Fair play., 1920-02-07
By JANE BUNKER
see no objection to telling you ali

is IeT WIN HIS
matter in my hands," he replied con-
vincingly; and at the same time he
gave the door shove as II to say,
Now you must let me in!" and drop
ping his voice to a whisper: "You will
understand also why the greatest Sc
crecy must be maintained
"Oh, of course. Now, when did she
disappear?"
1 got this off in a tone to indicate
that 1 was thawing out. Not lost on
him! He answered with quick but
vague, shortly after landing"
you don't sayw exclaimed, wish
ing to seem shocked and trying TO
keep back a laugh at the way he'd
given himself away. But the next mo-
ment l realized that the fellow could
have no possible connection with
monsieur.
1t came over me with q rush that
this was a plot against Claire herself!
Was it to kidnap her and hold her
for ransom? Her California grand
father, now dying, was reputed many
times the millionaire. Or was this the
counterplot of some other nation
against Germany for the possession of
Mexico?-an effort to strike at De
Ravenol, the emperor's messenger,
through his daughter and put spoke
in the treaty?
l experienced a positive shock as
this situation burst on me. I must get
rid of this detective Immediately, yet
not let him guess what l was now
fairly certain of, so 1 told him with
affected cordiality, II see just how it
is--and that you wish to keep this Sc
cret as long as possible. I'm sorry
but it isn't convenient for me to re-
ceive you at this moment"
"Can you make it this afternoon?"
he asked.
"Not very well-unless you wish to
meet a reporter from one Of the big
dailies." 1 gave him a look that said,
"That's what I'm trying to avoid for
you"
He started slightly and hastily
begged me, "Do not let the press get
hold of this! l have spoken to you
in confidence-I felt / might trust
you"
Certainly. Tomorrow at nine will
be safe i think. Shall I expect you?"
saw he was about to demur at this,
but the rumbling of the elevator, COM
ing nearer and nearer had attracted
his attention. The top of the car
showed up at our door.
''Nine," he whispered, giving me a
signal to be silent; and with that he
slipped noiselessly to the stairs-the
way he had come up-and disap-
peared.
The car door opened and Billy
jumped out. hastily undid the chain
bolt and he bounded in with what
do you think?' and dragged me along
the hail. out of earshot of the door,
and then cried in an excited whisper,
Your 'mossoo' has flew the coopw
Billy flung his hat on the table and
repeated his words-"Your 'mossoo'
has flew the coop-do you hearT" for
l had been too astonished to say any.
thing when 1 heard them the first
| time.
"Gone-bag and baggage! Evapo-
rated! Took a carriage and told the
driver the Waldorf"
"Then he's not gone very far" re-
marked, without thinking, only to
have Billy ask scornfully:
do you suppose 1 haven't been
there already? | tell you he's lit out
for parts unbnown-that's the size of
it, and / want to know what for! He
left the hotel at seven in the morn
ing-seven, mind you, before anybody
was out of bed. He hadn't registered
at the Waldorf by eleven-and he
hasn't registered at any of the other
big hotels. | got a hunch he's got
| some new scheme on and there's nC
use looking for him in New York. Dc
you imagine he would go to Washing
ton on his own hook-with his daugh
ter and all--and lay the case before
the president? l mean to lay a case
before the president--trust little ole
'mossoo' TO tell only what he wants
knOwnw
Suppose he has" I cried, and ther
I added, "That would be almost tot
good to be true"
'Yes-I feel that way-I kind-i
don't seem to feel that he did--m!
hunch doesn't say he did. But say
I've been figuring it out coming III
on the sub-your 'mossoo is laying
new trap for you and Mrs. Delario
lie knows one Of you two women ha
got the diamonds-he knows it in hi
boots, no matter what you say--an'
} anyway you have. He knows you'v
got 'em--that you're bound to keel
'em-and wouldn't dare sell or tell
See? That's where he's got you; an
he knows you're both of you shakin
in your boots"
, I'm shaking, all right I've ha
! my fill of diamonds!" / admitted bii
terly.
"And that's how he argues. He
, only got to give you new scare @
some sort-and wait. And l bet yo,