Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1920-06-16
Confined from last Week

my life is ruin wis zis revelation"
he walled. "Wisout to obtain zose dia-
mOnds neutrality-suspicious. to be able
to return ZEN to zeir owner when he
sens for Zem-I am lost. Mon Dieui !
| am regarded re same as a robber.
"And how do tell him zey get lost?
lit is my young beautiful daughter
Claire who let's get lost zOze diamonds?
God forbid ] tell him Eat.
"But how does he answer when !
tell him re truse? Does he say, DE
Ravenol, am sorry you lose zoze most
precious diamonds, but accidents will
hapyer and / know you are a good
man?"
He paused for bitter laugh and to
wipe his face with his handkerchief.
Perhaps you sink he says Eat. Nom
He tells me-'De Ravenol, know you
steal zose diamonds while you pretend
zey are lost. Sings like Eat don't come
lost so easy as you say. So / punish
you for rObber and see Eat you gain
Messing from stealing my jewels"
Monsieur heaved a great sigh "Zis
morning, If / have zOze diamonds. /
am already on my way to Mexico, but
now"
Hide man, hide for a couple of
days" urged Billy, trying to cheer him
up. wen help you. 1 think you
ought to be down in your den now
I'm afraid every minute that man may
turn up here again."
Later, / remembered the alacrity
with which monsieur accepted the Of
fer, assuring us fervently, "Only to
hide saves me and my child from dis
grace. 1 srow myself on your mercy
Il trust you wis my honaire-wis
what is dearest to nevis my life"
Billy was deeply affected. l could
see, and hurried monsieur off, return
ing in about half an hour to report,
"All serene"
fell asleep and was dreaming that
the dome of the national capitol was
topping over on all of u.s. when / was
awakened by the ringing of the front
bell.
saw by the dim light it was early
too early for anything but a fresh
calamity-and hoped out of bed and
ran to- the door.
"Who's thereT" called through.
"Bllly. Open quick"
Billy tumbled in. "Claire's kidnap-
ed" he shouted in my face.
don't know whether put my arms
N fxoa hn
Both, probably; but the next minute
we were clinging together and his
chest was heaving with hard dry sobs.
When l finally got a coherent account
out of him he told me that Claire had
been a ''littIe light-headed" through
the evening.
'Then she's just wandered off in
half-delirious state" l affirmed posi-
lively.
"She's kidnapped" Billy affirmed
more positively. "Old Follow-up has
enticed her out on the pretext of find
Ing her father, and now he'll use her
as bait to get him out / can't decide
whether to see him and tell him now,
or watt
Don't tell him yet" I advised
promptly. you're all upset and you
think she's Kidnapped know She isn't
she's just lost. She's wandering
about the streets now looking for her
father"
l dressed. What could / do? Moth
ing but stay home and wait-as had
been doing all through. / was hardly
through my simple breakfast when
George came up.
"Why, that gen1em'n-the one sent
the note you wouldn't see yestiddy-
he say he got an appointment with you
fer nine o'clock"
The very man Billy believed had
kidnapped Claire:
"Show him up" l instructed with
alacrity; and when he came 1 greeted
him so affably he looked afraid to en-
| ter.
i almost flung the question at him
'Where is Miss de RavenolY'-before
1 thought, but saved It just in time.
He sat down in the chair pushed for
ward; sat opposite. He seemed at a
loss to begin: I said not one Word.
| He opened FIRE on me thus: 81 feel
I owe you an apology for my uncere-
monious call yesterday"
| i merely bowed in acknowledgment.
/ Il shouldn't have insisted, you know,
/ only we had traced the man to the
/ house, and since he had called on you
/ the evening before, it was a natural
con- ION that he was calling on you
tn, so. They drove from their no
tel to the Grand Central station, dis
missed the carriage there and l have
host sight Of their combined movement
for about an hour"
And you don't know where the girl
isf' I asked, trembling q little and
trying to control my voice.
"No-not yet. There is no chance Of
her hidlng-or Of her being hidden
for more than q few days-a few
hours. No chance. Most natural that
she should have gone In search of her
father. He has not left the city am
positive on that score. It Is probable
the girl has Joined him by a precon-
certed plan-or was meaning to when
she left the house. I'll find her, l
promise your
"And nothing is going to happen to
her after you find herFn
tHannnu n her. What s,o,,fd hon