Show J DIAMOND m ili CUT DIAMOND Jane Bunker The Copyright Merrill O Oft CHAPTER XVI Continued Continued 19 19 But the are diamonds said I I. I meaning to test her ber attitude since Ince shed she'd had a chance to think over what Id I'd told her about monsieur's claims on them and particularly as hed he'd gone to her himself himself himself him him- self self- Will wm you take them home with you She recoiled from me I cant can't cant can't- now now how how can I 12 she gasped Oh youre you're going t to help me arent aren't you Sh She had pad caught n ho hold d. d of me an and looked positively frightened as she spoke glancing over her shoulder atthe at atthe atthe the door to see that It was tight shut and that we ae we could not riot be overheard I d depend pend on you you-I you I trust you If It I 1 lose those hose diamonds dIamonds oh oh you cant can't guess what I 1 td shall lose I 1 wouldn't lie to you you you-I I tell you that man De I is a thief I get it every time he Ite comes near me I Isee Isee see the word as I told y you u yesterday esterday oyer his head in white letters My spirit guides gudes wouldn't give ghe It to me If It It weren't true There was both scorn and appeal In her tone I 1 saw the moment was not ripe for a discussion of the Tibetan mahatma question N Nor r did her renewed renewed renew re re- re- re new ed expressions of confidence in me and her obvious need of help In the present difficulties lessen the complications that now note entangled me Before Be Be- Before f fore re I could think of ot anything a suitable to say she burst out not de desert desert de- de sert me will you you now now i-now now that I need you worse than ever I And what could I say but No No Ill Ill I'll stand by you though the heavens fall taU I t and wonder what new bizarre line of conduct r ras Iwas as committing mj- mj helf self to I 1 didn't try to think but told f her Billy was here and suggested that she e meet him him particularly particularly since hed he'd i been to the hotel and rind was all wrought up over Claires Claire's mysterious departure r Mrs Delario Delano demurred but I overruled overrule d p her and presented Billy Dilly L Billys Billy's relief and Joy at the rediscovery I ery of Claire were quite touchingly 11 amusing and he made himself correspondingly correspondingly correspondingly corre corre- agreeable to Claires Claire's chaperon chap chap- eron He lie seemed conveniently to forget forget forget for for- get his dictum of a couple of hours ag ago o that said chaperon was crazy Th The e only point we ive any of us attempted t to o elucidate was the new mans man's connee- connee fion Ion with the the case which case which we felt wa was w somehow the key to monsieur's sudden n of r ari U ll I r fur 6 l I Ity ty i yi I Presented Billy li appearance and appearance and and I 1 was not a little little dr H to hear bear Billy BlUy ask her seri serl- n sly 1 y Cant you get something about V clairvoyantly 1 She told him she couldn't at the m moC mothe rao- rao C the nt-the t the the conditions weren't right right right- t e a Was too worried worried too too confused r Of course he agreed Its like else takes else takes your be beat t pow pow pow- r 1 t i r tAbI I Ab-I I h-I I see y yoU u understand 8 she e reed re re- red ed gratefully and it seemed to to me mea Ii h Iia a little emphasis on the you jou jouet ou et him apart from me ant and that lAve lave ve always thought the was precise i t tat 1 t at which they the began to draw toI to- to 1 I Ijler er In a friendship that made him hima I a warm partisan even against me f I the pert time he saw law me alone he t Ala me me he had decided she had better i the diamonds t course he a agreed reed again And 1 SA see how you couldn't feel teel equal t after fter what wha t youve you've been through Corning morning This was artfully hint hint- lead ead back to Claire 7 might have continued their InDge in- in in age Dge of opinions on Claire Claim and add her father for tor the next half hour halt hour hou r- r judging by the way they seemed to b be enjoying It but It-but but I brought them t to earth with the question How an are e a awe we going to protect Claire from th the new man Hes He's probably determined determine d to see her and find out something g about her fathers father's whereabouts The deuce I cried Billy BlUy Id fo forgotten for for- gotten him Dont Don't let him see her lier I Ithe If It t he comes back whatever you do I 1 This to Mrs Delario Delano It would b be simply too dreadful for her I know Still I ant keep her a prisoner In her hoe room You wouldn't wouldn t suggest that would you Heavens no 1 I Dilly Billy rapped out I I should say say ay not I Hasn't she she bee been n through about bout enough already I But suppose the man has already alread traced her there and has the house hoes e watched watched the the same as her father r did I flung in one of the important things thing s I came to see you about about- about about- Mrs Irs D De- De larlo larla turned t to me If It the house is 1 watched watched and and I 1 feel it Is Is or or will or-will will b be e before the day Is over over Claire Claire Is vi virtually virtually vir vir- r ra a prisoner I wont won't dare to le leher let lether lether t her go out alone The deuc deuce l cried Billy Jumping g up and snatching his hat off the tablas table e as though he were about to run to th the e rescue Then he turned as red as as a 3 beet and signaled me with his eyes eye s and a couple of gestures which sh she shedid shedid e did not see see Help Help me out cant can't you jou Make her ask me to go home with wit h her For he had the wit to see before before beCore be be- fore Core hed he'd let himself In with a wor word d that he lie li couldn't f force himself on a woman like Mrs Delario Delano without placIng placing pla c ing himself before both of ot us in th the e position of an officious pup and ery er y likely getting a snub that would spoil 1 hl hta big big- r chances I played to his signal signal and and won a n bushel of gratitude from both bath sides Wont you let Mr fir Rivers go home with you jou ou and find out how bow Claire is Isanc and anc and c come me back and tell teU me I 1 asked her artlessly and to him do that for me wont won't you Billy Oh will you Mr Rivers she asked In great relief relict rising using as she spoke and preparing to hurry of off Billys Billy's eyes were popping and his feet teet were almost dancing I 1 presented present present- ed him with a unseen frown frown unseen by her her her- that said Now look out young man how you jou play your al S l' l 1 r What a reu relief t to have Mr Rivers 1 I she cried with feeling and took my band hand Then she affectionately kissed me for me-for for the first time in to her life lite I saw her and Billy to the elevator pushing my hall door fiat against t the he wall to keep It from blowing shut on me and waited wafted idly waving a good-by good and watching her till the car had sunk out of If sight I had just stepped into my hall again and laid my hand on OD th the e doonI doorknob when I heard a sharp imperative imperative im re Walt Watt I II II I jumped and wheeled A man stepped out from the stairs back o othe of f I the elevator shaft His face was concealed concealed concealed con con- In a pulled up collar and a n pulled pulled down down hat With three quick strides he was within the doorway He lIe pushed me out of the way and seized and slammed th the door on us Then he carefully put up the chain chain- bolt As s he did It It he held up his freehand freehand free freehand hand with a rNo tIt r No need of warning I I was paralyzed para para- paralyzed I It had taken him just fou tour four r seconds to make me his prisoner CHAPTER A Little Scheme I h had d been t too o completely stunned d by the suddenness with which my Imprisonment imprisonment im Ira had been effected even t to think who my my- visitor might be be an anit and d it was not until he turned from boltIng bolting bolt bolt- bolting ing the door and apologized politely Pardon zis intrusion madame thaI that tha t I recognized d De Ra enol And then the n he lie removed hl his hat and motioned me meto meto m e to precede him along the hall Madame I ask a pard pardons onE he be began suavely Unfortunate or or r unforeseen circumstances rendered rendered ren ren- dered zis intrusion necessary and arid I feared leared If It you c closed ze door door since since e you jou OU had had Interview wis your friend Madame Delario Delano you might perhaps be b e tempt tempted d not to speak wis me and me-and and adelay a adelay delay to speak wis me might spoil ni allour nil all 1 our plans While he lie talked I felt my mT courage i come back and In a voice olce I felt was wa s not obviously shaky I I replied oOh Ob Oh certainly I understand I was exp expecting ex ex- p you Expecting me He seemed surprIsed surprised surprised sur sur- that I should be expecting him hint himat himat at that time and asked why at th the e same time motioning me to take a chair by my study table and showing me he would sit In the other To gain time on my side I went on onI I fear you worried about Claire when she did not come I should f have telephoned telephoned telephoned tele tele- phoned you but my telephone seems seem s to be out of order I I had a malicious pleasure to in r re re- e- e minding minding- him that he was the tIie one to suffer for tor It and a frown passed over his face but was gone in an instant ashe as ashe ashe he said It Is of no consequence and then plunged into the matter at hand While I wait walt for ze lift to pass pas down just now I sink I 1 rec recognize ze Q e voice of Madame Delario Delano She is here heren a n moment since Is she not noU Yes Yes she she was here He paused as If in hopes that 1 would tell him what sho she had come for but I had taken quick stock of the situation and decided to let him do aUthe all aU the talking Zen she have probably told you nit zat nitI I have hae se seen n her last evening Yes Yes she she mentioned it It I believe m Bien zat Bien zat n-zat zat helps me to explain You see I feel It necessary to have some words wis her after she have talked wis you jou ou and before she can see you jou ou and communicate her ideas wis you jou ou Hence I am oblige to put you to some some- trouble trouble for for w which I ask one pardons pardons pardons-In In order zat I lac- lac ac accomplish ac- ac It I I arrange it zat at I leave my daughter to entertain you and Mr air Rivers while I make a brief call callon on Madame Delario Delano and see what she have to say for herself for herself about zoze diamonds And for zis reason renson When I see you last evening I 1 am in positive command of ot information zat proves pro her to have hae ze diamonds I 1 fear tear I 1 gave a start at this information information tion for he threw himself back with a self satisfied smile as much as to say I r thought that would astonish you and drew a from his hlf pocket removing a clipping cUpping torn from the Personals In the Herald and pointIng pointing point point- ing lag to one notice marked with pencil on the margin I rea read d It Large reward for name of person recently offering special set of ot matched stones State number and color BoxI Box Boz I 32 Herald Hera d Office I 1 returned It to him without comment com corn ment I meat I tried to appear ignorant of ot what it might mean I have hae Insert it sree times he went on smugly I do so because I 1 argue to myself as follows Ze diamonds diamonds dia din monds are find by Madame Delario Delano and she say to herself Probably somebody somebody some some- body play a Joke on me zey me-zey zey are not real jewels jewels zey zey are paste Still zey may be worse even so and I will take zem to a n dealer and find out He paused to laugh and under cover corer of ot it gave me a look with his beady eyes Eyes which which I fancy told him noth noth- nothIng Ing Now zen zan I 1 ask myself where does she take zem first Probably to fan I have myself zero zero- but hut H result And I 1 realize I cannot Interview every dealer in ze city city also also it is not well for me to be seen too much looking for zoze stones I have insert ze notice and I receive more zan fifty replies All but one one one- He produced a shabby scrap of ot paper paper pa pa- per saying it was a veritable clue and gave it t to me to readI read I can give you jou name and and address of party offering seven large red stones last Saturday Address by letter only Haskins 1861 Third avenue Box Bos 7 I see at once I have of value I have receive zis on Saturday morning But before zat I have received received received re re- re- re I some letters letters he he gave a little shrug to Indicate that he referred to the decoy letters he had rec received from Billy Dilly and me and me and I sink I 1 have not only ze clue but zat I can obtain ze diamonds to inquire of zis Haskins So I 1 make my endeavor endeavor endeavor-as as you know know wis wis ze result result- He stopped a moment and I saw he was making an effort to keep down his mortification mortification and and probably his hate hate hate- and I hastened to help him do both by telling him cordially Im really I awfully sorry monsieur but then then what else could I do Ah Ali madame It is no more to mention men men- tion- tion between us he returned gallantly gallant gallant- ly But you But jou American ladies ladles I So energetic 1 One knows not how bow to take you 1 I I suppose we are puzzling puzzling to to for for- eigners 0 Puzzling 1 I I have re sink I know some- some sing of ot ze ladles ladies and of ot ze Americans since my wife is herself herselt American but butI I find since I 1 am nm come to zis i I I have much to learn Oui and he gave me a little laugh showing h he e I meant me to take this tIlls in a complimentary complimentary way And now now I may rimy tell you zat I have e ze name same and ze address o of ze one wh who o have hav zoze diamonds In his possession It Is la Mr Eugene Delario ze Delano-ze ze e young youngson youngson son of Madame Delario who Delano-who who offers offers- or at least seeks to have valued valued- zoa diamonds last Saturday at a dealers dealer's deal deal- ers er's on Malden Maiden Lane It has always been a mystery to m me e that I 1 managed to control control or or think I 1 every did did every facial expression that tha t might have shown him I already knew what he told me But Dut monsieur wen went wenton t on apparently not noticing anything about me You know ze son of Madame D Delario De De- o- o Monsieur lario larlo Monsieur Eugene 1 I have never met him him no Well It Well it Is s of ot no consequence I I know of ot a certainty It Is ze son of ot Madame Ma Mn dame dawe Delario Delano who have hae shown zoze e diamonds last Saturday Saturday end and he dont don t know zey are diamonds I Out Oui I And after I have information I argue zis way Since I ha have hare re her so 50 positive denial It t Is her son who have accidental accident accidentally al ally v discover zoze diamonds unknown to her and he be says J You see All is now explained But monsieur are you sure of this man Haskins I questioned Are you sure he be wasn't lying f for r the reward reward reward- that all aU he hp told you yon wasn't a mere coincidence coincidence co co- coIncidence incidence cD Bah h 1 he cried d in a n tone of disgust and some contempt for tor me Coincidence dence Madame you must know zat when you find more zan area sree coincidences dences dances In a case you have hare hare-circum circum circumstantial evidence t When you have sufficIent sufficient suf suf- fi circumstantial evidence you have ave h proof And when you have z ze proof of a n crime you crime you can act I IlIe lIe He shot this off oft In a fierce determined ed tone and I saw he was ready t tsp to o sp spring ng the mine mine under the tire mother and son To gain |