Show I II T I f I I I J I I r TIl O C O i I t i S S' S t U 0 1 J T I I If I By JANE BUNKER iV BUNKER i I Copyright b by Bobbs Company o Y I i w CHAPTER XVI XV Continued I. 18 18 Oh well It well It doesn't matter anyway anyway anyway any any- S way I soothed Just tell him again Im I'm Im I'm not at home and if it he says anything anythIng any nay thing more repeat it and Jt-and and keep on repeating repeating repeating re re- re- re S it Jt till he goes for I wont won't see him But George George this I said sternly stern stern- S ly U ly If you bring that man up up up-aftem after what Ive I've said to you you you-you you needn't say good morning to me next Sunday I George understood the allusion I I always give him a quarter on Sunday morning when he brings the paper up tIe lie grinned and departed Now what new dodge Is this I I cogitated carrying the paper to my study tudy and examining it Jt In the light S The writing was distinctly foreign foreign- French or A In the rs Vs The mademoiselle also suggested n a for for- eigner elgner The Time bell rang I sat down own The bell I rang again I put my say feet teet on a hassock hassock has has- sock turned up my may nose slightly smiled and sat still The door was wat I pounded pounded not not furiously but with with evident evi dent determination and and the bell rang rani again S At this I thought Id I'd better show a a L sign of ot life so I went and called ai i through without opening Stop that noise I 1 I commanded an an- Noise stopped Both pe persons waited for the other oth s to say something As the opposite i side didn't I called through again Who Vho Is it Police Pollee detective The words were hissed through In Ia Ina Ina t a stage whisper and I noticed a n foreIgn foreign for for- eign accent on police I thought ought I E might as well look at him anyway anyway- which I did through the crack without removing the chain chain bolt I saw aw a L rather short very slight man pongee am m colored to be accurate wIth accurate with an Intelligent Intel looking honest face but eer very r common clothes clotheS Cheap cheap ready-made ready t overcoat and hat Yet the man had I very much of ot an an air about him Well said I lin In as e a atone atone L tone as I could I wished to se see you about MademoIselle Mademoiselle Mader Made Made- moiselle de Ie the the nol the young lady ind r who crossed In the steamer with you Well said said said-I. I. I She has disappeared Well And this last from me left lefi him quite In the air as as I I saw by his hit I However he be made muncie a fresh fresi I start Mademoiselle de crossed I in the same steamer with you about aboul two weeks ago ag did she not noU She may have Her name is Js on the passenger list lisi with yours yours yours-I I have the list here here he he m produced some sonie papers but apparently r did not find that h he had the list list and I with a gesture of impatience appealed to me me me-III I am am I not she not she crossed with you on the same steamer S What have I to do with that thaU I asked curtly wondering what he was driving at for of f course ourse ourse I knew Claire hadn't disappeared ared since last night I Iau au and if she had he wouldn't be asking me about the steamer Dozens of people crossed on th the tb same steamer with me Naturally he admitted trying to tobe tobe be pleasant But thI this Mademoiselle de sh she cros crossed ed In your care did she not She did not She did not non he asked in a surprised surprised sur sur- surprised sur- sur sort of way as if he thought I Iwas Iwas was lying tIn In In whose then may I ask C CI I merely shrugged as though to tell him Find out for yourself Seeing it he did not pursue that line but butI tried this You saw a good deal of ot other I her on the steamer did you not- not S talked with her frequently I ignored this last and told him But nut I have no Information to give gie Jou joul Nothing at all She did lot ot come over with me me-I me I had bad no charge I of her no her no responsibility for her actions actions ac ac- actions on board the steamer or for her being met or not met or anything else Certainly I understand He lie gave the door a little push as a hint to me But do you not see that you I might might- furnish me with a valuable clue He gave the door a harder push And end as it Jt clicked on the chain chain- bolt he repeated If you ou allow me to I toS enter that we may discuss this In private S vate vate- vate S I thought I saw myself letting a strange man enter with all those diamonds dia din aS S monds loose In a box with pens I 1 And t at nt the thought of them I saw that this might be only another of plot monsieur's mon mon- S I I looked at him In a way that made him think I was considering my responsibilities re re- re- re S and then I asked as casually casually casually cas cas- cas- cas S as I could But at what time did she disappear Ah Ab that Is Js the question when question when I he cried giving a tragic tragic tragic-or or or what he I meant to be tragic tragic gesture gesture to show shou 1 how utterly the girl had vanished And he be stopped to consider what he i should tell me next and I seeing no nc I chance bance catch a clue for m myself added If you are simply lancing free In the case cuse I should not feel Ceel Justified I In discussing hr with you you- you T hut but ut i U 11 her father Is hi employing yon you you-If If It I Ih Is It h hb ht who lla has put the case in your h hands rad V t- ta II a R. different and i I 1 1 i a v w I see no objection to telling you allI all allI I know He He lie took the bait hook and sinker I It Is her bar father who has placed the matter In my hands he replied con convincingly convincingly and at the same time hega he ga gave e the door a shove as if to say Now you must let me In 1 I and drop dropping ping his voice to a whisper You wit will I understand also why the greatest secrecy secrecy se crecy must be maintained I Oh of co course Now when did she S disappear I got this s off In a tone to indicate i that I was thawing out Not lost on or 1 him I lie He answered with a quick but vague ague Shortly after landing You dont don't say ay I I exclaimed wIshIng wishIng wish wish- Ing lug to seem shocked and nd trying to tc keep back a laugh at the way he hed he'd I given himself aw away ay But nut the next moment moment mo mo- ment macat I rea realized that the fellow could i have hav no possible connection with S monsieur It came came oyer oyer me with a rush that thai I this was a plot against Claire herself I IWas IWas Was Vas it it- to kidnap her and hold her bei herfor herfor L IL for ransom Her lIer California grandfather grandfather grand grand- father now flying dying was Vas reputed man many times the millionaire Or was this the th S some other nation 1 against Germany for the possession Oi of I Mexico an Mexico an effort to strike at De Di Dellav 3 nol the time the emperors emperor's messenger through his daughter aughter and put a spoke S In the treaty I experienced a positive shock as am this sit situation atlon burst on me I must get rid of this detective Immediately yet n not t l let t him hIm guess what I was now fairly certain of so I told him with affected cordiality I see Just how it itIs Is and Is-and and that you wish to keep this se so secret secret cret as long longas as possible Im I'm sorry sorry sorry- but it It- isn't convenient for me to receIve receive receive re re- re- re you at this moment Can you make mak it this afternoon I he asked I INot Not very well well unless unless you wish to meet a a. a ar reporter porter from one of t the big dailies I gave him a look that said what whit Im I'm trying to avoid for tor you lie He started slightly and hastily begged me sue Do not let the press get hold hold- of this I I have spoken to you in confidence I Sr-I Sr I felt I might trust I you Certainly Tomorrow at nine willbe will willbe I Ibe be safe I think Shall I expect you I saw he was about to demur at this but the rumbling of the elevator comIng coming com corn ing lag 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 to be silent and with that he be slipped noiselessly to the the stairs stairs the way he had come up and up-and and The car ar door opened and BIll Bull Billy jumped out I hastily undid the chain I I bolt and he bounded In with a What Whal do you think and dragged me alon along aloni the hall out of earshot of the door and then cried in Ia an excited whisper Your has bas flew fiew the coop I Billy flung his hat on the table an am and repeated his words Your words Your has flew the coop coop do do you hear for foi forI CO I L had been too astonished to say anything any auy thing when I heard them the first firs t time Gone Gone bag bag and baggage Evaporated rated I Took a carriage and told the thi S driver the Waldorf Then hes he's not gone very fl far r I Ire re remarked marked without thinking only te to have Billy ask scornfully Do you suppose I 1 haven't v n 0 1 there already I tell teU you hes he's ii Ii out OUI I for parts unknown unknown unknown-that's that's the size ot of r it and I want to know what for tor He Us S left the hotel botel at seven In the mornIng morn morn- Ing seven lug seven mind you before anybody 1 was out of bed He hadn't registered at nt the Waldorf by eleven eleven and and he hasn't registered at any of the other big hotels I got a hunch hes he's got some new scheme on and theres there's no use looking for him In ia New York Do you Imagine he would go to Washington Washing Washing- ton on his own hook wIth hook with his daughter daughter daugh daugh- ter and aud all and all and lay the case before the president r l' mean to lay a case before the president trust president trust little old to tell only what he lie wants known I I Suppose he has I 1 I cried and then I added That would be almost too good to be true Yes Yes I I feel that way way way-I I a kind I Idon dont don't s seem eem to to- feel that he my did did my hunch doesn't say he did But say say say- Ive I've been figuring it Jt out coming up upon upon on fl the sub your sub your is laying a anew anew anew new trap for you and Mrs Delario Delano II Ha knows mows one of you two wom n has got the diamonds diamonds he he knows it in his boots hoots no matter what you say say and and anyway you have haye He lip knows youve you've got t em that em that youre you're bound to keep em and em and wouldn't dare sell or tell See That's where hes he's got you ant and he knows youre you're both of you jou slinking shaking in Ia your jour our boots hoots Im shaking all nU right rIght rIght-I've Ive I've bad had my fill of diamonds I I admitted bit bIt- terly And that's bow how he argues Hes He's only got to give you a new scare score of some sort sort and and wait walt And I bet too you jou get your scare inside inide i le Sin n 11 hour I Perhaps Ive I've bad had it already I I cried ried suddenly J my my rays mys tenons detective whom I had forgotten forgot forgot- mY I ten tea in this new development of ot af- af j Yf Y f 4 t.- t. 1 i 0 1 i f. f I fairs and I told Billy BlUy th the stor story Bu nut L when I came to to tomy my suspicions that 1 Jt Ii t I IS was Claire the man was after Billy Bull r S flopped down all in a heap on th tin the t divan t Good Lord I he be gasped It might t be I and for some minutes he be sat sa Sn t there squeezing his hands and glaring glaring glar glar- ing tug at the floor Suddenly Mrs Thing down stairs down stairs began rendering her Mendelssohn's Mendelssohn's Men Men- Spring Song of a pig on Os onice I ice and Billy Jumped up In Irritation 1 and paced the floor I was glad o 0 oher of f her performance performance-It It was a gratuitous C contribution to the safety of conversation conversa conversa- tion in my own flat fiat Tell me again everything your detective detective de do man s said ld commanded Billy And youre you're sure hes he's a tec tee Im not sure of ot anything I re re- turned I III had nothing to go on bu but ret t what he said and what I guessed Hmay H Hi He S may have been a fancy burglar burglar burglar-a a literary lit literary burglar after my last novel such things timings have happened I saw say saw r Billys Billy's lip curl at this frivolous suggestion suggestion sug sug- but I ran on He may be m a II 1 gentleman crook someone crook someone on the thi S steamer whom I didn't know but who wits noticed I 1 had an interest In the girl gir girand girland 1 and is Js using it Jt now to get in here am and I map the grounds so he can come back bad a and rob and murder me Oh dont don't Joke he begged discos J This is awfully serious Why couldn't this man you man you u sa say you yos u I I i Sf Your Has las Flew the CooP GOOD think hes he's a foreigner why foreIgner why couldn't t he be the emperors emperor's follow up Now 0 why He could Say Say that's that's what he lie Is Js I And mos mosS soo soo got wind of him last night and I scooted for the tall timbers I The emperor emperor emperor em em- wouldn't lust just hand mos oo a r box of diamonds like that and tell him just to take em and present em with his compliments they complIments they dont don't do things that way over here Hed He'd send a second man to see that the first man did his Job according to contract And why Isn't this the man It did look possible though possible though I II I couldn't still see why he had begun his acquaintance with me telling me-telling telling me a lie about Claire While I was wondering over it Billy remarked Poor De has got his troubles all ri right He knows the old mans man's after him and hes he's lost the goods Say you can afford afford af af- afford ford to pity him now A wave of utter Butter despair swept over me I know of nothing more uniting ing than the facetious nonchalance of ci the young male In Ia face of ot a serious situa sit sit- ua I was ready to weep I was saved from it Jt by the ringing of ot the front belL belLI I put up the chain chain bolt bolt before I opened It It-I It I had sense enough for that that and and then theil I cried You I 1 I and receIved received re re- a n sharp I Let me in quick It was Mrs Delario Delano When I saw her you could have knocked me down with a feather I let her In and whisked her Into my bedroom and shut the door on us My first thought was Billy he Billy-he he had naturally looked down lows the hull hall when I went to the door door- door door- and I knew hed he'd guess Immediately who It was but though I 1 had told herthe her herthe herthe the part he lie had already played in our adventure she hadn't met him and I had the presence of ot mind not to spring hint him on her till Id I'd found out what she came for She had caught sight of him and now spoke in a whisper You cant can't guess what's happened I What next I I gasped almost in a whisper Monsieur has simply dumped Claire back on my hands and decamped decamped- without a word of real explanation 1 I Oh never I 1 Its what hes he's done I And Im I'm in the worst pickle I What does It Jt all mean lIe He came last eve evening ng and told me hed he'd just seen you and you jou told him I had the diamonds diamonds- What a lie 1 I burst out And then then- this morning monIng before Im I'm e cn out of ot bed leJ this conies comas by bv a mites ines- l t l She had drawn rawn out a n Iett letter r. r L from her bag she took It out of ot the envelope and handed banded it to me remarkIng remarkIng remark remark- fifty My Ing lag at the same time There was dollars In It ft The letter read I IDear I IDear Dear Madame Delario Delano I 1 was unable to return according to promise because of telegraphic communication com corn notifying me rue that my wife wIte Claires Claire's mother mother mother-Js Is probably ill with witha a fatal illness and I am leaving for California Immediately My ly child knows nothing of her mothers mother's Illness and the reason of my |