San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1924-04-14
Begin Here Today.


policeman sweetheart. Michael CuI
It's. That night Sallie goes into til
yard to take down a washing for NJ
Brennan, with whom Sallie lives.
crash shakes the earth and some
thing strikes Sallie blow on til
head.
When she regains consciousness
the girl finds herself in strange sur
roundings. A French maid call
her Alva Copeland and Madame Cope
land, a tall richly gowned woman
claims her as her step-daughter. Salli
meets Cousin Wheeler, who makes low
to her. She resolves to solve the mys
terry Of why she is being substitutes
for Alva Copeland.
Sallie tells the Copelands she j
wise to their game and that, if the.
pay her enough, she will play a hant
for them. The Copeland's accept Sal
lies offer. Now go on with the story
"You see, one slip and 1 nigh
queer the game for you, and / tol,
you if | went into this with you II
play white. Couldn't you fix it som,
way that I'd been hurt in that trail
wreck and needed quiet, except jus
for-for the folks who've got to be
lieve I'm your stepdaughter ant
Cousin Wheeler's girl?"
Cousin Wheeler" stroke his mus
tache somewhat nervously.
1T appears that our young FRIEND
has a remoYknbly clear grasp of thu
| situation" he remarked. Just how
much have you told her this morn
\ ing. Aunt Flo"
1T wasn't this morning, it was yes
terday when l was having tea with
you two here in this ROOM" Sallit
explained. Before that l thought
everybody was cuckoo, calling mt
Ava but then l saw that you both
were stalling along and kidding to
see how I'd act and if maybe I'd dc
to pass as. the real Alva. That's why
l came clean with Mrs. Copeland this
morning and asked her what there
was in it for me-"
Mrs. Copeland gasped and this
time there was a note OF command
in her nephew's voice.
aunt Flo, since it appears to be
merely a question of price now, or
might more gracefully say reward.
l am sure this young lady will ex-
cuse us to discuss the matter in prl-
vate for few minutes before lunch. y
Anything you say" Sallie rose
with a hard little laugh. Il amt
any too crazy to go back to-Shafts-
town. L don't mind telling you, and
I'd like to take q hand in this with
YOU, on the level, but considering the
risk I'd be taking myself i ought to
be fixed for life SOS / could steer
clear of-of everything and live
quiet abroad some place where-where
nobody'd know me. Twenty-Five
grand wouldn't last forever, but it's
up to you. I'll be in my room, Mrs.
Copeland, when you want me-"
She nodded to her stupefied host
css, grinned derisively at Sloat as he
held the door open for her and when
she heard it close with unnecessary
violence behind her the grin broai-
ened. It faded, however, when at
the head of the stairs she found her.
self confronted by Fitch.
You got the bit of newspaper q
slipped under your door larst nightF'
he demanded in whisper.
Sallie nodded.
80 it was your
81 was planted here on another
lay; bit of luck, | call it, that they
should have brought you here. Reck-
ernized YOU at once, did," He placed
his finger alongside his nose with a
knowing leer. Il saw the chief larst
night and told him as how it come
about you was dug out of the wreck.
Dunno what their game is
And / don't know what yours Is
nor who you are" Sallie interrupted
in a fierce undertone. who do you
think i am, anywayT
law. stow that, Bess-Diamond
Bess. . I'm a new one with your gang
since Won pulled the Delapierre trick
hut The chief knows what Fred the
Ferret can do or he wouldn't have
planted me here. / say" He came
close to her, with cautious glance
Mt the closed sitting room door. "What
did YOU do with them-the Delapierre
spprklers? The chief wants to know
and he wants to know at once"
Sallie felt her knees giving way be-
meath her. 49,.
II don't know who Diamond Bess'
is. nor what you're talking about.
she began, but he laid slim, why
fingers lilJe bands of steel upon her
"Doubled-crossing, are you?" His
wbisner had become hiss. You
know what happened to Gaffney
when he tried it, and Chicago Molly,
foo, You had four of the biggest
sparklers still with you when you
left Philopolis and you must have
nlanted 'em safe or you'd have made
n boiler before you let these tolls
adopt YOU out Of the wreck. me
chief wants-to-know, Twig that
Sallie's brain had been workins
quickly and now she shook OIL ms
hand with a fine assumption of scorn.
MAKE holler. would i, with
every dick in the East she broke
off in seeming vexation. How DO
know YOU amt dick yourself! You
bring me something thatn show you
come from-from any friends OF mine
and maybe I'll have a message lot
Won. Savcz? Now beat it!
She turned abruptly and entered
her room, closing the door softly De-
hind her. -, cho
might have Known what that scran
of newspaper meant. 1t had seemed
splendid scheme to fall in with the
plans of this crowd of swell crooks
as Sallic Peck and then gradually get
them 70 believe that she was IN
reality this Diamond Bess' with pals
on the outside To see that no harm
came to her so that they would De
glad to let her go scot Tree as the
nrice of her silence, and now sue
had placed herself at the mercy oil 4
gang of criminals who would sUop =.
nothing TO regain the stolen DIAMONDS
which she had never even seen!