Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-09-16
The Diamond Bracelets



II wa. Lurinr the palmjcst DAYS of the
Emuire. Never WA, Pari, 50 oty: in fact,
If wa. fine ret, day of the E,muror. the
last tlirkrrinr hIaI,. of hi, greatness err,
his GLORY Lrpartcd forever. All Pari, knew
he wnnr1 ,r,,r. tine oprr, that nirht. and
add to its u-rAl lu>trc the. olittcrinr pomp
.,,,I ,;r.,,,n.t.,nr. of maven. Arcnrdinuly
IN ,L,t n,,.,iuu nf ,ri. who h,J the. ne.
,,.-Sarv humber of francs went to the
op.r;i. and in honor of 20 Great IN occu-
SION Mon. RI,uyai. tine. director. WA, TO
,rolr,.,. a., prnnhet.
,Th,. ov,rtI,r,. w,, over. tI,,. empror
hv 1h.. ,npr,.,,. radiant in
her beauty and sclilterinr with Jewels. had
ms, entered the roy;,l box; hi, suite. uni
formed i'll every color OF the rainbow,
stood grouped in the background In an
other mumtrt the bell WOuld tlnklc and
the opera would commence. But III an
instant Of time, while every sound wa>
heard. tho second box to the right OF the
emperor WIS opened, the curtains We're
drawn aside. anI revealed the lOvcl V wife
of the Russian ambassador, Duk" Metz
kcrVitch. No WunICr that the bell TN
hlrd tlnileard. and the curtain went up un
noticed; no wonder that every eye Wa,
fixed with a fascinating gaze upon the wO-
man who had Just iahrn her seat. and was
calmly and with wcll-hrcd noncAalancc
gllncinT about the house; for upon her
arms. blazing like bctcOn>. >pNrhlcd the
diamund bracelets of which Paris had
heard 20 much, and which royalty had
sought III Vain to purchase. y hum of
admiration. Ike the murmur of the SEA.
ran through the AouN,' ana then Tor ne
ill>t tim" the chttlnclnT strains OF the
chorus We're listened TO.
When the curtaln fell upon the first act,
and Milford This was oglng Mlladv That,
Il servant, wearing the imperial livery,
presented himself ut the RUSSIAN ambts-
>ador box rapprd only rs an imperial
tlunhN could zap. and then tntclcd the
box.
Her Majesty had noticed the bracelets
and was uumD with admiration; would
N,l,dy be 50 gracious rs to allow the EN-
press to make a personal examination OF
one of the. br,cclct,?
In an instant the fair arm WAS shorn o.
its rcms, and, with Il smothcrcd ci,cula-
tion of dclirht, the man wearing the I'M
perial livery bowed himself out OF the box
b alinr the bracelet. that a million o
francs could not purchase.
The curtain fell upon the third act; aS
ccndcd AGAIN on the fourth; the notes O
the. finale rolled through the house. tn,
curtain fell for the last tune. and still. will
vcIl-brcd polilcne>s. the wife of the Rus
Ian amba>S. ,,or waited for the return o
her priceless Jewels The imperial part,
rose and departed. and Vet the br;tcele
wa, not rctarned Then lhe duke. with ;
terrible frown of impatience. rose an,
drove rapidly to the Tuilcries and de
mandcd the return of the diamonds FIX
PLANTATION followed. and the duke was :,
last convinced that the empress had neve
sent for the bracelet. and that the M,
wearing the imperial livery was one of IN
daring thieves who infcst the capital. II
babe his colctmln drive to the office G
the Prefcct of Police. and ere DAYLIGHT
hundred of the shrewdest officers wcr
,courino Paris for the stolen oem. Th
duke, filled with anxiety, remained ut tn
office for tidingS. while the duchess res,
lcs,Iv awaited the recovery of her bracele
at home.
The GREAT clock had lust tolled the hon
3. of six when the bell of the dukes hot,
: was rung Violently, and an officer of II,
i, police was u,hered into the presence of tn
duchess.
/: - Was the bracelet recONered?' an
|. "wou!d they imprison the scoundrel fc
n the rest of his days" eagerly demande
. the duchess.
: With Il grave bow the officer stated tn:
<: the thief was taken, and upon his perso
0 was found the bracelet. But the fello
+ ,toutly insisted that he was not Il thie
h and that the bracelet in his possession ha
4 been in his family many Years. Won
= madame cntruSt to him the mate to IL