Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 54, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1920 — Diamond Cut Diamond [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Diamond Cut Diamond

By JANE BUNKER

DMyrtRM by th* Bobbs-Menfil Coamow ana wnat coma t say out,”No—Hl stand by you though the heavens fall!” and wonder what new bizarre line of conduct I was committing myself to? I didn’t try to think, but told her Billy was here and suggested that she meet him —particularly since he’d

been to the hotel and was all wrought up over Claire’s mysterious departure. Mrs. Delario demurred, but I overruled her and presented Billy. f Billy’s relief and joy at the rediscovery of Claire were quite touchingly emiudng- end he made himself correspondingly agreeable to Claire’S chaperon. He seemed conveniently to forget his dictum of a couple of hours ago that said chaperon was crazy. The only point we any of us attempted to elucidate was the new man’s connection with the case—which we felt was somehow the key to monsieur’s sudden disappearance—and I was not a little surprised to hear Billy ask her seriously : “Can’t you get something about him, clairvoyantly?” She told him she couldn’t at the moment—the conditions weren’t right—she was too worried—too confused, j “Of course,” he agreed. “It’s like everything else —takes your belt powers." “Ah—l see you understand," she replied gratefully, and It seemed to me with a little emphasis on the “you” that set him apart from me; and that, I have always thought, was the precise point at which they began to draw together in a friendship that made him her warm, partisan, even against me; for the next time he saw me alone he toldmehe haddecided she had better keep the diamonds. “Of course," he agreed again. “And I can seehow yon couldn’t feel equal to ft after what you’ve been through this morning.” This was artfully hinted to lead back to Claire. They might hive continued their interchange of opinions on Claire and her father for the next half-hour— the way they seemed to be enjoying lb—but I brought' them to earth with the question: “How are we going to protect Claire from the new man? Hei’s probably determined to see her and find out something about her father’s

“The deuce!” cried Billy. “I'd for* gotten him.- Don’t let him see her, If he comes back, whatever you do!” This to Mrs. Delario. “It would be simply too dreadful for her.” “I know. ~ Stm, I can’t keep her a prisoner In her room. You wouldn’tj suggest that, would you?” “Heaven*. no 1" Bflly rapped out *l> should say not! Hasn’t she been through about enough already?” I "But suppose the man has already । traced her there and has the bouse watched—-the same as her father did F I flung in. "Thaf sone of the important things < I came to see you about—" Mrs. Delario turned to me. “If the bouse Is watched—and I fsehlt is, or will be before the day la over—Claire is virtually a prisoner. I won’t dare to let her go out alone.” I “The defacer cried Billy, jumping up and snatching his hat off the table as though he were about to ran to the rescue Then he turned as red as a beet and signaled me with his eyes and a Couple of gesturea which She did not see—" Help mount, can’t you? Make her ask me to go home with 8 her.” For he had the wit to see, bewoman like Mm Delario without pIOO 1M btowwif before both of us to the

L' W . ’ ' - \V- \ ' 7 X L ’ I position'ar an omcious pup and very likely getting a snub that would spoil his chances. I played to hie signal—and won a bushel of gratitude from both sides. “Won’t you let Mr. Rivers go home with you and find out how Claire is md come back and tell me!” I asked ler artlessly; and to him, “You’ll do hat for me, won’t you, Billy!” “Oh, will you, Mr. Rivers!” she ikked, In great relief, rising as she (poke and preparing to harry off. . Billy’s eyes were popping and his, feet were almost dancing. I presentBd him with a frown —unseen by her—that said: "Now, lock out, young man,' bow you play your cards!” “What a relief to ha ve Mr. Riversl* she cried- with feeling, and took my band. Then she affectionately kissed me—for the first time In her life. I saw her and Billy to the elevator, pushing my hall door flat against the wall to keep it from blowing shut on me, and waited, idly waving a good-by and watching her till the car had sunk out of sight. I had just stepped into my hall again and laid my band on the doorknob, when I heard a sharp Imperative “Walt!" I Jumped and wheeled. A man stepped out from the stairs back of <ne eievator snart. JHls face was concealed in a pulled-up collar and a pulled-down hat With three quiet strides he was within the doorway. He pushed me out of the way and seized and slammed thb door on us. Then he carefully put up the chainbolt As he did it, he held up his free hjmd with a “Ssh!” No need of warning—l was paralysed! It had taken him just four seconds to make me his prisoner.

' CHAPTER XVII, A Little Scheme. I had been too completely stunned by the suddenness with which my imprisonment had been effected even to think who my visitor might be, and it whs not until he turned from bolting the door and apologized politely, "Pardon zls intrusion, madame,” that I recognized De Ravenol. And then he removed his hat and motioned me to precede him along the hall. “Madame, I ask a sousfind pardons,” he began suavely. “Unfortunate—or razzer, unforeseen circumstances, rendered zls intrusion necessary and I feared if you closed ze door —since you had had interview wis your friend Madame Delarlo you might perhaps be tempted not to speak wis me—evd a delay to speak wis me might spoil all our plans.” While he-talked I felt my courage come back, and In a voice I felt was -not obviously shaky, I replied: “Oh, certainly. I understand. I was expecting you.” “Expecting me?” He seemed surprised that I should be expecting him at that time and asked why, at the 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: “I fear you worried about Claire, when she did not come. I should have telephoned you, but my telephone seems to be otft of order." I had a malicious pleasure in reminding him that he was the one to -suffer for it and a frown passed over his face, but was gone in an Instant as he said: “It is of no consequence/* and then plunged into the matter at hand. “While I wait for ze lift to pass down just now, I sink I recognize ze voice of Madame Delarlo. She is here a moment since,'is she not!" “Yes—she was here.” He paused as if in hopes that 1 would tell him what she had come for, but I had taken quick stock of the situation and decided to let him do all -the talking. “Zen she have probably told you zat I have seen her last evening!” “Yes—she mentioned it, I believe." । “Bien—zat helps me to explain, You see, I feel it necessary to have some words wis her after she have talked wis you and before she can see you and communicate her ideas wis you. Hence lam oblige, to put you to some trouble —for which I ask one sousand pardons—in order sat I accomplish it Zerefore—l arrange It zat I leave my daughter to entertain

you and Mr. Rivers while I make a brief call oh Madame Delarfo and see what she have to say for herself about zoze diamonds. And for zis reason: When I see yon last evening, I am la positive command of information zat proves her to have ze diamonds.** I fear I gave a start at this Informa* tlon, for he threw himself back with a self-satisfied smile as much as to say, “I thought that would astonish you,” and drew a cardcase from his pocket, removing a clipping torn from the “Personals” tn the Herald and pointIng to one notice, marked with pencil on the margin. I read it: “Large reward for name of person recently offering special set of matched 1 stones. State number and color. Box 32, Herald Office.” I returned it to him without com-1 ment—l tried to appear ignorant of what it might mean. | “I have insert it sree times,” he went on smugly. “I do so because 1 argue to myself as follows? Ze diamonds are find by Madame Delario and she say to herself: ‘Probably somebody play a Joke on me—zey are not real, seze jewel#—zey are paste. Still, zey may bo urse somsesing even so, and I will take zem to a dealer and find out.’ * He paused to laugh and under cover of it gave me a look with his beady eyes Whlehl fancy told him noth* taa. " - \ j ■

-Now zen, I ask myself where dote she take zem first! Probably to Hffany. I have myself inquire sere, but wisout result. And I realise I enoset Interview every dealer In so city—also it is not well for me to be seen too much looking for zoze stones. Zerefore I have insert ze notice and I receive more zan fifty replies. All worselcsr but one—” He produced a shabby scrap of paper, saying it was a veritable clue, and gave it to me to read. *T can give you name and address of party offering seven large red stones last Saturday. Address by letter only, Haskins, 1861 Third avenue, Box 7.” “I see at once I have somesing of value. I have receive zls on Saturday morning. But before zat, I have received some uzzer letters” —he gave a little jshrug to indicate that he referred to the decoy letters he had received from Billy and me—“and I sink I have not only ze clue, but zat I can obtain M diamonds wisout to inquire of sis Haskins. So I make my endeavor—as you know—wis se result —” He stopped a moment and I saw be was making an effort to keep down his mortification —and probably his hate—and I hastened to help him do both by toning him cordially: “Pm really awfully sorry, monsieur, but then—what else could I dos “Ah, madame, it is no more to mention between us,” he returned gallantly. “But—you American ladles! So energetic! One knows not how to take you!” “I suppose we are puzzling—to foreigne, s.” “Puzzling! I have sink I know somesing of ze ladles and of ze Americans, since my wife is herself American, but I find since I am come to zls country I have much to learn. Oul!” and he gave me a little laugh, showing ho meant me to take this In a complimentary way. “And now I may tell you zat I have ze name and ze address of ze pne who have zoze diamonds in his possession: It is Mr. Eugene Delarlo—ze young son of Madame Delarlo —who offers — or at least seeks to have valued — zoze diamonds last Saturday at a dealer’s on Malden Lane.”

It has always been a mystery to me that I managed to control —or think I did—every facial expression that might have shown him I already knew what he told me. But monsieur went on, apparently not noticing anything about mat "iou snow ze son at Madame Ca= larioT—Monsieur Eugene!" “I have never met him —no." 4 "Well—it is of no consequents—l know of a certainty It Is ze son of Madame Delarlo who have shown zoze diamonds last Saturday and he don’t know zey are diamondsl Oul! And after I have zls informatioh.l argue zls way: Since I have her so positive denial, it is her son who have accidentally discover zoze diamonds unknown to her and he says nossing! You seel All is now explained.” (TO BE CONTINUED)

I Presented Billy.