The Jasper news., 1920-01-08
CHAPTER xIl.-contlnued.

Wnlcn tnOuSHt lWdS-COnSiuSRus,
but didn't mean to let him see l
thought so. without waiting for any
more compliments finished, "You see.
you'd discovered you couldn't get IN
while was in, so If you wished to 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 convinced-it was
mere decoy," said |, pointing to the let
ter In his hand.
"Ycu have convinced me-" he re-
piled bitterly. looking at his hano-
cuffs. Permit me to congratulate you.
madame. You are re first person-man
or woman-in Europe or America
who has caught De Ravenol In trap.
' Madame, you are clever-you are
brave-you are a so sagaclous intel
lect. And now, madame, permit me to
ask you, what are you going to do wis
mef'
1t wasn't so much what he said as
the way he said II that drove a sud-
den chill through my bones. I'd been
asking myself that for several min
utes; but as monsieur put It, II was
well-like pulling up a fishing line
when you think you've got a bite and
finding you've got piece Of forest Ia
tow. ] had to say something, however,
and this was the thing that seemed
called for:
give you up to the police"
Monsieur rose unsteadily 10 his 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 ZE EN-.
PEROR OF GERMANY"
With those words monsieur actually
turned the tables on usl 1t was at
6nce his statement of our mistake and
our misfortune. Billy says he saw
warships carving Atlantic waves" !
saw an army with banners. And be-
hind all their immediate significance,
stood an lronclad 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 It was uttered-there was
an atmosphere about monsieur and his
manacled hands that carried convic'
ton; and while many details were still
unexplained, his statement did explain
the diamonds. Which was the mair
thing, for I'd always said they neveI
belonged to any but crowned head
There are some things in this worlC
much too large for private parties Il
carry the responsibility Of And 81
completely was j captured by an ade
quately explained ownership that wal
almost ready TO pull the diamond
from their hiding place at the bottom
of the sideboard drawer and send then
back-per monsieur--to the Empero
William with my compliments, whel
Billy burst out, "Where's your prooff
In a way that struck me as irrevereni
not to say rude.
Monsieur repressed sneer and re
piled that certain proofs would b
forthcoming at the proper moment
and that meanwhile, throwing himsel
upon our mercy and to illuminate tn
mistake we'd made, he would tell u
eyerything-and would start with III
legend of the so precious stones.
Once upon q time, about the foul
teenth century, or so, there lived
one OF the states comprising the no
United Fatherland, very powerf'
grand duke or kinglet, with two grow
sons; and In another neighboring pro-
ince the size of Greater New Y0r
lived another very powerful duke. WI
boosted a beduttfuf daughter.
Those were the days when war wi
cheaper than peace. But since a WI
between these two kinglets would {
svitably lead to the total extermln
tlon Of both parties and leave nothiI
10 show for their prowess but heal
of fre-scorched stones and few bal
witted Deasants-who had no right
be alive, anyway-these wise kingle
bethonght them that by uniting the
SOrces-and incidentally : son and
daughter--they could together conQu
the surrounding territory for Us uu'
e ter sgua-a miles