Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1920-02-25
By JANE BUNKER

/ kept telling myself, "Oh, well--Tll
know In the morning and I'll find some
way to meet 1t when II comes. Things
can't be any worse" and thus fell
asleep without an inkling of the
muddle I'd be in before the sun set on
another day.
had gone TO bed with quite bit
Of a crouch on Mrs. Delario-I think
anybody would have felt the same ia
my place. was perfectly willing that
she should keep her faith In Tlbetan
masters or mahatmas along with the
emperor's diamonds, and / stood pre-
pared to help her do both; but II
were willing to make such conces-
sions to her 1t did seem as II she
oughtn't to go throwing off her re-
sponsibllities and her diamonds Oh me
all the time She didn't seem to feel
she owed me any consideration. Very
complimentary, Of course, that l was
the only person In the world she dared
TO trust; bat I've found from expert
ence there isn't much In that sort OF
compliment--for the recipient. And
she hadn't even troubled herself to
explain why she'd brought them back
to warn me of what threatened
That was what ranked more than
anything.
walked up grouchier than ever
If she'd been there I'd have told her
what l thought about her How was
/ to hide her diamonds now? / had
exhausted all my ingenuity with the
hyaeinths. so what between racking
my brains and nursing my crouch, /
decided / wouldn't hide them at all,
and what l did was to turn them bot
tom side up under the cotton and I'll
the rest of the box with pens and drop
it carelessly on the tray where 1t had
been. And when I'd done that l was,
to all intents and purposes, back in
the same hole again If ! went out
and left them In the house they might
be stolen; If l took them out with me
might be robbed.
From being grouchy / got mad at
her; and from being mad It was but
step to the Idea that l was fate's
instrument to save the nation, and by
the time I'd finished breakfast l had
decided to 60 to Washington immedi-
ately and lay the matter before the
president and let him attend to Ger
many.
/ had Just settled the laudable in
tention with myself when Billy
breezed in. He was rosy he was cor
dial-oh, veryl I'm free TO say I've
never seen Billy quite so cordial since
the day rescued him from maternal
spanks and curled his hair and
pressed his Fauntleroy suit-the day
the boys threw him in the swimming
hole. But his young face was also
clouded with anxiety and he was
puzzled still at the stand I'd taken the
night before-that Mrs. Delario was TO
keep the diamonds-and that I'd had
no chance to explain to him.
He said Hello" four times and
pumped my hand of.
you're still alive, see," he OBJ
served with a sweet smile.
Without waiting to hear what had
TO say he threw his hat on the table
and ratified Off. "Well, got her back
| to the hotel all right--she was as--as
gay as anything all the way down.
Her father was standing In the door
looking for us--I guess he was scared
stiff that she hadn't come-and the
minute she saw him she threw herself
In his arms and went into Mysteries T.
Buly's face puckered up with his
anxiety and his sympathy as l ex'
claimed. "Poor childr'
II couldn't do anything more so l.
evaporated," he continued. "Didn't
even try to say goodby to her. Do you
think she'll think that was queer OF
me?--go off without saying Goodbye
He was anxious on this point.
"No. She's enough the lady to re.
gard It as great dellcacy on your
part"
81 hope she WILL" he said fervently
But do you think the shock-last
night and all--was too much for herr
Say--rm worried" he looked at me
in an appealing way.
answered, amused. 81 suppose
that means you want me to go right
down to the hotel with you and fine
out all about her. I suppose nader
aunt has nothing to do but so racing
off with jelly and make one big dra
matte fuss-just as II fainting hero
ines weren't the most ordinary occur
rences known to fiction"
"ordinaryr' gasped Billy, "a fain
like that ordinary l never saw any
thing like lt-and I've seen a gooC
ieal-of life"
He jumped up and took a turr
about the room. He was annoyed.
was amused-so much amused that
had forgotten my crouch or Mrs. Della
rio and that l had the diamonds ant
meant to take them to the president
"well-are you going down to Sc,
how she Isl" demanded Billy, wheel
ing and planking himself in front o
me.
Dear auntie-sweet auntie."
iibed. please put on your camel
hair shawl and bunnit and haste ava,
10 Beauty-in- Distress that may IN
stantly know how she bore up unde
, the strain Of meeting the hero an,
, how she liked his pink. round cheeks.
, Billy gave me vicious grunt an,
-, strobe across the room-he wanted t
= | ,,uir 70 mo b. sglI,'