Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1920-01-21

on rope to one of the other windows.
| thought of that and got ready to
knock him off with a broom or throw
pepper in his eyes if he tried that trick
on me. And at last l felt l was safe
so long as l stayed in, of course
All the time I'd been working, my
mind had pounded out DULY the ques-
ton, "What had l better do next?"
and the only answer seemed to be l
must get help from some one-I had
passed the point where I could play a
lone hand in the game and save the
diamonds. l had tried to telephone
several times without getting an an
swer, which az the moment didn't as
tOnish me. 1t provoked me. though,
that / could not order something from
the grocer and the butcher for my din
ner. / go out to dinner, but tonight,
even had l been so minded, I dared
not leave the fiat.
Outside the drizzle had settled to a
steady downpour. It was dark and
gloomy and my feelings were the same
as l opened some canned stuff and got
as much of a meal as could with what
was in the house. I think 1t was the
skimpiness of the larder at the time
that showed me as much as anything
else how important it was for me now
to get help-I had food enough to last
for couple Of days, and after that-if
things kept on this way-how was to
get it?
Billy Rivers was, OF course. my
logical resource. He had seen the flat
the night before-he could start all
the protective machinery in the city
for me. With this resolution, l went
to the telephone. 1t was "dead"-my
connection was severed l didn't need
to be told that monsieur had cut my
wireSi
The full magnitude Of my calamity
burst upon me and sat down on the
nearest chair with a flop. The bitter
fact of the whole situation struck me
like a blow on the head-I'd let every
chance for protection or flight go by
me; the one remaining chance was a
letter entrusted to my spy. Well, I'd
try that, anyway.
/ spent an hour in composing mis-
sive to Billy that would tell him a
great deal and monsieur nothing-if 1t
fell into his hands-and this is what
came out of it:
"Dear Billy: I'm ready to sell you
that story 1 promised. 1t Is now near
ly finished, but I shall need some help
from you in arranging the climax.
Don't waste time telephoning-th
telephone is out of order-but attend
to it personally. This is an ambulance
CALL"
1t all hinged on the words ''ambu
lance call" and if Billy would read
them hurry up" and then, taking
them in connection with what he'd
seen of the fiat robbery, read, MY life
is in danger"
And would monsieur see it If the let
ter fell into his hands? That was my
risk-and there you are!
I made three copies. L directed one
to Billy at his office-I inclesed one in
a letter to Philadelphia to my brother
asking him to mail it there-I dropped
the third carelessly, into the manu-
script of short story, sent to a maya
zine, hoping the editor would think it
an accident and Kindly mail it for me.
1t was half past ten and was tagged
out. Ny last chance had come. would
George mail the letters?" got quar-
ter out for him was afraid TO give
him more and make him think the let
ters were important and not the sort
of thing he mailed for me almost every
night.
I dragged one weary foot after the
other along the hall hated to let the
letters out of my hands now that l
had them ready. "Well, he's got to do
Il" said l firmly. and took hold Of the
door knob and the Yale latch.
I turned and pulled; turned the
other way round and pulled again.
was locked in from the outside and the
kew was in the lock | was hard and
fast a prisoner in my own fiat!
The immediate effect on me Of this
discovery is hard to describe. My
head swan and the room went round,
and everything was all mixed up, ana
| kept repeating: ''Firei If there's
fire tonight I'll be burned like rat In
a trap"
And with that I went to bed-there
was nothing else to do.
/ was nearly as much astonished In
the morning TO find the key gone from
the lock as / had been to find 1t there.
Apparently was free TO take that
eleven o'clock train for Philadelphia
that the fake telegram FROM my