The Jasper news. [volume] (Jasper, Missouri) 1898-1924, 1920-01-29

AucEo were tuEeo low Eupe NJ Wy
door. Or was It my doorf
listened--I must have been mis-
taken--though I'd only barely closed II |
and was turning out the hall electric. |
The elevator that was taking Claire
and Billy down was still on Its way. |
Could monsieur have walked upi
The raps were. repeated--unques-
tionably on my door. Without wait |
ing--or even thinking to call through |
and ask who was there-I threw the
door open.
Mrs. Delario whipped In and closed |
Il behind her.
Her face was almost concealed by
heavy black veil, but I recognized
her and cried out, "why, Mrs. Della |
rior In utter anazement. What un-
der the heavens had brought her theref
She laid black-gloved finger on
her lips to signify silence: she thrust
something In my hand; she opened the
door and whipped out as she came,
shutting II In my face.
She hadn't altered a word-she had
barely caused a sound; even the door
closed behind her nolseleFsly. tore
It open as my first impulse-when /
got my bredth--thInking she'd be walt
ing for the elevator. In the few sec
onds Of my astonishment she had gone.
checked O call to her-"Mrs. Della
rio"-and listened for descending foot
steps on the stairs but heard nothing.
I sank into a hall chair, quite un-
nerved--coming on top Of what ia
been through that day, feel I'd have
had justlhable cause for faint on
my own account; only l didn't swoon.
| I kept asking myself: II II weren't an
apparition how did she know which
| door to knock att have no door
plate and she'd evidently not asked
George-he was taking the car down
with Claire and Billy at the moment
Mrs. Delario popped in. 1t didn't oc.
cur to me at first that she'd probably
seen me, from the corner Of the stair
way, close that door after saying
goodby to the others. There had been
three raps-classic apparitlons always,
believe, rap thrice when they wish
to enter your abode-they do not con-
descend to push a button; and then
| BIG " uOibCiCbciy nhiPPCo III anu Put
something In my hand
became conscious of a hard object
in my fist; opened the fist and be-
held--the fatal box.
You could have knocked me over
with featherI Impossible that she'd
brought II back l dashed for the din
ing room where the tight was and
pulled of the cover of the box. There
lay the diamonds
With a sweeping gesture I flung
them on the table-in one fell swoop
I'd been tumbled of my lofty perch
and had become q victim once more
Just Disconnected. worried victim, re-
sponsible for the fate of nationsi
And having thrown them down-one
Of them fell of the table, snatched
them up-monsieur would return al
any minute for that private interview
with me, and now what was to tell
him7 no longer had the gem-free
conscience Of an hour ago--I had the
diamonds
But / might have saved my ago
nles-monsieur did not return that
, night-he had other fish to fry.
The canny cleverness Of mOnsieur's
, next move gave me when l knew II
! such keen intellectual Joy that for
gave him everything.
He had argued It out thus: Either
i should succeed or should fail with
: Mrs. Delario. II failed It would be
: for one of two reasons: either she de-
= MED al knowledge Of the diamonds
!, or she had confessed to me yet had
!. been able to bind me TO secrecy. But
in either case he would read my sue
cess or failure In my face the moment
he greeted me.
My face was blank. He hadn't ex
: pected to find It that way, but so u
!. was-not a hint did ! give him, nrsi
|. when opened the door. or later while
: ! talked with Claire. In fact. inside
OF fifteen minutes he became con
vinced that so far as was concerned
my mission was q failure and wal
y hedging for time and unwilling to con
: fess It.
= He was prepared for my failure--hil
= = chance OF trapping her lay in his see
ing her before I could communicate
= with her after seeing him. With ]
y fake telegram. delivered by George
n preconcerted moment TO serve a
mOnsieur's excuse to leave the house
I. and also as a pretext to leave Clair
y in the house. keeping guard over BIZ.
. and my self-none OF the three OF u
suspectlng itr-monsieur had taken hi