The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1920-02-20

about the room. He was annoyed.
was amused--so much amused that
had forgotten my crouch on Mrs. Della
rio and that had the diamonds and
meant to take them to the president.
welfare you going down to see
how she is?' demanded Billy, wheel
ing and planking himself in front OF
me.
Dear auntie--sweet auntie,"
jibed. 'Please put on your camePs
hair shawl and bunnit and haste away
to Observation-Disclosures that ! may In
stantly know how she bore up under
the strain of meeting the hero and
how she liked his pink, round cheeks"
Billy gave me vicious grunt and
strobe across the room-he wanted to
say something ugly to me but he didn't
dare, seeing how held his fate in my
hands.
ooh, Billyl' cried, suddenly re
membering the latest news, "she.
brought back the diamonds last
night |"
"Claire came back? Good heavens!"
he sank into the chair.
claire? OF course not. Mrs. Della
RIO" And / told him how she'd
whipped in and out like spook while
he and Claire were going down in the
elevator. Then for the first time ]
showed him the diamonds.
Love and pumpkins" he ejacu-
lated, overcome by the sight "Well,
if this doesn't beat the Arabian
Nightsi' Are they real-real? Not
paste? Why, if they're real they're
worth about million dollarsi'
"And haven't been telling you that
all along?' / asked testify. Billy's
words and tone gave it pretty well
away that he hadn't believed it all
along, no matter what I'd said and
he'd pretended. s
"Y-yes, think you have" he admit.
ted, rather stammeringly. "But OF
course-you realize that million dol.
lars is a-er-a pretty big order for a
| chap in New York to eat at sitting"
He spread them out on his hand, NUT
tering to himself. Finally he brought
out "And you've got these-here! =
all alone in the fiat with you'll Well,
save my shoestrings! / don't wonder
your nerves are on edge"
I let this pass about my nerves and
gave him the story she'd told me Sun.
day morning - about the mahatma
sending her these diamonds through
the air and putting them in her slip.
per; and how she claimed them, alb.
solutely, religiously, as hers.
"rhe woman's crazy" was the curt
way he disposed of her, and added
to mitigate this harsh Judgment, "Ol
else she's thief"
"She's neither one thing nor the
other" / defended sharply. "She's
merely deluded-the same as tens OF
thousands of other people have beer
deluded about things they believed
in"
Crazy" he repeated with convic
. ton.
could only shrug-all I've evel
been able to do; that was her incor
. rigible belief! wasted no more tint
: on it then, for our question was wha
: to do next, and went on to tell hin
, how I'd decided to take his advice ant
; lay the matter before the president.
To my astonishment, instead of tn,
warm commendationT I'd expected iron
7 Billy at taking the advice he'd urget
: on both my duty and my common
} sense not forty-eight hours before
5 and remember I'd barely restraine,
3 him from rushing off on the midnigh
D train-he popped out of his chair an,
began excitedly pacing the floor. Hi
first words were5 "Why, you can't d
/ that -
"Oh, see all the risks I'm runnin
= of getting there alive"
"Risks?" he echoed, as if he hadn'
4 given them n thought. "But hoy
e much are you going to tell about thi
< AFFAIR.""
S Everything, of course--I mean ey
/. erything know. The government Wi
+ have to undertake to find out tn
rest" p
e He plunked himself in front of m
+ and demanded, "You aren't going t
let Miss de Ravenol get dragged int
S mess like this, are you?"
i didn't answer Immediately, and h
ramped on, Il ask you--are you goin
: TO do 1t? Are You going to be part
l to such a-such an outrage?"
u IF l don't put the case to the pres
= dent what am to do? Here / nj
saddled with the diamonds"
We'll, just keep them yourself" h
3 bluntly offered. as his solution of I'll
II difficulty. Keep them--put them /
the safe deposit-and let things tab
?. their course"
81 For a minute was really angr
y and raped out, "If / thought Va
70 We're serious, Billy, I'd ask YOU
leave the house. Your suggestion
g that / frankly become thief, an
~ your solution Is not only Grimm
h4ff