Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-02-19
DIAMOND BRACELETS.

Emperor, the last Ticking blaze OF its
greatness ere his glory departed forev
en- All Paris knew that he would
grace the opera that night, and add to
its usual lustre the glittering pomp and
circumstance of power. Accordingly
all that portion Of Paris who had the
necessary number of francs went to the
opera, and, in honor of so great an occa
sion, Mons. Blauvais, tie director, was
to produce 'La Prophetic
The overture was over, the Emper-
or, accompanied by the Empress, radi-
ent in her beauty and glittering with
jewels, had just entered the royal box;
his suit uniformed in every color of the
rainbow, stood grouped in the back
ground. In another moment the bell
would tiukle and the opera commence
But i'll an instant of 'me, when every
sound was heard, the second box to the
right of the Emperor was opeued, end
the curtains were drawn aside, and re ?
vealed Che lovely wife Of the Russian
Ambassador, Detzkerwiteh
No wonder that the bell tinkled m,
heard End the curtain went up unno-
| ticed; no wonder that every eve was
fled with fascinated gaze upo n the
wom&, who hadjust taken her seat and
! was calmly aud well .red uon-chaleuce
glancing about the house, for upon her
arms, blazing like beaoons spaEilled the
diamonds Of which Paris heard SO mach,
and with royalty n vein had ught to
purchace \ ham Of admiration ran
through the house, and then, for the
first time, the enc. Ii : 81 ANS of inc
chorus were listened 10.
When tie curtain fell upon the first
act, and Milford This ogliog Mildly
That, a servant wearing the impcri~l
livery prese, ted himself at the Russian
Ambassadors OK, 'aoped cpIy as an
imperial funky could ran and then en-
tered the boz.
Her Majesty had noticed the GRACE
cts and was dumb with, admiration
would Milady be 50 gracious as to al
low the Empress to make personal ex-
animation Of one Of the brtcelets p
in an instant the fair arm was shorn
OF It's GEMS, and with smothered ejac
ulation o. delight the man wearing the
imperial livery bowed hinse { out the
boz, bearing the bracelets that mil
lion of fraucs could got purchase.
The en-. tain fell upon the third act,
]Hcended in on the fourth, Il t notes
of the fnale rol ed through tie house,
the curtain fell for the last time; and
stii, with we'll bred politeness, the wife
Of the Russian Ambassador waited for
the return OF her priceless jewels. The
imperial party rose and departed, and
yet the bracelet was not returned Then
the Duke with terrible frown Of i'm
patience, rose and drove rapidly to the
ruileries, and demanded the return of
the diamonds
Explanations followed, and the Duke
was at last convinced that the Empress
had never S ut for the bracelet, sod
tba, the man wearing the imperi,l livery
was one Of the daring thieves who III
fes;ed the capital Ha bade bis
coacbman drive to he ace of the
perfect Of police, and ee da II ght
hondred OF the~shi ewdest .ieets We're
sesrchlng Paris for the gems Tie
Dui>e, flsed with anSiets, remained It
the Office for tidiHgs, while TIE Duchess
res! ie8sly awaited tie recoyety Of her
bracelet at home.
The great clock had Est oiled tbe
hour Of six, wnen the bell of the Duke
MOTEL Fang violently, and an officer Of
the police was ushered inio the presence
Of the Duchess.
"Was the bracelet recovered" aud
would the imprison the scoundrel for
the set of bis days?'' eagerly demAn
ded the Duchess.
With a grave bow the officer stated
that the thief was taken, and UPON his
person was found the braceles.. 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 inrrast
to him the mate to the missing bracelet
tlat the identity might be complete?
Madame, the Duchess, without a
word unlocked her casket and placed
in the hands of the trusty officer the
second bracelet. The Ulcer, With a |
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
bour of nine, tne Russian Ambassador
haggard and disordered, entered his
wife's apartments and threw himself in
despair into a chair Madame opened
her eyes, and with smile of deligh,
asked for the bracelets
''Satan!' exclaimed the Duke, eve
have learned nothing of the bracelets. +"
'sWhat!' shrieked the madame.