Red Lodge daily news combined with Carbon County news., 1934-10-24
Just Five Minutes
By HELEN LANGW0RTHY
G Mcclure Newspaper Syndicate.
WNU Service
OFFICER OtDAY looked puzzled
" when a sleek tewn car slid TO

"Thank you so much" she muir
INJURED.
The store was deserted except for
Mr.. Martin and the bookkeeper bent
over a ledger. Mr.. Martin hurried
forward to wait upon the woman.
I'D like so see some diamond
rings" she said.
Mr.. Martin glanced at the woman
c%uriously. SO many of his patrons
nowadays were likely to wear just
slightly shabby clothes. He noticed
that this customers fashionable tan
coat and hat looked new and ex-
penslve. Even the matching para
sol with Its carved handle appeared
unused. Whereupon Mr.. Martin
placed his most expensive stock Of
diamonds on the counter.
A happy smile lit up the woman's
face as she selected a ring with
perhaps the largest stone of the dis
play. She tried 1t IN.
"You know" she confded In a
husky voice, II made some money,
a wise investment, and I decided
I'd earned a diamond"
IAN excellent idea; excellent"
Mr.. Martin said. trying to appear
nonchalant. She raised her hand to
see the diamond closely. At that In
slant the loop of the parasol slid Off
her arm and 1t hit the floor with a
muffled thud. Quickly the woman
bent to retrieve 1t.
"These other rings" she said, II
wonder II I might care for n of
Them"
A worried frown came to Mr..
Martins face. He wanted desper-
ately to sell that large diamond.
With anxious eyes he watched her
finger the less expensive diamonds
one after another. MI. Martin
would have been more concerned
had he been able to e the other
side of the counter.
Slowly, very carefully, the WON
ans left hand slid down the handle
of her parasol, down to the frame
work, and dropped the big diamond
among the folds.
The instant that 1t dropped the
woman slid the other rings into q
small pile.
after ALL" she said, with q
straightforward smile. 81 don't
know which | like best" She pulled
her gloves. an return In an hour
or two, when ] have decided.
That had been almost too easy,
she thought. She started slowly
away.
Mr.. Martin kept pace with her or
his side of the counter.
The woman stopped short when
she saw a display Of beautiful bags
"Oh, aren't they adorable?" instant
ly Mr.. Martin was placing a halt
dozen on the counter.
CHANGING at her tiny jeweled wrist
watch the woman said doubtfully
II really shouldn't" Jim out there
In the car would be Tuning with
nervousness. They had planned
that she would take nc longer thar
fifteen minutes. The motor would
be running, they would drive quick
ly a few blocks into a certain ga,
rage. Their clothing was laid out
She knew, too, that even as they
donned the clothes. that would Sc
change their appearance, the mel
In the garage would be rushing
through the paint job that woul(
make the big car unacceptable.
But what Of five minutes an(
Jim's uneasiness, the woman though
contemptuously. Leisurely she
opened the bags. compared them
There was one, a rich dark on,
that she seemed to prefer. Whei
she turned away from the countei
1t lay at the bottom Of her parasol
She heard herself murmur thing
no, not today after all. One
more she glanced at her watch
Slightly more than five minutes hat
elapsed while she had examined thu
bags. Her heart beat a little faster
But still she talked pleasantly Il
MIR. Martin as she walked to tn
door, and then, involuntarily, sh'
took a deep breath.
"Nice little rain" MI. Martin sal,
behind her.
Nice little rain
She hesitated with the door part
ly open when Office O'Day cam
into view. He was smiling broadly
"Just an April shower, only starteI
five minutes ago." he said and the
reached for her parasol. "Alloy
me"
mo, oh, no." the woman said, an.
her voice sounded strangely exclt
ed. 1T doesn't work." she explaine
quickly.
Patrick O'Day would never hav
1t known that as little a thing as
lady's parasol ever refused to yiel
to him.
"Oh, | can fix It," he said conf
IDENTIFY and pulled the parsol fror
the woman's conclusive grip.
With nightmarish clarity, tn
woman beheld several scenes tn
next instant: Patrick O'Day raise
the p~arasol, peering at 1t. Then tn
dull thud of a beaded bag as 1t hi
the sidewalk and the lighter tinkl
Of a diamond ring as 1t bounded In