The Ordway new era., 1920-03-26

prove blessing to me. Billy whis-
pered hoarsely. "Whnt's that? The
villain trying to get in?"
I-said, Mrs Thing downstairs be-
lieves it's music, lucky for us-we can
now breathe out loud without fear of
the villain. He may be listening at
the front door-but he'll hear nothing
while she operates"
Billy forked n lot of chicken onto
my plate and commanded me to go to
1t, and l grabbed a roll out of his box
and said:
"Billy. he tried to murder me-"
"He?"
THAT mamie was waiting for me
with a dagger that night-look here
I jumped up and got the dagger from
my penholder tray-"he dropped 1t on
the floor"
"Gee whiz |" he cried, taking the dag
ger from me; and then he demanded,
"who?"
THAT man-De Ravenol."
'De Ravenol?-you mean that man
in Paris who wanted you to bring the
pretty daughter over with you and
you wouldn't?"
"Yes-that's the one. He was dia-
mond thief-that's what he wasv' /
blew off. "He was in the act of steal
ing a million dollars worth of dia-
monds. And foIled him!'
"Wow! You dld?"
II should say 1 dldl And what's
more, I've got the diamonds here
there-behind you in those hyacinths."
"Wowl" he whooped, and before 1
knew what he was doing he was out
of his chair. his hand on the glass.
Don't touch them !" | shrieked.
"Wowr' he cried, dropping his hand
and jumping back. do they bite?"
'No-they sting They pIzen your
very soul. But, Billy-stop wowing-
I'm watched"
He sat down with the command,
"Divulge the dread secret" and be-
tween bites l told him the whole story
up to Eureka. and brought in the slip
per TO prove it.
He was still staring when I got
through and asked him, "And now how
am 1 going to get those beastly things
out of the house and where am l GO
ing to get them tor She doesn't dare
to have them at her house"
"Oh. l can take them away and
hide 'em, If that's all you want" he
answered cnrelessly.
''It isn't all," retorted, a bit indig-
nant. Its only the beginning of
new chapter of misery for the whole
on you without getting me out of the
net-it won't save me from being kid
naped and searched and maybe muir
dered to keep my mouth shut"
Billy nodded at that and said,
you're right"
He took cigarette out of his case
md with short. "May II" lighted up
and began to blow rings, gazing at
them abstractedly. l nlbbled crumbs.
After I'd stood his silence for half a
cigarette, 1 repeated my question and
told him. "We've got to do something
right off-now-tonight."
"Of course" He smoked another
quarter and threw the cigarette with
energy into the empty chicken tin,
bouncing up as he spoke.
"What are we going to do?" he gave
forth masterfully. Were going to
trap that bold man all by our little
own selves-you and l. And we'll give
him one nice lesson on stealing din
monds from defenseless women-nnd
threatening you"
'But we've got to hurry" urged.
II can't live this way much longer
it's simply killing mel"
Sure" Billy agreed. suppressing
ev,,tIa l.
I calculate to have your 'mossoo' in
handouts tomorrow night" And he
unfolded his plot and entered into 1t
with -fervor. The truth is Billy and /
were having the fun of our lives.
The scheme was to decoy monsieur
to the fiat by letter from Mrs. Della
rio Indicating where the diamonds
were hidden: we banked on his re-
membering the one place he hadn't
searched-the hyacinths and il he got
the tip we believed he'd return the mo-
ment 1 went out.
After some discussion Billy and /
decided not to take Mrs. Delario into
our confidence, not knowing how she'd
net in the crisis. which necessitated
our initiating her writing. The only
sample of her writing we Ind was her
address in my notebook and some
titles of books on spirltualism she'd
wished me to read. But the sample
did us. and the joint literary efforts of
myself and Billy produced the follow
ing-this purporting to be from me to
her:
My Dear Mrs. Deiario; Since he senrcsed
everything but the bunch of hyacinths as /
told you over the telephone Tuesday-(this
Etruck me as an cxquisiteiy neat. convincing
touch, for his detective must have reported
both that teiephoncd and the number of
the oal)-I thought the same place would
continue safe in case of u second invasion.
got fresh lunch. SO you will know where
II anything happens to me. II SO, come and
get them at once: break In tho nat II you