Norfolk day book. [volume] (Norfolk and Portsmouth Va.) 1868-1880, 1869-04-15

The large mirror that hung
from the wall reflected from the
opposite sofa the tinsel and
mock jewelry of a queen. |
noticed this as dashed open
the narrow door that led to the
dressing-room assigned to the
actress. 1t was empty. | call
ed her by name, | shouted I'M
til the walls of. the vast build
ing echoed back my voice. We
searched everywhere, under
|! meath and above the stage, even
among the rolled curtains in
the loft, and the narrow aper-
lures between the scenes-ln
vain. The actress had disap.
e cared. The { creams that had
startled us were not repeated.
There was no avenue of escape;
still she was gone.
Mr.. =, visited her
apartments at the hotel. Sic
was not there. The gas was
relit in the theatre, and our
search was resumed. She was
not to be found. Her friends
were visited, the most transient
acquaintance called on, with a
like result.
Each hour, instead of reveal
ing the mystery only deepened
it. In the light of the morn
ing we continued our search.
A single object was discovered
I which could possibly afford a
clue to the missing girl. On
the floor of the dressing-room
was diamond earring. 1t
looked as if it had been torn
from its place. 1t was not such
a one as was worn by the act
ress. 1t established beyond
question the presence Of anoth-
er person in her room, and
that person a female. This was
all. The mysterious interview
and it's termination was shroud-
ed in a vail Of darkness our in
genuity could not penetrate.
If the earth had opened and
swallowed her her disappear
! ance could not have bcon INN c
utterly unaccountable.
What was to be done? We
knew that she was a native of
France, brought thence in
childhood. Her relatives had
died; her friends knew nothing
save she was an orphan.
Genius had aided her rise; in
dustry had secured her fame.
The architect of her own for
tunes, she had climbed along
the steep whose ascent is devil
Gus and hard to surmount.
Days went by. Friends in
terested themselves in the
search, and large rewards were
offered for any intelligence of
the missing girl. All was inef-
tectual. Not even a trace of
her could be found. Still I
had not given up; at my heart
I felt that we would yet succeed
in finding her.
One day [ stood leaning neg
ligently on the counter of a
fashionable jeweller. I loved
to gaze upon the brilliant gems
that strewed the case, and fl
led it with a weird, flashing
light. My attention absorbed
in viewing them, l did not no
tice the entrance of a lady; her
foreign accent in addressing
the jeweller caused me to turn
round. She held an earring
in her hand, and was inquiring
the cost of one if made to match
it. The first glance I had of
it made the blood leap like fire
in my veins. It was the coun-
terpart of the one found in the
theatre.
You may imagine 1 did not
lose sight Of that woman. |
knew I had struck on the right
clue. ..
I traced her home. The pam
Their never stole on his victim
more silently than I in the
footsteps of the dark-browed
stranger.
l scarcely knew how 1 got
back to the office. I seemed to
have triumphed over space and
time. More like a maniac than
a detective, I rushed up to Mr..
L-and impaired my intelli-
gence. He was not less excited
than l.. We both felt an in
terest in the beautiful girl as
strong as if she had been a Sis