Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 60, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1920 — Diamond Cut Diamond [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Diamond Cut Diamond

By JANE BUNKER

. CHAPTER XIX. The Blow Faile. Why didn’t Billy return? He’d been gone long enough for three trips, if nothing happened to him. And I was really worrying on that score when a messenger appeared with a scrawled note: Can’t see you before night. Things very serious here. Mrs. D. wants me to stay and keep guard till son gets home. Going after my duds now. May need you before the day is over. If so, will telegraph. AFF. BILLY. Billy came at nine. X could hare fallen on his neck and wept, only he was so dreadfully sober himself. / ‘Tm at my wits’ end,” he blurted as soon as he was inside the door. “So Is Mrs. Delarlo—so Is Miss de Ravenot We’re all In a muddle because we can’t any of us explain all we know to anybody else. Miss de Ravenol taw it in Her head that ter father's arrested—going to lose his life because she lost the ‘papers.’ I don’t know what to do! If I tell Miss de Ravenol it was diamonds and they’ve been found, she believe me; and If I tell Mrs. Delarlo what Claire means by ‘papers,’ she won’t believe me I So between us all, the poor girl’s cried her eyes out and we’re all distracted. “And that’s only part of lt,”*he hurried on. “Baron von Follow-up was there again, and I got him neat! He came in, same as, the other customers and sat down in the reception roomjust the way Mrs. Delarlo said anyone could do who was wise, to the game. I was there pretending I’d come for a reading like the rest. “I recognized him and he recognised me —you know, I passed him in the hall up here yesterday. But 1 didn’t wait for him to make the first move jI galled in on him. He took

the sofa and I got up and went over and sat down beside him. I told him, •You’re here in the interests of the Bmpsror William about a little matter of state —diplomatic business Monsieur de R. had charge of—that hasn’t gone exactly according to program.’ “Bay—he pretty near jumped down my throat! Gave it all away conn pletelyl Said he had a private—and very important—-communication from the emperor to deliver immediately—there was a change of plan in the diplomatic business—he must see De Ravenol immediately and he hadn’t bee»>ab!e to locate him. Did I know where he was? “As soon as the baron asked me where De Ravenol was I saw the chance to get rid ■ of Mm > so he wouldn’t be pestering around any more. I said yes I knew about where he was—on the train—he went to California hi the morning—” “California!” I gurgled. “On the train I N®t for a mile! He’s downstairs in this house, hiding—he was here when your baron came with a warrant to arrest himl" And punctuated with Billy’s astonished exclamations, I poured out my own. tale of woe and romance gpd wound up with monsieur's explanation—that it was a plot of the French government to hold up the Meilcan deal by keeping Claire’s father from going to Mexico and putting It through. - “Don’t believe it," cried Billy. “Monsieur’s made a mistake —he didn’t see the man. Why, eld Follow-up admitted to me he was working for the Ekn- ’ peror William! De RavenoPs get the wrong scent. But say—we must see , Mm right off and put him wise to this. Sky— lt’s awftd tough—her tether in suck a hole. » >ost looks as If we ought to Mb back the dia-

feetorv we could discuss It and how to communicate with the gentleman himself, he appeared at the front door. He’d gotten out in the basement, instead of his own flat, because he’d heard voicesand had taken his chances on slipping upstairs unobserved. I hurried him in, a chastened spirit, and Billy plunged into the recital of his interview with Baron vonFollowup and the clever way he thought he had got rid of him. by saying monsieur had gone to California. I thought I had seen monsieur at the top notch of emotionalism already, but I was mistaken. He actually tore hie hair—not a great deal, but enough to "My life Is ruin wls zls revelation,” bewailed. "Wlsout to obtain zose diamonds immediately—wisout to be able to return sem to z&lr owner when he sens for sem—l am lost. Mon Dien 11 am regarded se a' robber. “And how do I tell him zey get lost? —it is my young beautiful daughter Claire who lets get lost zoze diamonds? God forbid I ten him zat. "But how does he answer when I tell him se truse? Does he say, ‘De Ravenol, lam sorry you lose zoze most precious diamonds, but accidents wril happen and I know you are a good man?* ” He paused for a bitter laugh and to wipe his face with his handkerchief. ‘Terhaps you sink he says zat Non! He tells me —‘De Ravenol, I know you steal zose diamonds while you pretend zey are lost. Sings like zat don’t come lost so easy as ‘you say. So I punish ypu for. a robber and see zat you gain nossing from stealing my jewels.’ ” > Monsieur heaved a great sigh. “Zls morning, if I have zoze diamonds, I am already on my way to Mexico, but how —*

“Hide man, hide for a couple of days,” urged Billy, trying to cheer him up. “We’ll help you. I think you ought to be down in your den now— I’m afraid every minute that man may turn up here again.” Later, I remembered the with which monsieur accepted the offor, assuring us fervently, “Only to hide saves me and my child from disgrace. I srow myself on your mercy —I trust you wls my honaire —wis what is dearest to me—wis my life.” Billy was deeply affected, I could see, and hurried monsieur off, returning in about half an hour to report, “All serene.” I fell a'sleep and was dreaming that the dome of the national capltol was. toppling over on all us, when I was awakened by the ringing of the front bell. I saw by the dim light it was early —too early for anything but a fresh calamity—and I hopped out of bed and ran to the door. "Who’s there?” I called through. “Billy. Open quick.” Billy tumbled in. “Claire’s kidnaped!” he shouted in my face. I don’t know whether I put my arms around him, or he put his around me. Both, probably; but the next minute we were clinging together and his chest was heaving with hard dry sobs. When I finally got a coherent account out of him he told me that Claire had been a "little light-headed” through the evening. “Then she’s just wandered off in a half-delirious state,” I affirmed positively. “She’s kidnaped,” Billy affirmed more positively. “Old Follow-up has enticed her out on pretext of .finding her father, and now he’ll use her as bait to get him out I can’t decide whether to see him and tell him now,or wait” .“Don’t tell him yet," I advised promptly. “You’re all upset and you think she’s kidnaped—l know she isn’t —she’s ’ just lost. She’s wandering about the streets now looking for her father.”

I dressed. What could. I do? Nothing but stay home and wait —as I had been doing all through. I was hardly through my simple breaktest when George came up. “Why, that genlem’n—the one sent the note you wouldn’t see yestiddy—he say he got an appointment with you ter nine o’clock.” The very man Billy believed had kidnaped Claire! "Show him up,” I Instructed with alacrity; and when he came I greeted him so affably be looked afraid to enter. I almost flung the question at him—- “ Where is Miss de Ravenol?”—before I thought, but saved it just in time. He sat down in the chair I pushed forward; I sat opposite. He seemed at a loss to begin; I said not one word. He opened fire on me thus: "I feel I owe you an apology for my unceremonious call yesterday—” I merely bowed in acknowledgment. “I shouldn’t have insisted, yon know, only we had traced the man to the house, and since he had called on-you the evening- before, it was a natural conclusion that he was calling on you then, also. They drove from their ho- .. tel to the Grand Central station, dismissed the carriage there and I have lost sight of their combined movement for about an hour.” “And you don’t know where the girl is?" I asked, trembling a little and trying to control my voice. “No—not yet There Is no chance of her hiding—or of her being hidden—for more than h few" days—a few hours. No chance. Most natural that rife riiould have gone in search of her tether. He has not left the city—l am positive bn font score. It to probable the girt ha» joined him by a preconcerted plan—or was meaning to when she left foe house. Hl And bar, 1 promise you I” - < “And nothing to going to happen to bar after von find h***”

tot ■ - ----- ~ “Happen io neri sum couig nappen to her? I have nothing to do with her—my business is to locate her father and arrange a matter with him—quietly, I hope.” “And will the emperor imprison him if the diplomatic matter isn’t Satisfactorily arranged?” “The emperor? I’m sure I can’t say —I don’t know anything about ths emperor’s diplomatic affairs.” “Then what are you after De Ravenol for?” He reflected a few moments, and then with one of his funny looks, he remarked: ‘Td rather have yqu for a Mend than, an enemy. It appears that De Ravenol carried off a million dollars’ worth of diamonds in Paris ths moment- they were returned from the diamond cutter's in Antwerp where he had induced the owner to send them for recutting.” “Oh, never!” I exclaimed, shocked, and at the same time appreciating how

monsieur had foreseen this very accusation. “I can't believe he’s a thief—it’s impossible.” * “I don’t wonder you doubt It,” he replied. “I did myself for a while—that’s what gave him the start of me.” And with that, off he went. Poor monsieur! Accused of stealing the emperor’s diamonds! And suddenly the words, “They were stolen the moment they were returned from the diamond cutter’s in Antwerp,” flashed over me and into perspective, and with them, the thing I tried all along to remember, and couldn’t—monsieur's slip when be told us the legend of the diamonds; he-sald they were cut in Venice in the fifteenth century and they were cut in Antwerp in the twentieth! The most modetn cut, and Van Routen cut them! I’d been trying to remember about Van Routen when I threw down the proof sheets of “Belgian Byways.” I snatched the pages off the table and fingered them back and forth and found at last an obscure little passage: “Van Houten’s most important wort of recent years was the cutting of a collection at seven diamonds, worth at a rough estimate five million francs, which an American millionaire purchased in Paris from an Indian rajah.” ■ De Ravenol Stole the diamonds from the millionaire and told Billy and mo ’a~pleasing yarn to account for hlspba* session. Of course he wouldn’t dare mention when the diamonds were last cut! x

CHAPTER XX. All Is Explained. ~ The credit of Claire’s discovery falls first to her and second to me —she found herself at my doer late In the afternoon. “Claire!” I cried, and at the same moment she cried, “Have they arrested papa?” and collapsed Into my arms. “They haven’t arrested him —he’s perfectly safe,” I assured her. “Let me take off-your coat and then I want you to lie down at once.” “jto-I mustn’t stop a minute-take me to’papa.” “Listen to me, Claire,” I expostulated a bit sternly. “I can’t take you to your father now—it isn’t possible ” i She obeyed like the sick child she was and then the bell rang and there Stood Billy and Mrs. Delario—Billy white and woebegone. Mrs. Delario white and distracted. “She’s here,”' ! whispered, pointing hi the direction of the study. Billy stood on no ceremony—he swept both of us aside and , romped । through the hall and I heard one glad cry, “Claire!” and found him on his knees by the divan. My only comment was a maidenauntie smile that went over his head —dr under his feet, perhaps, for he was in tdo lofty a state at having found her to notice such trivial details as that he “found her” in my flat Later he drew n_e to one side while Claire and Mrs. Delario. were bubbling together and told me: “Say—l think Tve made Mrs. D. understand about these things—l simply-had to—it was getting.-tdo serious for everybody. But one funny thing-nothing I can cay can shake her that our foreign friend is a thief—says she ‘sees’ it too piato , ly and. she can’t be mistaken.” “Tm afraid she's right,” ! whispered badt “The GreatUhknowuwnshero

' mis morning—he Bays tne diamonds . belong to an American millionaire.” t Things were happening that day ex- ' actiy* like a story-book plot—before I I could get ont another word of explanai tion the bell rang and the Great Unknwn came In I I was too much astonished at having him pop up In an-1 swer to my speaking his name to keep him out, and he reached the room and , saw the object of his search reclining gi the divan with Mrs. Delario sitting beside her. 1 “Well—you’ve found yourself, I see,” he said pleasantly to Claire after nodding casually to Mrs. Delario and Billy. "I’ve been hunting you all day and 1 now, if you’ll be so good as to tell me 1 where your father is—l have business of great Importance to him.” j “I don’t know where he is I” Claire I cried, and then appealing to me, she blurted out: “But you do. Oh, tell him and let him save papa.” Tableau I The cat was out of the bag I Every-

body looked at everybody and the Great Unknown snapped bls eyes and said, “Ah 1” staring very hard at me. “An accomplice!” And he gave the word a horrid twist as he said It, and I felt I was proving it by my cheeks. “Say—-look here 1 Accomplice In what?” Billy demanded fiercely. “Accomplice In what? In the greatest diamond robbery of modern times," he replied Imperturbably. He sketched the story rapidly: An impecunious Indian rajah visiting Paris'owned the stones and through De Ravenel, an Impecunious nobleman and ex-diplomat who’d run through bls own money and his wife’s dowry, sold them to a Pittsburgh millionaire—name not mentioned—who intended them as a gift worthy himself and a certain lady of the operatic stage. The stones were so badly cut that De Ravenol Induced his friend to send them to Antwerp for recutting by Van Bouten. On the day of their return they mysteriously disappeared, as did also one of the rajah’s retinue, who knew about the stones and had himself taken them to Antwerp. Suspicion fell upon him and the case was put Into the hands of the Great Unknown. "It is true,” said Mrs. Delario earnestly, “every word of it I see It—l hear it—l know It We must give back the diamonds at once.”

Her “we” gave us away completely I I saw the detective’s eyes jump, but he said suavely, “I shall be thankful for your co-operation in recovering the stones—particularly if we can keep the matter quiet You see, there Is the wife In Pittsburgh—" “I’m sorry—very sorry to hear that. It isn’t right,” Mrs. Delario interrupted. The Unknown shrugged. "If the gentleman can be Induced by you ladies to make voluntary restitution the case will be dropped. And merely for Ms daughter’s sake —" He broke off and looked at Claire kindly and inquiringly. I took the hint and asked: “Will you promise me that if I succeed in getting him to return the diamonds the case will be dropped?” “Gladly. I have explicit instructions on that head.” “Billy, you go after him —but don’t let him know what he’s wanted for." Five minutes later he and Billy were in the room. When monsieur saw the Great Unkpown he almost had a fit of hysterics; when Claire saw her father she did. “Now, monsieur,” said I coolly, when he had done with his “Mon Dieus” and “What does ris mean?” and a few more exclamations, “we’ll help you out of your difficulties if you'll confess the truth. Did you steal those diamonds from the Pittsburgh gentleman?” Monsieur clasped his hands and turned to me. “It was se impulse d a moment—ze temptation of a single instant,” he wailed. “I have regret it every hour —I am justly punish for my sin. I take sem—l know hot for wat —to make sport wis fate—and I sink to hide sose jewels, to bring zem to America—dispose of sem In Pittsburg where nossing dares be said about sem because of se wife. lam in one little instant tempted and I yield and lose everysing. Mon Dien.” — k I asked the detective: “Are you sab isfled if he returns the diamond! now!” “Certalnl y. It’s all I ask.” I motioned to Billy and pointed to ward my table. “Under that sheet M

paper,” cam i Billy produced the blue box and placed it In monsieur’s hand. f “Mon Dleu!” he ejaculated. “But; madame, you have give me your word of honaire sat you do pot find sene dlar monds in your slipper you carry oftV “She didn’t! I found them,” cried Mrs. Delario. “And when you accused me of robbing Claire I hadn’t the least Idea you referred to these stones and, anyway, I had already given them to my friend to keep for me —I didn’t have them In the house the day you searched.” “And I kept them,” I remarked, with a bitter smile. “It’s all I’ve been doing for the last ten days.” He handed the diamonds to the Great Unknown. Silence fell on all of us for a moment, in which Claire lifted her tear-stained face from my shoulder, her eyes encountering an ardent gase, “Ob, Mr. Rivers,’’.she cried. In answer to it “You’ve been so good, to dear papa 1” Billy! Mrs. Delario and I had nearly killed ourselves and Billy got ths only thanks that were worth anything!—not that we grudged him the gratitude, considering; but then, you know! Well, such is life! She and I looked at each other and I winked. She winked back, and we never let out so much as half a smile. But two dear young things were happy, so we. let it go at thatT" The names of the Pittsburgh millionaire and his surreptitious lady were never revealed to me, nor did the detective ever tell us his; and though I learned who he was, he wished to be known as “the Unknown” and to myself, I always called him “the Great Unknown.” Tift diamonds were returned and the case hushed up for the sake of all concerned; and now, but one little reverberation of It lingers in my llfe:_ young Mrs. Rivers permits me alone in the whole world to call her husband “Billy” without protest; to everybody else, even to his mother-in-law, he is William—William Shakespeare Rivers, a rising young dramatist with -what looks Uke a real future before him. All thanks to me, of course; and when X remind him of It as a delicate hint for appreciation he warmly acknowledges, "Yes, I owe all to you that 1 don’t owe to Claire.” ■ — (THE END.)

“I Feel I Owe You an Apology."

On His Knees by the Divan.