Show f Id 1 I. I 7 1 i W Wf f t w I f j L 1 I D. D Diamond lamOn d C Cut ut Diamond lamOn d i Ct B Ii 1 S td a I ml J q g e 4 By JANE BUNKER 1 tj Ib i Copyright by th the Bobbs Bobbs Company fJ m f m M m m m OV 00 00 P 00 00 00 V J i I CHAPTER XIII Continued 14 14 y J. J Billy dear do listen to reason for 14 fit half bait a n second What are we going to r tell the president We haven't got the whole story even yet out of or himI him him a. a I pointed In the direction of the dining I room room and and there mustn't be any gap gapIn r In It Weve We've got to see Mrs Delano ziti and get her evidence evIdence weve weve we've got to see Jj r Claire Claire- I Hell make her say anything You and I can enn break her down under under under un un- I der cross You Tou see we t. t haven't a thing but his word word word- 51 And the diamonds Billy Inter Inter- tf S Im taking your word for t those you those you didn't see fit to show em to me me if 4 W His HIS tone was a trifle sarcastic Indi indi- Indicating eating cating that there might still be some legitimate doubt as to the existence of I the stones In question In spite of all the adventure over them but I Ignored jf It and and went on He lIe made one slip slip slip- I 1 saw It at the time and now I 1 cantS cant can't I 1 S remember what It wa was It went slap slapout out of f m my head nn and It was Import important important- nt-I nt e ti something about No I can cant can't t rec re- re j c f. f member It was a n sort of key to something something something some some- re I thing else else else- i. i f Cant you think urged Billy Dilly r Every little details detail's Important now f And Ana lord lordy-lord what lord what a story and my 1 A scoop I 1 IThe t r The reporter was romping around In Billys Billy's inside determined to push the l story to a finish while romping q around aroun in my Insides was my natural r caution Why should we do anything fir to warn the Emperor William He y might deny everything and say he heI 5 X i never even heard of the diamonds I I t Yes Tes one false step would make Billy f diplo- diplo diplomatic and me the stock laughing of diplomatic diplo t matic circles throughout the world f i We must get all our proof before we wei i it divulged the secret on which the fate fateS S of our nation depended t The net result of our hurried colloquy colloquy colloquy col col- was that we we ve returned to the dining dining din din- ing room and sl silently relieved the stilly still still- jL y sorrowing monsieur of his handcuffs K c Which done Billy Dilly presented him with t leave of absence from our so society lety in ine inthe tf S 'S th the e words r Monsieur you are axe free to go fO and andi i fl nd added ed a courtly bow J I bowed also Thus we S signified with all air the manners we pos possessed essed that the y interview v pleasing t as It had been r was at an end r Our action simple action simple e enough ough to us us' us usand and J. J i in fn n line with the plan wed we'd Just mapped l' l out for getting at the truth truth left left monsieur monsieur mon mon- rl slur as dazed as ad anything wed we'd done e Inexplicably we had abruptly set him adrift without threats or explanations and without without the the diamonds I smiled 7 and and said quite as though hed he'd ed been beenY Y t drinking tea with me I Ill say good goodnight goo d night to you monsieur With that I yrS h held ld out my hand it z Monsieur did not rIse He did no not t take my offered hand He stared stared- stared stared-a a i e really frightened childish stare first firs t at me then at Billy I IY t He had been dismissed dis missed every missed every d-every every second he l longer r rS r'S re- re S 'S S 'S It t 1 q 4 f fr 1 r i y 1 r I i t c l f t II I It 4 t l teens Billy Dear Do Listen to Reason tl k v main malted marked e. e him a a. trespasser r. r Y Ye Yet t the he remained u glued d tp to his hisa chair and dumb speech seemed to have deserted desert desert- ed him Twice he essayed It but thea the a words words' st stuck ln In his t throat roat and het he I t. t look looked to us to help l l. l put rt r I Th The clock clock chimed the ithe fou quarters four to o nine and then bien the the hour M Monsieur 8 l spoke H I 1 haws haw place myself In your pos pos- i as American and I te j v ur h he began an arid and he wen went on onto to te tell us as a mart man l he lie e grieved for fo fous us ho how how- as a a. a would-be would friend he h e 4 grieved for tor us how as s the emperors emperor's messenger grieved he ved for fo us and bow hoTi iJ I ln in In- In Inthe the e In innocent o carrying off of a r o. o slipper from froDl the customs house one house on of a pair in wh ch his daughter had a aMs at athis his Ms c command ld secreted s secreted a box of dla din Jt monds bel nging to belonging to the emperor emperor had ha d r within the circle of Impi Im Im- t pi J te All d fc t 5 i 4 ji i i WI J. J 1 1 L t if ending never wrath whether the diamonds diamonds diamonds dia dia- monds were lost strayed stolen fromme from fromme fromme me or drowned In the sea wrath that would follow me and my name forever for for- ever eyer ver world without out end amen All AU right let it It I replied curtly But Dut would It not be better to con- con consider sider Ider urged monsieur Ze of zo ze o emperor Is terrible Consider madame I beg you to consider Zoze diamonds lamonds zat you have found In zat Upper slipper you have ze misfortune to carry off ff Consider to give zem zero back They were not In the slipper I car cal carried Jed ried off Monsieur positively Jumped Zey were not In zat sat slipper on No No on my word of honor as a gentlewoman gen- gen man monsieur I tell teU you those diamonds lamonds were not In the slipper I carrIed carried car car- rIed led off Mon Dieu l I he said under his breath reath Madame Delano must have zem-In zem em In spite of her denial denial in In spite of ot zat at I 1 search ze entire house house and and her- her self and elf and find also ze slipper In her wardrobe as she would not leave it it- f If she he find zoze diamonds But she may not have they they may have fallen out and got lost ost lost lost- Impossible Impossible Impossible he Inter Inter- I have examine bose zoze you slippers Uppers you see It Is zis way My daughter aughter have glue ze box In one safe and nd on an evening you tell Madame Madam DelarIo Delano to wear zoze slippers and Claire have but Just time to remove ze box ox and she returns it to ze slipper Upper It Is zat little accident and accIdent and some ome words from yourself zat yourself zat convince convince con- con vince Ince me It Is yourself who wh has hns found zoze oze diamonds No monsieur When you accused me of robbing Claire of Jewelry I hadn't the least Idea what you meant I suppose you accused Mrs of f the same thing D Didn't you accuse her ler of taking Jewels from from Claire just Claire Just Justs as s you you did me without me-without without specifying what kind of Jewels jewel Out yes Naturally I do not specify for ze reason If she find ze diamonds lamonds she know to what I 1 refer but If you have find zem I do not tell for or what t I seek Well that's it I do believe I 1 I 1 exclaimed ex- ex claimed In the tone of having discovered discovered discovered ered the key to th the whole difficulty You said Jewels and she thought you mean meant what we should mean by it ft- ft t-as t as s we use the word we think of pins bracelets pendants up made-up articles you understand Ah J so zat Is ze way of f it I 1 he le cried popping off his chair in a hurry I I see it Is some error of idiom of ze language zat cause cause ause all ze trouble Igo i 1 igo go immediately to ze Madame Madame Madame Ma Ma- MaI I dame Delario Delano and explain all to her He IIo took up his hat which Billy had picked up off the floor after the scrimmage scrimmage scrim scrim- mage wage and laid on the room dining-room table Oh monsieur you monsieur you a diplomat I 1 I flipped off And you think you can go goto goto to an American citizen after such accusations accusations accusations' ac ac- as youve you've made and say It was all a mistake and settle everything everything every every- thing But I 1 apologize for ze mistake he urged as though his sweet apology paid for everything hed he'd done done and brought Drought forth a box of diamonds on a salver they here you they you thank i lug ng i I 1 laughed Suppose she wont won't accept accept ac ae- i your apology I asked and md before before before be be- fore he got a reply I added She probably wont won't even see you you not not after the way you treated her I bet she doesn't even see you Billy supported seeing my drive What are you going to do He was anxious to make monsieur commit himself Monsieur twisted his hands nervous nervous- nervously ly and I kept the b ball u rolling by observing observing ob oh serving slyly You have Just told us that the most profound secrecy must be Ie maintained d so you cannot annot call In lu Inthe luthe the police pollee But there Is one one thing yon you youcan can do do- do doI I paused He risked asked breathlessly And zatis zat zatIs Is is- is Is 1 Go straight to the pi president and lay laythe laythe laythe the whole case before him Monsieur looked as f if hed he'd fall faU in a faint taint at my feet Ze Zo president mon president mon Dieu I He lIe used his handkerchief over his face Madame Ma dame dame ln In pity out Pity out of ze kindness of your our so kind heart I heart I myself on I I your mercy mercy mercy-I I De and and I as ask asIt you to help me in ze recovery of zoze diamonds in secret I ask it i for r ze sake of Claire I ask on my knee knee knee- And the man was actually prep preparing to do it too 1 But I not being used to that sort of demonstration and I seeing it as anything but a compliment that he felt he had to go such stIch lengths to propitiate me for me for I like to think myself myself myself my my- self at least decently approachable on common humane grounds responded grounds responded to his near kneel with a peremptory Dont do it I 1 and a look and gesture gestur e that showed him he could save th the e histrionics How can I help you I questioned It is a case for fOr diplomacy diplomacy In dealing wiz ze lady and I a ask ask as as a aso aso so great favor favor rat zat you see Madame Madam e Delano and discover ze truse from n her ber if it she have bave find ze ze ie little box box boa and d persuade her to her duty to return It T The e net result of the remainder o of f k AL t. t j jn jJ V n. r u J n n n the he interview wa was wag that monsieur promised promised promised prom prom- to relieve both Mrs Delano and me of all espionage Immediately immediately immediately-dis- dis dismiss miss his solitary detective who was shadowing me bring me-bring bring Claire to the house the next evening for a full fuU confession confession confession con con- of her part of the smuggling while I 1 promised to see Mrs the first thing in the morning and use all rill my my Influence with herI herI her 1 I think that is all this all this evening said ald I sweetly giving him the hint to go 0 I at once got Billy's Billys coat and hat from my wardrobe where they were hidden and coming through the hall I managed to signal him to go along with monsieur They left together together apparently apparently on the best of terms Tomorrow Ill I'll decide about going to the president thought I turning out Ir Ira a IrU U They Left Together I Iown the lights Ive got everything all myown my myown own way now and nothing Is going to I happen tonight tonight tonight-that's that's one thing to be thankful for And with these and similar fatuous and self self- congratulations I tumbled into bed I without even bothering td to lock the kitchen door I CHAPTER XIV The Jewels Are Mine To this day Ive I've never quite recovered recovered recovered ered from the astonishment and chagrin chagrin chagrin cha cha- grin when on waking up In the mornIng mornIng morn morn- Ing fag I 1 reviewed the case a re 1 mind and realized with what ease De had Imprisoned both Mrs Delano and me In our own homes and had us quaking In our boots In fear of our very lives I 1 Monsieur had managed Mrs Delano even better than he he had me me he he had merely left a detective In her house to watch her by day and lock her up by night In fact shed she'd actually Invited invited invited in In- the detective In proof of her Innocence Innocence In- In innocence In in- for when monsieur had accused accused accused ac ac- ac- ac c her of stealing Jewels she saw In her minds mind's eye just eye Just as I did did trin trin Jewelry and the Idea that be he was referring to seven unset upset diamonds caged In her slipper never entered he her r head You have accused m me of a shocking g crime a crime a crime that offends every principle principle prin prin- ciple of decency as well as morals she told him with spirit and I now insist that you convince yourself of o omy f my Innocence before you leave the house Here is the key to my bedroom bed bed- room room here nere Is the passkey to ail all theother the theother theother other rooms Have your man watch me while you examine everything every everything every everything thing thing and and then you must get a woman woman woman wom wom- an to search me This unsolicited action her flat denial denial denial de de- de- de nial and his finding the slipper where shed she'd carelessly dropped It In her wardrobe wardrobe wardrobe ward ward- robe threw the scent on me In tw two hours monsieur convinced himself that she d did d not have the diamonds an and d knew nothing about them and he be then requested her her ns as the proof of be her to to let him lock her in her room and send for me 1 And sh she e didn't dare to refuse r rAnd And there you have s1 simple a as simple could be the whole of it I I had her side of the story when I saw her Sunday morning as monsieur's monsieur messenger messenger But I had enough of th the story before I went to her to feel fee i pretty well chagrined yet sad too a aI as asI s I 1 thought of the disappointment I had hadIn hadIn In store for her when I told her that Emperor William owned her find and how the diamonds came to be in her slipper sUpper I confess I 1 didn't like very much the way shed she'd lied Hed to me about the uncle abroad who had left them to her Still Still Still-it It was an understandable lie since shed she'd found the diamonds and didn't know who owned them she felt they belonged to her het heras as much as if they'd been left her In a n will wUl Mrs Delano herself admitted me urea a gasp asp when S sin P saw who it was J r 1 f v vv v vv v vand and whirled me into the room and locked the door on us before we exchanged a syllable We sank Into chairs I felt ns as if a tidal wave had swept from under me and left me not even hanging up in a coconut tree but sitting still in peaceful peaceful peaceful peace peace- ful security It was she who got us down from the high peaks to the levels where conversation can go afoot without without without with with- out failing falling off by asking And how howare howare howare are you you after after it all to which I 1 replied replied re re- pH plied ed But how are you you after after it all I and we both laughed Her laugh died away into an indignant indignant indig indig- nant frown You never heard anything anything anything any any- thing like it t she cried He came here with a detective and detective and It wasn't live five minutes after you got out of the house Monday Monday and and accused me memel meme me- me me mel mel- of me-of Of I of stealing Claires Claire's bracelets 1 l Bracelets I echoed Yes Yes me I said Oh slowly I hadn't expected expected expected ex ex- shed she'd grind the word Jewels quite so fine Did you ever hear anything quite so outrageous sh she rushed on To come here and say I robbed his child ld of Jewelry I I dont don't believe |