The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-02-13
copyrists-Tbe Hohhs-aserrfiI o.

Whether it was you or Mrs. Della.
rio"
How did you manage thatp
Il set my little handbag on top of
the suitcase-that said the box was
there. Then drew off my glove
that said. in slipper It wasn't
very hard to remember"
"And you had given the signal when
l picked up the slipper?"
"Yes-and was SO frightened. I
didn't know but papa would be
killed" .. r. 49,
"And. you went home with Mrs.
Delario and tried to see if she had the
right slipper?
yes but I never found out"
She looked as If she were dying to
ask, Have you found out?"
L was so afraid she would that I
ended the cross-examination hastily by
asking her what she heard from her
mother and signaled Billy to chip into
the conversation and make talk as fast
as he could; and after she'd replied
about her mother-that her GRANDPA
| ther was still dying and her mother
dared not leaVe-she turned to Billy
as though she had really only just then
become aware of his presence, and
they soon were chattering away like
| magpies and the bushes were mostly
| on Billy's cheeks. For which he might
be forgiven. He was just twenty-five
and she was just sixteen; but in three
years-deaf me, what a beauty she
was going to be-what a man-killer!
left them to themselves, going to
my bedroom on some pretext or an
other while one quarter of an hour fol-
lowed another. and still monsieur did
not return. At nine Claire began to
be restless; at quarter after she burt
ed out, do you suppose anything has
happened to papa?'
had been supposing it for half an
hour-he'd had time to make twenty
trips to the telegraph Office and back
but I managed to say reassuringly,
"Why, what could happen?' and Billy
supported me with fine courageous,
Nothing could have happened-he's
mamie knows how to take care of
himself" and was rewarded with a
look. Even at sixteen Claire's looks
were valuable-Billy wouldn't have
sold that to another fellow for a ten
dollar bill. .....".s
The elevator rumbled up, and 1
cried, There he sis Think
George presented me with two
notes and the information that an au-
tomobile was downstairs waiting.
/ handed one note to Claire, tore
open the one addressed to me, and
read:
I'm sending a car for my daughter.
VIII you ask Mr.. Rivers to escort her to
the hotel? 1t is necessary that say some
few words to you alone. beg you to
await me.
1t was signed, "H. de Ravenol."
I had barely finished this when /
Heard Claire give a cry, Mamma is
dead!" and looked up just in time
to see her throw out her arms and
swoon away at my feet.
People faint away in this story like
the heroines of q mid-Victorian ro-
nance, but can't help it. Anyway,
I warned you there was another faint
coming, which faint was, under the
circumstances, natural enough.
To be exact, Claire swooned at my
feet via Billy's arms. The intention
was all on his side, however-he |
caught her as she was regardlessly go
ing and let her down. A light bur
den.
SCOT any smelling salts? Quick if |
you have. Some water, if you haven't"
he ordered.
/ couldn't help an inward snort at |
the cool way in which he took the pro-
of the situation in my
house-a snort tempered with good
elderly amusement at his inn
petuosity and its justifable cause. He
was nearly as pale as Claire and
dreadfuily agitated. But / was already
to the bathroom for the water
to revive her, as twenty-four hours
previous I'd run for water to assuage
the ammoniacal agonies of her dear
papa.
Billy was on his knees. From under
one protruded the note that had
caused the damage. I went down on
my knees and applied the wet towel.
Billy f1shed forth the note and with
out conjunction read it aloud.
My child: CT was in FRENCH Return to
he hotel Immediately. Ask Mr.. Rivers to
seort you. V0TRE PERE.
Nothing very nerve-silattering and not
, word about her mother; so evident
y she'd been expecting something and
his had keeled her over on general
what was in yours?" demanded
Billy.
/ reached out and got it off the ia
lie where I'd thrown 1t and gave it
o him. Nothing about her MOTHER |
aid L a,This getting her AWAY ia Inst ,