was
sitting on monsieur amidships and
Billy was swapping a handcuff. ]
gasped and rolled off on the floor
picked myself up from the inelegant
position by way of my hands and
knees, got a wet towel and sopped
monsieur's face as fast as I could
though why performed this humane
act so quickly, can't say; and as soon
as he stopped strangling-for lot of
the ammonia had gone into his mouth
and very little in his eyes-Billy and
dragged him to the dining room,
propped him against the sideboard and
opened a window.
l believe that none of the three of
us uttered a word during the entire
performanee-Billy says he can't re-
member any; but one of the strangest
things was that the firing Of the re-
volver ELECTED no investigation from
the populous house. All this might
have happened in the center of Lara
ME plains in snowstorm the day after
the fall roundup for the amount Of no.
tice man or beast took of it.
1t was faultless achievement.
And now we had monsieur-we had
captured him, as Billy said we should,
all by our little own selves. He and I
silently regarded the GRUMPY creature
sitting against the sideboard and then
for the first time the idea came into
our heads, "And now that we've got
him, what are we going to do with
him?"
looked at Billy and he looked at
me. We asked each other the question
with our eyes. As for monsieur, his
fears had swallowed up his chagrin at
the indignities heaped upon him.
Strange as 1t may seem. he was the