Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1874-04-30
Helena, Montana, Thursday, April 80, 1874



| pirc. Never was Paris so gay; in fact, it
was the ,tte day of the Emperor. the last
iiitkcring blaze of his greatness ere his glory
departed forever. All Paris knew that he
would grace the opera ;hat hight and add to
its useful !uStrc the glittering pomp and cir
| cumstancc of power Accordingly ali that
portion of Paris who had the necessary num-
! Der of francs went to the opera. and in honor
of SO grca, IN occasion. Mons. Blauvais. the
director. was to produce LA Prophetc.
| The overture was over: the Emperor. ac-
companicd by the Empress. radiant in her
beauty and glittcriny with Jewels had just
entered the royal box; his suite, uniformed
in every color Of the rainbow, stood grouped
in the background In another moment the
bell would ,inglc and the opera commence.
But in IN inStan: of time, when every sound
was heard, the second box to the right of the
Emperor was opened. and the curtains were
drawn aside, and revealed the lovely wife Of
| the Russian Ambassador, Duke MctZker-
witch.
No wonder that the bell tinklcd unheard
and the curtain went up unnOticed; no Won
der that every eye was fixed with a fasci-
mated gaze Npon the woman who had just taken
her seat and WAS calmly and with well-bred
nonclalance glancing about the house. For
upon her arms, blazing like beacons, sparkled
| the diamonds of which Paris had heard so
much, and which royalty in vain had long
sought to purchase. a hum of admiration
ran through the house, and then for the first
time the enchanting strains of the chorus
were listened to.
When the curtain fell upon the first act,
and Milford This ogling Milady That, a SER
want, wearing the Imperial livery, presented
himself at the Russian Ambassadors box,
raped only as an imperial flunky could rap,
and then entered the box.
"Her Majesty had noticed the bracelets
| and was dumb with admiration would Nil
| lady be so gracious rs to allow the Empress
to make personal examination Of one Of the
bracelets!
In an instant the fair arm WAS shorn of its
gems. and with smothcred ejaculation of
delight the man wearing the imperial livery
bowed himself out of The box, bearing the
bracelet that a million of francs could not
purchase.
The curtain fell upon the third act, ascen-
ded 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 polnencss, the wife of the Russian Am
bassador waited for the return of her price,
less jewels. The imperial party rose and de-
parted. and yet the bracelet was not returned.
Then the Duke. with terrible frOwn of i'm
patience, rose and drove rapidly to the Tuil-
| cries and demanded the return of the dia-
monds.
Explanations followed, and the Duke was
at last convinced that the Empress had never
sent for the bracelet, and that the man wear
ing the imperial livery was one of the daring
thieves who infested the capital. He babe
his cOaChman to drive to the office of the pre-
feet of police, and ere daylight hundred of
! the shrcwdcst officers were searching Paris
! for the gems. The Duke, filled with anxiety,
| remained at the Office for tidings, while the
Duchess restlcssly awaited the recovery of
| her bracelet at home.
The great clock had just tollcd the hour of
6. when the bell of the Dukes hotel rang vio-
lently. and an officer of the police was ush-
cred into the presence of the Empress.
WAS the bracelet reCovered!" and ''wOuld
they imprison the scountrcl for the rest
Of his days" eagerly demanded the Duchess.
With 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 Il thief, and that the
bracelet in his possession had been in his
family for many years. Would madame en-
trust to him the mate to the missing bracelet,
that the identity might be complete?
Madame the Duchess, without a word, un-
locked her Caskct and placed in the hands of
the rusty officer the second bracelet. The
officer, with profound bow, left The apart
ment. and madame retired once mOre-:his
time to sleep and to dream Of her precious
diamonds When the bell toled the hour of
the Russian Ambassador, haggard and dis
ordered. entered his wifc's apartments and
threw himself in despair into chair. Ma.
dame opened her eyes, and with smile of
.lnlirht aS L el fnr fhp bracelets
Satan" exclaimed the Duke, "we can
learn nothing of them.
not recovered it? The officer who came for
the other bracelet said the thief had been
taken and the bracelet found"
The Duke with IN exclamation of amaze
ment. sprang to his feet, and in husky
voice bcsough, his wife to explain. In a few
words she told him. And then, with grOan,
the Duke dropped into q seat.
81 see it all. said he: 1.-the rascals have
robbed you Of the second bracelet. There
was no messenger sent for the bracelet. The
man 20 whom you gave it was no officer, but
a boler thief than he who robbed you first.
And so it proyctl The bracelets were
never returned. and the Russian Ambassador
recalls the last ttte day of the fallen Emperor
with sigh, for it made him poorer 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.
In the British Parliament there are 1873
Free Masons, IS in the House Of Lords and |
u in the House of Commons. Fifteen of |
Tim E,nr NfooOro 3,, hn 1nvvor HOnao