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Show : m I Diamond Cut Diamond I : $V n o ti ' quo By JANE BUNKER Copyright hy the Bobhs-Merrill Company. " -a OUR HEROINE BECOMES A PRISONER. Synopsis. While In Vevay, Switzerland, where the "staid proper spinster" who telU I his story is spending a vacation, she is asked to allow Claire tie Ravenol to be her companion bark to the United States, but because of dlsUIke for the girl's father she refuses. Later on, meeting them on the boat, she discovers Claire In care of a Mrs. Delario, whom she had met when they were purchasing a pair of slippers, exactly alike and which figure prominently promi-nently in subwe.iuent events. In the confusion at the New York customs office Ihe spinster carries off one of Mrs. Uelario's slippers. She returns the slipper slip-per the next day and is shown some diamonds worth a million dollars which Mrs. IK-larlo admits were smuggled. A man claiming to be an officer arrives witli a warrant for the arrest of Mrs. Delario's son on a charge of stealing tlie diamonds. She outwits liim and persuades the spinster to take the Jewels t home for safe keeping. Next day she returns the Jewels, but learning that Mrs. Oelurlo's son has been kidnaped she agrees to keep them for a while. She hides the stones In a bunch of hyacinths. Over the telephone De Ravenol informs her Mrs. Delario has met with an accident and urges her to call at or.( e. She Is met by De Ravenol, who claims that the diamonds are his. stolen from Claire on the boat, and demands their return. Our heroine defies De Utvenol. Returning home she finds that her flat has been ransacked. She discovers that De Ravenol has an apartment In the same building. M CHAPTER X. 10 A Prisoner. "Alone at lust!" That was my first feeling as I sank into my easy chair to rolled my thoughts alone with a million mil-lion dollars' worth of iliamontls alone on the sixth lloor willi monsieur occupying oc-cupying lawfully the flat directly under un-der mine! And what was I to do? Ohvlonsly, Ihe first thing was to hide I hem, and since they'd heen safe once in ihe hyacinths 1 wasn't going to tempt fate hy changing the place. So -.. I put in) fiesh hunch in water, poked diamonds among lite stems and threw the old hunch away. Soon done hut my real problem lay in barricading myself so I hat 111011-s!,'tir 111011-s!,'tir could not get In again. Itemem-r. Itemem-r. ne ni.'u the use of the same fire ape and dutnh-waitor shaft, to say oihing of the hall stairs he could 'oiivo and go in the house as he pleased The dunib-walter I counted out because be-cause I could ensily wire up the catch n ml make It impossible for anyone to open Ihe door from the shaft side without actually breaking the door off its hinges a most unlikely thing for monsieur to attempt. Fortunately, I kept n kit of tools in the house I'm not one of your helpless help-less women who can't drive a nail or sink a screw and my next act was to take the small chain-bolt that had been on Ihe frotit door and put It on the linllside of the kitchen door. Then I changed the keys on this and the bathroom bath-room doors to Ihe hall side. From the tire escape, monsieur could enter only those two rooms, and with their doors looked and one chain-bolted on him, he would have to break them off their hinges to get at me that way. The bathroom window didn't give me much concern. The sash was stuck fast by the last painting and I couldn't raise it myself; the glass was too thick to he cut readily and I didn't believe monsieur would advertise himself to the neighborhood by breaking it. But I drove a couple of nails above the . sash just for luck and then gave my 'attention to the kitchen window. ' Since he'd gone out that way, he'd very likely try It to come back by. The glass was thin he could cut it out easily : he could even smash it and oome through so quickly that nobody ti What Was I to Do? would see him. lint all right, monsieur, thought I, Fm going to give you your money's worth Fll make you stand on the fire escape long enough for the neighbors to get a good look tit you. I md u couple of rolls of picture wire, nnd 1 tacked this across the sash nor rtrross the frnjne, because I ilid'-t want to find myself wired in whrr,.- ne W'i,s wired out. Th wire madr a considerable network, almost in'Mossib' to get through without a ptir of wire nippers, and I doubted very much if he'd be carrying such lhlDs in his pocket ; and when I had ncled down the sash, ay I have sjtid, in fne bathroom I felt secure in my retreat. re-treat. There waa linn no way for a cjiit to v" 'r km - I was In unless, Hint is, he came down from the roof on a rope to one of the other windows. I thought of that and got ready to knock him off with a broom or throw pepper In his eyes If he tried that trick on me. And at last I felt I was safe so long as I stayed in, of course 1 All the time I'd been working, my mind had pounded out dully the question, ques-tion, "What had I better do next?" nnd the only answer seemed to be I must get help from some one I had passed the point where I could play a lone hand In the game and save the diamonds. I had tried to telephone several times without getting an answer, an-swer, which at the moment didn't astonish as-tonish me. It provoked me, though, that I could not order something from the grocer nnd the butcher for my dinner. din-ner. I go out to dinner, but tonight, even had I been so minded, I dared not leave the flat. Outside the drizzle had settled to a steady downpour. It was dark and gloomy and my feelings were the same as I opened some canned stuff and got as much of a meal as I could with what was In the house. I think It was the skimpiness of the lnrder at the time that showed me as much as anything else how important it was for me now to get help I had food enough to last for a couple of days, and after that If things kept on this way how was I to get It? Billy Rivers was, of course, my logical resource. He had seen the flat the night before he could start all the protective machinery in the city for me. With this resolution, I went to the telephone. It was "dead" my connection was severed ! I didn't need to be told that monsieur had cut my wires ! The full magnitude of my calamity burst upon me and I sat down on the nearest chair with a flop. The hitter' fact of the whole situation struck me like a blow on the head I'd let every chance for protection or flight go by me; the one remaining chance was a letter entrusted to my spy. Well, I'd try that, anyway. I spent an hour In composing a missive mis-sive to Billy that would teil him a great deal and monsieur nothing if it fell into his hands and this is what came out of it : "Dear Billy: I'm ready to sell you that story I promised. It is now nearly near-ly finished, but I shall need some help from you in arranging the climax. Don't waste time telephoning the telephone is out of order but attend to it personally. This Is an ambulance call." It all hinged on the words "ambulance "ambu-lance call" and if Billy would read them "hurry up," and then, taking tHem in connection with what he'd seen of the flat robbery, read, "My life Is in danger." And would monsieur see it if the letter let-ter fell into his hands? That was my risk and there you are ! I made three copies. .1 directed one to Billy at his office I Inclosed one in n letter to Philadelphia to my brother asking him to mail it there I dropped the third, carelessly, into the manuscript manu-script of a short story, sent to a magazine, maga-zine, hoping the editor would think it an accident and kindly mail it for me. It was half past ten and I was fagged ! out. My last chance had come. "Would j Oeorge mail the letters?" I got a quarter quar-ter out for him I was afraid to give ! him more nnd make him think the let- ; ters were important and not the sort of thing he mailed for me almost every night. I dragged one weary foot after the other along the hall I hated to let the letters out of my hands now that I had them ready. "Well, he's got to do if!" said I firmlv. nnd took hold of the door knob and the Yale latch. I turned and pulled ; turned the other way round and pulled again. I was locked in from the outside and the key was in the lock! I was hard anil fast a prisoner in my own flat ! The immediate effect on tne of this discovery is hard to describe. My head swam and the room went round, and everything was all mixed up, and I kept repeating; "Fire! If there's a fire tonight I'll be burned like a rat in a trap !' And with that I went to bed there was nothing else to do. . I was nearly as much astonished in the morning to find the key gone from the lock as I had been to find it 'here. Apparently I was free to take that eleven o'clock train for I'liiiade'ph a that the fake telegram from my brother had requested me to I was free to put the diamonds In my stocking stock-ing and step out into the Great Unknown Un-known ! Only I wasn't such a fool as to do it ! I could and did, however, how-ever, give George my letters to mail. One thing was now clear to me as long as I stayed in the flat I was comparatively com-paratively safe I must make my main play that-Billy had got my letter or that somebody would call. Though of course George would say I was out he was paid for that by monsieur. In this manner of living afraid to go out and being unable to communicate communi-cate even with the grocer two days wore away; to be exact, from Tuesday Tues-day night to Friday morning. And they were enlivened by some interesting interest-ing experiences. On the second night I was awakened by the sound of a latchkey working at my front door. 1 tiptoed into the hall and listened. I can't say I was frightened. The chain-bolt chain-bolt was on and the only way it could be got off was by first shutting the door tight -vhlch meant it could not be worked back with a wire. I had seen to that when the locksmith put it in. Nothing came of this attempt to fit a key to my new lock, and I got comfort com-fort out of the thought that it proved monsieur regarded t,he fire escape as much too public for his performances. I had given George my letters to mail on Wednesday morning, but as Thursday wore away and Billy didn't come I saw what I was in for I was to be starved into leaving the flat. I was already weak for want of food; I suppose my belief in imminent starvation star-vation had something to do with it, but as a matter of fact I had had Both-ing Both-ing that could be called a square meal since Monday night at the restaurant, nnd I hadn't eaten much then I was too excited over my encounter with monsieur. Oh, how I wished I'd eaten that egg Mrs. Jimmson boiled for me It might have saved my life! Yes, I was weak with hunger, and by Sunday night there would not be a mouthful in the house to eat. It was now Thursday Thurs-day evening. That night monsieur picked the new Yale lock on the front door! How long he'd been working at it before I woke up I can't say, and I might never have known it at all if he hadn't accidentally dropped his bunch of keys on . the tiled floor. Their tinkling awoke me. I knew on the instant in-stant what it was and lay perfectly still while I felt him listening for a sound from me to show that I was awake. I should say I lay there fifteen fif-teen minutes before he went on with his job. Softly I crept out of bed. I tiptoed through the hall and placed myself back of the door where he could not see me should he get it open. We stood thus possibly five minutes, his work, lighted by the hall gas jet, I in total darkness, while key slid into the lock, slid out and clicked against the bunch he had in his hand. It was a large bunch, judging from the sound. The sixth key did it. The Yale lock turned once twice. He withdrew the key and I heard him taking it off the ring and dropping the bunch into his pocket. He put the key once more in the lock and tried again to make sure. It was not till then that he unlocked the lower lock the one he kept me prisoner with. He'd never once given me the chance to pop out on him till he was ready to pop in on me ! And now he was ready. The key turned the door handle turned. A' strip of light showed over his head and slowly widened. The chain-holt slid and slid, almost noiselessly, along its socket. Then it stopped. I think he hadn't noticed it at first-he first-he had turned the gas low and as he stood he cut off the light. When the door suddenly stopped he moved aside to see what was hampering him. I saw the glitter of the brass chain. He saw it too. Then darkness again, and I felt rather than saw his fingers come through the crack and feel the chain. Next came the whole hand and worked at the chain but the farther he pushed it back the tighter closed the door. It was meant to he thnt way, but he didn't yet know it 1 He bared his arm and thrust It through the crack and felt along the slot to the hole in the end. This was my chance to give hiiri one with the hairbrush but I didn't.' Truth to tell. I was too paralyzed with excitement. I had my chance nnd let it go. I did nothing said nothing scarcely scarce-ly breathed the whole time he was there. And to this day I don't know If I could have bettered the situation by doing anything but what I did nothing. He wasted very little time on the chain. It took him not more than two minutes to learn that he couldn't get the bolt out at the end of the. slot without first shutting the door which meant it couldn't be got out except ex-cept from th inside. He withdrew his hand. There was a dean pause in which he seemed lo he considering what to do next. Then he closed Hie door and locked tne in ptrain. I did not hear him leave only, when Ihe floor closed on it i m all was silent. He probably crept up and dow n Hie stairs in fiiim shoes. Ami with my tceih chattering 1 asked myself my now favorite fa-vorite question, "What next?" I was to have it answered in a way I didn't expect. CHAPTER XI. One of the Slippers. I went back io bed, and thus ends Thursday night. Friday morning found me pretty desperate. I felt I must now get help or literally die of starvation, if nothing worse; for if 1 went out, now that monsieur had a key to my flat, he could slip in nnd lock me out and stay till he found the diamonds. dia-monds. And if I took them out with me well, that was something I simply sim-ply couldn't think of. Nothing had come of the letters I had given George to mall he has always stuck to it that he put them In the box immediately; well, he put them in the box but not until Saturday, as I happen to know by the postmarks on two of them. But let that go. On Friday morning the one person I could positively trust to mail a letter for me popped into my head the postman. I rang for George and it was a solemn sol-emn face I showed in exchange for his ivory smile. "George, I seem to have lost a check in the mail," said I soberly. "I want i m& Next Came the Whole Hand. you to bring the postman up on his next trip so I can see about it." "I don't know nothin' about it," he exclaimed excite dly. "If it come I brnng it up that's a sure thing." "Nobody says you took it," I reminded remind-ed him. "But I must see the postman on his next trip." "Well, I ain't take no letter and no check," George still protested. But I held my peace George had done something about my letters he was afraid I'd find out. And I did by ihe next delivery- He brought up one with my brother's business address on the outside, the postmark in New York three days old ! He hurried down to catch the man on his next trip, and through the top of ihe disappearing car sung out to me, "I ain't take no letter and no check !" I rushed to my study, and this is the letter T dashed off to Billy: Dear Billy: That affair Is now life and death. Come at once but tell nobody till you've seen me. Bring two pood revolvers. revolv-ers. Don't bother with the telephone my wires are cut and I'm a prisoner being starved to death in my own flat. Billy this is the biggest story and romanceyou ro-manceyou ever struck. When you get to the house the J.3vator boy will tell you I'm not at home. It's a lie I'm upstairs. If he refuses to bring you up. walk. If he tries to prevent your coming up or if he calls on the detective sitting in the lower hall go to the nearest police station sta-tion and get a couple of men. But don't do tills till you've tried every other possible pos-sible way of reaching me. Try it by the roof of the flat house nest door. Drop everything and come only don't drop the revolvers mine was taken that night. And Billy you'd better leave a sealed envelope with some friend telling where you are and that If you don't telephone tele-phone in say three hours he is to come to the house with the police. But keep th!a secret, and for heaven's sake hurry, and If you can as easy as not bring me something to eat I'm out of everything but four rolls and three sardines. Only hurry. 1 nddressed this to Billy at his of-fire, of-fire, found a ten-cent piece for special delivery, and hadn't more than just trot It ready when George spryly brought up the postman. A reporter gets into the j game. (TO HK CONTINUAL).! |