The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1920-02-20
Jane Bunker

steady downpour. 1t was dark n
gloomy and my feelings were the same
as 1 opened some canned stun and got
as much of q meal as / could with what
was In the house. / think 1t was the
skfmniness of the larder at the time
that showed me as much as anything
else how important 1t was for me now
to get help-I irad food enough to last
for a couple Of days, and after that-n
things kept on this way--how was l to
get itf
Billy Rivers was, Of course. my
logical He had see the III
the night before--he could start all
the protective machinery in the city
for me. With this resolution, l went
to the telephone. 1t was "dead"-my
connection was Severedi / didn't need
to be told that monsieur had cut my
wires!
The full magnitude Of my calamity
burst upon me and / sat down on the
nearest chair with a flop. The bitter
fact of the whole situation struck me
like a blow on the head-Td let every
chance for protection or flight go by
me; the one remaining chance was a
letter entrusted to my spy. Well. I'd
try that, anyway.
I spent an hour In composing a mis-
sive to Billy that would tell him a
great deal and monsieur nOthing-if 1t
fell into his hands-and this Is what
came out of it:
Dear Billy: I'm ready to sell you
that story I promised. 1t is now near
ly finished, but I shall need some help
from you In arranging the climax.
Don't waste time telephoning-the
telephone Is out Of order-but attend
to it personally. This Is an ambulance
call"
It all hinged on the words "ambu-
lance call" and II Billy would read
them hurry up" and then. taking
them In connection with what he'd
seen of the fiat robbery, read, MY life
is In danger"
And would monsieur see 1t Il the let
ter fell into his hands? That was my
risk-and there you are!
I made three copies. I directed a
to Billy at his ofice--I inclosed n In
a letter to Philadelphia to my brother
asking him to mail it there--I dropped
the third. carelessly, into the manu-
script of q short story, sent to a maya.
zine, hoping the editor would think it
an accident and kindly mail 1t for me.
1t was half past ten and I was tagged
out. My last chance had come. would
George mail the lettersT" l got a quar-.
ter ont for him-I was afraid to give
him more and make him think the let
ters were important and not the sort
of thing he mailed for me almost every
night.
I dragged one weary foot after the
other along the hall hated to let the
letters out of my hands now that /
had them ready. "Nell. he's got to do
it," said / firmly. and took hold of the
door knob and the Yale latch.
I turned and pulled; turned the
other way round and pulled again. /
was locked in from the outside and the
key was in the lock! l was hard and
fast q prisoner in my own fiat!
s The immediate effect on me of this
discovery Is hard to describe. My
fhead swan and the room went round,
and everything was all mixed up, and
I kept repeating: Fire! If there's q
fire tonight I'll be burned like a rat In
~ trap!"
And with that L went to bed-there
was nothing else to do.
I was nearly as much astOnished in
the morning to find the key gone from
the lock as / had zee to find 1T there.
Apparently I was free to take that
| eleven o'clock train for Philadelphia
that the fake telegram from my
| hrofher had requested me to- was
| sree to put the diamonds in my stock.
ing and step out into-the Great Un-
| known! Only-I wasn't such a fool
| as to do it! / could and did, how
| ever, give George my letters to mail.
One thing was now clear to meas
| long as I stayed in the fat / was COM
! paratively safe-I must make my main
| play that Billy had got my letter or
| that somebody would call. Though OF
! course George would say / was out
| he was paid for that by monsieur.
In this manne of living-afraid to
| 20 out and being unable to commune
| cate ever with the grocer-two days
wore away; to be exact, from Tues
day night to Friday morning. And
they were enlivened by some interest
ing experiences. On the second night
1 was awakened by the sound OF 9
Iatchkey working at my front door.
tiptoed into the hall and listened. !
can't say I was frightened. The chain.
bolt was on and the only way 1t COULD
be got off was by first shutting the
door tight-vhich meant 1t could no
be worked back with a wire. l nae
seen to that when the locksmith put
It in.
Nothing came of this attempt to III
a key to my new lock and I got com