Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1920-01-01


l said, Mrs. Thing-down- stairs 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 lot of chicken onto
my plate and commanded me to so to
1t, and l grabbed 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
l jumped up and got the dagger from
my penholder tray-"he dropped it on
the floor"
Gee whiz y 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-thats what he was" /
blew off. HE was In the act of steal
ing a million dollars worth of dia-
monds. And l foiled himp
"Wow You did,"
Il should say / did And what's
more, I've got the diamonds here
there-behind you in those hyacinths."
"Wowr' he whooped, and before l
knew what he was doing he was out
of his chair, his hand on the glass.
Don't touch them !" l shrieked.
wow he cried, dropping his hand
and jumping back. do they biteY
'No-they sting. They pizen your
very soul. But, Billy-stop wowing-
I'm watched"
He sat down with the command,
"Dlvulge the dread secret" and be-
tween bites told him the whole story
up to Eureka, and brought in the slip
per 10 prove II.
He was stlll staring when I got
through and asked him, "And now how
am / going TO get those beastly things
out Of the house and where am ] go
ing to get them 10? She doesn't dare
to have them at her house"
"Oh, l can take them away and
hide EN-, If that's all you want he
answered carelessly.
1T isn't ALL" l retorted, bit indig-
nant. ITS only the beginning Of
new chapter of misery for the whole
of us--its throwing the responsibility
on you without getting me out of the
nett won't save me from being kid
mapped and searched and maybe MUIR
dered TO keep my mouth shut"
Billy nodded at that and said,
You're right"
He took q cigarette out of his case
and with a short, May II" lighted up
and began TO blow rings, gazing at
them abstractedly. l inhibited crumbs.
After I'd stood his silence for half
cigarette, l 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 dof" he gave
forth masterfully. Were going to
trap that bold man all by our little
own selyes-you and I. And Wen give
him one nice lesson on stealing dia-
monds from defenseless women-and
threatening you"
But we've got to hurry" l urged.
81 can't live this way much longer
it's simply killing mew
Sure" Billy agreed, suppressing n
smile at me. "Tm hurrying all | can.
/ calculate TO have your 'mossoo' In
handouts tomorrow night" And he
unfolded his plot and I entered into II
with fervor. The truth is Billy and
were having the fun of our lives.
The scheme was TO decoy monsieur
to the fat 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 if he got
the tip we believed he'd return the mo-
ment | went out
After some discussion Billy and
decided not to take Mrs. Delario into
our confidence, not knowing how she'd
act in the crisis, which necessitated
our initiating her writing. The only
sample Of her writing we had was her
address In my notebook and some
titles Of books on spiritualism 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 searched
everything but the bunch Of hyaoinths az
told you over tie telephone Tussdag-tthia
struck me exquisitely neat, convincing
touch. for his detective must have reported
both that I teiephoned ami the number o.
the caIl)--I thought the same place would
continue safe in case OF a second Invasion
got fresh bunch. 20 you viii know where
II anything happens 70 me. II 80. come and
get them at once, break in the nat II you
have to.