The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1875-01-14

hands and counted, and that it was nc
dream at all, but pleasant reality.
"Yes, Antoinette," she at last said, ris
ing and casting the box on the table, ''it
is all here. And to think of it being in
the old box, Antoinette."
"Yes," smiled Mademoiselle, with q
puzzled expression, "but-"
"But, interrupted madame, even more
vivaciously, "but who put it in the box?'
and she fixed her eyes in eager expectan
cy ON mine
"The-the apparation," / faltered, zen
tered the room between two and three
o'clock, and went straight to the cabinet
In few moments the notes were pur
loined and deposited where you just now
found them"
"But the secret compartment, mon
sieur," interrupted madame, excitedly
"was it opened without dificulty?"
eyes, madame"
Strange! most strange" she ejacula.
ted, in perplexed tones, adding the next
moment, $50 on, monsieur.
mat is all, madame.
'All But what did you do, monsieur
she asked sharply.
Nothing, madame, but stagger aside
and gaze like an imbecile after the retreat,
ing form I had extended my hands to
seize"
"Oh!" exclaimed madame, in a low,
awed voice. "Was it-you called it an
apparition Irecollect, monsieur What
what did it resemble?"
''It was woman. A small, pallid wo-
man, clad in trailing crimson robe
"a crimson robe T. echoed madame and
mademoiselle, both evidently aghast
'Yes, and with silver hair" looking
at each other with faces of CONSERVATION
Mademoiselle De Gray recovered her
self first.
"What else, monsieur" she queried
impatiently.
Nothing else, mademoiselle except
that this apparation carried bronze can
dlestick and yonder bunch of keys.
Mademoiselle gazed at me moment il
silence, and then turning, suddenly flung
her arms about madame's neck, and kiss
ing her on both cheeks exclaimed between
tears and laughter.
"Ohl you naughty, naughty thief
Madame started from mademoiselle tc
me the picture of bewildered dismay
then dropping her eyes to the floor, she
revolved, apparently, some perplexed
question. Presently she looked up.
"Tell me, Antonette" she muttered
doubtfully, "why did you drug monsieur's
coffee?"
ZIP" exclaimed mademoiselle flushing
with astonishment. Il did it no more
than | stole the money. | knew not thai
monsieur was here, much less that he
took the coffee. But, perhaps" she added
the next moment, as she again showered
kisses on madame's roseate cheeks, "but
perhaps you can plead guilty"
Again bewildered dismay widened
madame's eyes and after little faltering
she said:
ooh, Antoinette, I-I-yes, l certainly
did Monsieur slept well, and l slept
poorly. Yes, Monsieur got my powders
| never thought of it till this minute"
"What powders?" laughed Mademois
ellie De Gray.
"The Morphine!'' exclaimed madame
more composedly. II felt sleepless anG
excited, and put it into a cup, intending
to pour my coffee over it, but 1 mus
have given monsieur the wrong cup,
Then suddenly snatching the keys from
the table, she thrust them into Made
moiselle De Gray's hands, exclaiming tear.
fully:
"There keep them, my poor, wronged
darling l have played LA Somnambu
la" long enough"
And | looked at madame's brown curls
roseate skin, and faultless figure, and
thought amusedly, "what miracle Of
French art