The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1873-12-11
The Diamond Bracelets.

It was during the palmiest days of the
Empire. Never was Paris so gay in fact
4 it was the fete day of the Emper0r, the last
Pickering blaze of his greatness ere his glo-
ry departed forever All Paris knew that he
would grace the opera that night, and add
to its usual 1ustre the glittering pDmp and
circumstance of power. Accordingly al
portions of Paris who had the necessary num-
Der of francs went to the opera, and in hon.
or of so great an occasion Mons. Blauyais.
the director, was to produce . La Pro-
phete." ~
The overture was over; the emperor, ae-
companied by the empress, radiant in her
beauty and glittering with jewels, had just
entered the royal box; his suite, uniformed
/ in every coleE of the rainbow, stood grouped
in the background. In another moment
| the bell would tinkle and the opera COM
mence. But in an instant of time while
every sound was hushed in expectancy, the
rustic of dress was heard, the second box
to the right of the emperor was opened, the
curtains were drawn aside, and revealed the
lovely wifeo the Russian ambassador, Duke
Metzkerviteh. No wonder the bell tinkled
unheard, and the curtain went up unnotic-
ed; no wonder that every eye was fixed with
fascinated gaze upon the woman who had
Just taken her seat and was calmly and
with well-bred nonchalance CHANGING about
beacons, sparkled the diamond bra elet of
which Paris had heard so much, az which
royalty sought in vain to purchase, A hum
of admiration, like the murmur OF the sea,
ran through the house, and then, for the first
time, the enhancing strains of the chorus
were listened to.
When the curtain fell upon the first act,
and Milford This was ogling Miladay, a
servant, wearing the imperial livery, presen-
ted himself at the Russian ambassadors
box, rapphd only as an imperial flunky
could rap, and then entered the box.
" Her Majesty had noticed the bracelets,
and was dumb with admiration would my
lady be so gracious as to allow the empress
to make personal examination of one of
the bracelets z"
In an instant the fair arm was shorn ofits
gems, and with smothered ejaculation of
delight, the man wearing the imperial liv-
cry bowed himself out of the box, bearing
the bracelet, that million of francs could
not purchase.
The curtain fell upon the third act, as
cended again on the fourth the notes of the
finale rolled through the house, the curtain
fell for the last time, and still, with we'll
bred poIiteness, the wife of the Russian am
bassador waited for the return of her price
less Jewels. The imperial party rose and
departed, and yet the bracelet was not re-
turned. Then the duke, with terrible
frown of impotence, rose and drove rapidly
to the TuiIeries and demanded the return
of the diamonds. Explanations followed,
and the duke was at last convinced that the
empress had never sent for the bracelet, and
that the man wearing the imperial livery
was one of the daring thieves who infested
the capital He babe his cQachman drive
to the office of the Project of Police, and
ere daylight hundred of the shrewdest of
fcers were securing Paris for the stolen
gem The duke filled with anxiety, re-
mained at the office for tidings while the
duchess restlessly awaited the recovery of
her bracelets at home.
The great clock had just tolled the hour
of six when the bell of the dukes hotel was
rung violently, and an officer of the police
was ushered into the presence of the Ouch
ess.
With a grave bow the officer stated that
the thief was taken and upon his person
was found the bracelet. But the fellow
stoutly insisted that he was not a thief, and
that the bracelet in his possession had been
in his family for many years. Would
madame entrust to him the mate to the
missing bracelet that the Identification
might be complete?
Madame the duchess without a word I'M
locked the casket, and placed in thu bands |
of the trusty officer the second bracelet
The officer, witha profound bow, left the |
apartment, and madame retired once more
this time to sleep and to dream of her
precious diamonds. When the bell tolled |
the hour of nine the Russian ambassador, |
haggard, and disordered, entered his wife's |
apartment, and threw himself in dispair /
into a chair. Madame opened her eyes and |
with smile of delight asked for the brace |
lets.
GA thousand curses" exclaimed the |
duke, "we can learn nothing of them"
What" shrieked madame, have you |
not recovered j? The officer who came for |
the other bracelet said the thief had been
taken and the bracelet found"
The duke, with an exclamation of amaze
men, sprang to his feet and in husky voice |
hesought his wife to explain. In a few |
words she told him. And then, with
groan, the duke dropped into a seat.
q see it all, y said he. " The rascals have
robbed you of the second bracelet. There
was no messenger sent for the bracelet. The |
man to whom you gave it it was no officer, |
but bolder thief than he who robbed you |
of the first"
And so it proved, The bracelets were
never recovered, and the Russian ambassa-
dor recalls the last fete day of the fallen
emperor with sigh, for it made him a poor
er man by many millions of francs than he |
was when he handed his charming wife into
his carriage and babe his coachman drive to |
the opera