Evening star., 1940-09-08
Ne BY

He Sdld exClteuly, ana II s the servants night
Off 1t couldn't be better, not if we waited a
year. unlatched the side window just before
left the house with them: Now be sure you
get everything i mean the bracelet the
tiara and the emerald necklace: | know
they're all there. because she isn't wearing
any of them. The rest of the stuff is old Junk ::
take it if you want it, l don't care. But
hurry
With an effort BouBou descended from the
heights He prepared himself for his important
task
The job was simplicity itself He slid
through the window like an eel and spent
half an hour toying with the little wall safe
IN the light OF his electric torch: then the tum-
blers clicked and the door swung open. He
sCOOped out the contents. The tiara the neck
lace and the bracelet he put in velvet bag
ne had brought for the purpose then he exam
ined what Calignac had called the Junk
None of it interested him except diamond
stick k-pin and an old fashioned. heavy gold
ring, which he thought should be worth
something He stuck them into hip pocket
and left as quickly as he had come
1t was when he was halfway back that the
horrible thought struck him. Diana! After
tonight. he would never see her again For
the job was finished and obviously Calignac
would never let him return to the apartment
Never to see her again!
! LUNGED in gloom. completely unconscious
of everything else. for an hour BouBou
walked the dark streets But rack his brain
as he would. his painful thoughts found no
answer. Certainly Calignac would never let
him come back. Then would he perhaps sell
Diana? Somehow the thought was blasphe-
nous. and hopeless anyway, for she was a
gift from his uncle and had to be kept and
prominently displayed. Steal her, then? 1t
was romantic notion, but foolish: Leon
would be bound to discover it.
In the depths of misery. at last BouBou
returned to the apartment Calignac was
beside himself with anxiety. Mutely BouBou
handed over the velvet bag. while with suf-
fering eyes he gazed at the statue. The symbol
of all his Dreams the one thing in the world
that he loved, the one thing that returned
his love with tenderness and understanding
- and he must leave her.
As from a great distance he heard Calg-
macs feverish exclamations of joy.
Everything! You got everything! Won
derful. wonderful! You deserve celebration
- yes. we'll have a glass of champagne!"
The champagne was barely poured out
when the apartment bell rang. Calignac went
to the speaking tube and turned from it in
horror at the roar that came through my
uncle" he whispered his face blanched
He's downstairs - they left the theater
.arly they've discovered it, He knows
needed money, he's suspicious, he wants to
,ome up. Quick get out the back window.
I'll hold him off below as long as l can -"
He showed the jewelry into the bag. pushed
under pillow and ran from the room.
This, BouBou realized. was farewell
IN THAT last precious instant he went close
o Diana and looked at her final time
lis eyes were moist He could not leave her
ust like this Desperately he tried to think
f something to say, something to do, some
hing that would show all that she meant to
i'm Like lightning the glorious thought
ashed through his mind
Uncle Robert was pounding up the stairs,
ut that did not hurry BouBou. With in
fable tenderness he left Diana something to
emember him by. Then, still sad but up
fled by the nobility of his gesture, he fled
om the room and out the back window.
In the next second Uncle Robert burst in