The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-02-13


listened-I must have been mis-
taken-though I'd only barely closed 1t
and was turning out the hall electric.
The elevator that was taking Claire
and Billy down was still on it's way.
Could monsieur have walked up?
The raps were repeated-unoues-
tonably on my door. Without wait
ing-or even thinking to call through
and ask who was there-I threw the
| door open. fr
Mrs. Delario whipped in and closed
1t behind her.
Her face was almost concealed by
a heavy black veil, but 1 recognized
her and cried out, "Why, Mrs. Della
rio" in utter amazement. What I'm
der the heavens had brought her there?
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 it in my face.
She hadn't uttered a word-she had
barely caused sound; even the door
closed behind her noiselessly. I tore
1t open as my first impulse-when I
got my breath-thinking she'd be wait
ing for the elevator. In the few sec
onds of my establishment she had gone.
checked call to her-"Mrs. Della
rio"-and listened for descending foot.
| steps on the stairs but heard nothing.
1 sank into hall chair, quite I'M
nerved-coming on top of what I'd
been through that day, feel I'd have
had Justitabie cause for a faint on
my own account; only I didn't swoon.
l kept asking myself: If 1t weren't an
| apparition how did she knew which
door to knock at? I 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 &C.
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 apparitions always,
believe, rap thrice when they wish
to enter your abode-they do not con-
descend to push button; and then
she'd noiselessly whipped in and put
something In my hand
became conscious of hard object
in my fist; opened the fist and be-
held-the fatal box.
You could have knocked me over
with featherl Impossible that she'd
brought 1t back! dashed for the din
ing room where the light was and
pulled off 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 off my lofty perch
and had become victim once more
just disconnected, worried victim, re-
sponsible for the fate of nations!
And having thrown them down-one
of them fell off the table, snatched
them up-monsieur would return at
any minute for that private interview
with me, and now what was to tell
him? no longer had the gem-free
conscience of an hour ago-I had the
diamonds!
But 1 might have saved my ago
n1es-monsieur did not return that
night-he had other fish to fry.
The canny cleverness of monsieur's
next move gave me when I knew it
such keen intellectual joy that I for
gave him everything.
He had argued it out thus: Either
/ should succeed or I should fail with
Mrs. Delario. If I failed it would be
for one of two reasons: either she de-
MED all knowledge of the diamonds, |
or she had confessed to me yet had
been able to bin1 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 it |
was-not hint did 1 give him, first !
when opened the door, or later while |
talked with Claire. In fact, inside |
of fifteen minutes he became con-
WINGED that so far as was concerned |
my mission was a failure and I was
hedging for time and unwilling to con-
feSS it.
He was prepared for my faIlure-his
chance of trapping her ley in his see
ing her before I could communicate
with Ser after seeing him. With a
fake telegram, delivered by George at
a preconcerted moment to serve as
monsfeur's excuse to leave the house,
and also as pretext to leave Claire
in the house, keeping guard over Billy
and my self-none of the three of US
it-monsieur had taken his
automobile and swooped down
on Mrs. Delario!
ITO RE C0NTTrNTTEnN