The Conservative. (M'connelsville, Ohio) 1866-1871, 1870-10-14
SeIettro sforp.
THE FIRST THEFT AND THE LAST

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From the Areosy.
Whoever has seen the tragedy of "Romeo
and Juliet" well mounted and presented on
the stage has hadthe opportunity of d.
vine pleasure. I have always wondered
what the play would be when exalted by
the touch of music, with singing melodies
evolving from that undercurrent of great
harmonies on which the action should flow
along-as if a God who had moved among
us, mortal, suddenly assumed his deifc
shape. Yes, as it is, or ought to be-when
the orchestra breathes festive strain, and
Juliet, in southern beauty and passion,
sheds light upon the stage as she moves
along her stately dance, with Romeo stand
lrg sentinel upon her grace, and the nurse
hoyering round her, like bee around a
blossom-When the night garden glitterS
with dewin all its great shrubs and thick
cts, the fountain showers its spray, the
vases overthrow with heavy flowers, and a
slow moon casts its silver upon the lovers.
meeting and parting there-it needs no
other enchantment than its own.
1t was in turning over all these chances
of good or bad in this, my choicest play,
that doubted one night at the door of q
certain theatre whether to 90 in or not
Singular, 1t was. that l should have hesit-
ated that one night of all nights, for it de-
cided my whole lot in life. went in, as
1t were, on toss up; and yet, SO much are
we the puppets Of destiRy, that what SEEM
ed to me then the merest trihe of chance
must have been, in reality, an event as fix
ed as fate; for 1t WIS there that met ia
queline de Rochejaquelin.
The play was superb. But, in. spite of
tnat fact, my eyes were continually attract
ed toward two of the audience. In the piS
sat an old soldier stiff and stately, with a
gray moustache, and some foreign orders
worn over his thIeadbsre coat. By bis
side was young. slight girl, whose intent
countenance reflected all the changes of
the play. The red lips quivsred, the roses
on the cheeks wentand came: now a laugh
displayed pearls of teeth and hundred
dimples; now IN the large dark eyes tears
gathered, and hung on long, backwa rd-'
bent lashes, ready to fall This lovely lit
tie being was absorbed in the play so much,
with ali her heart and soul, that more eyes
than mine forgot to watch the shifting acts
In watching her. She leaned forward for
getfully, her chin resting upon her hand,
and, In SO doing, revealed what seemed
rather incongruous with her otherwise
plain attire a bracelet. which must have
been costly and antique heirloom. 1t,
was apparently chain of Genoese beads,
long enough to encircle the ivory wrist
twice and hang loosely in q great loop the
third time; each bead being a fillgrane.
miracle of spun gold, hollow globe, SO
tfne, so delieately wrought, that il seemed
a nero bubble of light; and each one-as
had the opportunity to observe on getting
It into my own hands later-the fantastic
stimulation Of some flowers corolia, with
all It's petals springing open to the sun, or
folded over to hide and hold the honey Of
Its heart l had once seen q necklace of
the same miraculous beauty on the neck Of
one of our well-known singers.
Nobody knew anything about these two,
ask as l would. 1t seemed impossible to
find any means of making their acauaint-
ance. To all disbeheTers in love at first
sight I am living contradiction, for de-
clare that loved that girl pasSionately
from the moment saw her. Such instan-
ces have been known in the world. How
.coulo get acquainted with her? That
was the question. To do so was fully re-
solved.
forgot all about the closing tableau.
Leaving my place went where they must
necessarily pass me in coming out. She
was leaning on the old s0i5ier's arm, and
her face was close to me. The throng
around pushed. Ny foot stepped on the
hem of her dress, drawing her back little
and she put down her hand to release her
skirt. The loose coils of the bracelet fell.
nearly over the glove; touched it adroitly
and 1t slipped off and fell in my hand; she
passed on unconscious of the loss. 3
am not thief, buta gentleman of posi-
ton; though, SO far. Appearances are GER
tainly against me. They must have found
out the loss and advertised it at once; for
the next morning there it vas IN black and
white. Tearing open the paper with some
trepidation, lest l should have done the
work too well and have real theft on my
hands, I saw the announcement. After
all, who would lose an object like that, and
not seek to regain it The finder of the
bracelet was to apply to No. z Vanley
Place, and would be handsomely rewarded.
intended to be handsomely rewarded
fwent at mid dayNhaving improved the
forenoon by a vigorous investigation of the
history OF Che inmates of Vanley Place.
number seven, and found that the princi-
pal resident was the General de Roche
jaquelein. soldier of the ancient regime,
who had crossed the water under the heavy
hand OF the Emperor's displeasure. He
had dropped the aristocratIc side" the more
thoroughly TO assimilate himself to his
poor condition, and lived in obscurity with
his daughter on the remnant of wrecked
fortune.
French maid came to the door-5Tob-
ably one who had accompanied them to
their Punishment. She took my card, and
began to speak fani6arly in her broken
English of Mademoiselle's loss at the
theatre the previous evening. It was so
seldom Mademeiselle, p0,tUre cherie had
the chance OF the least advertisement
and for II to have been marred by this
mishap was sad to pity. Saying all this,
she threw open door Of sitting-room,
aud addressed the General in their own
tongue.
Monsieur arrives concerning the brace
let of Mademoiselle Jaqueline.
Mademoiselle Jsqueline sat before the
fire, embroideripg wonderful piece OF
Isce-I became well acquainted with that
kind Of work by-and-by. The General
II was the same old stately man-put
down a newspaper to take my card The
young lady looked up with a heightened
color and expectant face, rising as she did
SO, and returning my bow with sweep
ing, oId-fashioned courtesy that was as ir-
resIstible as it was demHre. Not to neg
Iect my opportunities, first made an
opening for conversation, by requiring a
of the lost beubls. In order to
identity it
"Mademoiselle Rochejsquelein," said
the stiff old General, rising also, but with
as much Of a blow as the obelish could
have given, and using very tolera5le Eng