were off me I was ready to get those diamonds back again.

But not a call came all that afternoon from the west side of the house,
except the call of those pretty, precious things snug under the carpet
calling, calling to me to come and get them and drop bell-boying for
good.

At last I couldn't stand it any longer. There's only one thing to do
when your chance won't come to you; that is, to go to it. At about
four o'clock I lit out, climbed to the second story and there--Mag, I
always was the luckiest girl at the Cruelty, wasn't I? Well, there was
suite 231 all torn up, plumbers and painters in there, and nothing in
the world to prevent a boy's skinning through when no one was watching,
out of the window and up the fire-escape.

Just outside of Mrs. Kingdon's window I lay still a minute. I had seen
her and Moriway go out together--she all gay with finery, he carrying
her bag. The lace curtains in 331 were blowing in the breeze.
Cautiously I parted them and looked in. Everything was lovely. From
where I lay I reached down and turned back the flap of the carpet. It
was too easy. Those darling diamonds seemed just to leap up into my
hand. In a moment I had them tucked away in my pants pocket. Then
down the fire-escape and out through 231, where I told the painter I'd
been to get a toy the boy in 441 had dropped out of the window.

But he paid no attention to me. No one did, though I felt those
diamonds shining like an X-ray through my very body. I got downstairs
and was actually outside the door, almost in the street and off to you,
when a girl called me.

"Here, boy, carry this case," she said.

Do you know who it was? Oh, yes, you do, a dear old friend of mine
from Philadelphia, a young lady whose taste--well, all right, I'll tell
you: it was the girl with the red coat, and the hat with the chinchilla
fur.

How did they look? Oh, fairly well on a blonde! But to my taste the
last girl I'd seen in the coat and hat was handsomer.

Well, I carried her suit-case and followed her back into the hotel. I
didn't want to a bit, though that coat still--wonder how she got it
back!

She sailed up the hall and into the elevator, and I had to follow. We
got of at the third story, and she brought me right to the door of 331.
And then I knew this must be Evelyn.

"Mrs. Kingdon's out, Miss. She didn't expect you till to-morrow."

"Did she tell you that? Too bad she isn't at home! She said she'd be
kept