Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1920-02-26

sRzsa " Rq1k9N1
''Your 'Mossoo' Has Flew the Coop"
was Claire the man was after Billy
Topped down all in a heap on the
divan.
"Good Lord!" he gasped. 1T might
bel" and for some minutes he sat
there. squeezing his hands and glar-
i Ing ut the floor. Suddenly Mrs. Thing
downstairs began rendering her Men
delssohn's "Spring Song Of pig on
ice, and Billy jumped up in Irritation
and paced the floor. I was glad of
her performance-it was a gratuitous
contribution to the safety Of conversa-
ton in my own fiat.
"Tell me again everything your de-
tective man said," commanded Billy.
"And you're sure he's tec.?"
I'm not sure Of anything" I re-
turned. II had nothing to 20 on but
what he said and what I guessed. He
may have been a fancy burglar-a lit.
erary burglar, after my last novel
such things have happened" saw
Billy's lip curl at this frivolous sug-
gestion, but ran on. "He may be a
gentleman crook-someone on the
steamer whom didn't know but who
noticed had an interest in the girl
and is using it now to get in here and
map the grounds so he can come back
and rob and murder me-"
"Oh, don't joke" he begged discon-
solately. "This is awfully serious.
Why couldn't this man-you say you
think he's foreigner-why couldn't
he be the emperor's follow-up? Now
why?"
"He could"
"Say-that's what he is! And mos
500 got wind Of him last night and
scoeted fer the tall timbers! The en-
peror wouldn't lust hand 'mossoo' q
box Of diamonds like that and tell him
just to take 'em and present 'em with
his complementary don't do things
that way over here. He'd send a
second man to see that the first man
did his job according to contract. And
why isn't this the MANI"
It did look possible-though I
couldn't still see why he had begun his
acquaintance with me-telling me lie
about Claire. While was wondering
over it, Billy remarked, "Poor De
Ravenol has got his troubles all right.
He knows the old mans after him and
he's lost the goods. Say, you can af-
ford to pity him now"
A wave Of utter despair swept over
me. know Of nothing more unhing-
ing than the facetious nonchalance of
the young male in face Of serious sit
uation. I was ready to weep. I was
saved from 1t by the ringing of the
front bell.
put up the chain-bolt before I
opened tt had sense enough for
that-and then cried: 'You !" and re-
ceived a sharp, SSH! Let me in,
quick"
It was Mrs. Delario. When I saw
her, you could have knocked me down
with a feather. let her in and
whisked her into my bedroom and shut
the door on us. My first thought was
Billy-he had naturally looked down
the hall when went to the door
and I knew he'd guess Immediately
who 1t was; but though had told her
the part he had already played in our
adventure she hadn't met him and /
had the presence Of mind not to spring
him on her till I'd found out what she
came for. She had caught sight Of
him and now spoke in whisper.
you can't guess what's happened r.
"What next!" I gasped, almost in q
whisper.
Monsieur has simply dumped Claire
back on my hands and decamped-
without word Of real explanation I"
"Oh, neverp
Its what he's done And I'm in the
worst pickle! What does it all meani
He came last evening and told me he'd
just seen you and you told him had
the diamonds"
what lie!" I burst out involun.
tarily.
"And then this neutrality-suspicious. I'm
even out Of bed-this comes BY q mes.
senger." She had drawn out q letter
from her bag; she took It out Of the
envelope and handed It to me, remark
Ing at the same time, "There was fit,
dollars in it." The letter read:
"Dear Madame Delario:
Il was unable to return accordial
to promise because Of telegraphic com
munication notifying me that my VIII.
-Claire's mother Ifs probably Ill witt
q fatal illness and am leaving FOL
California Immediately. Ny child
knows nothing Of her mothers illness
and the reason Of my 10 sudden depar
ture. I am concealing It from her b.