The Van Buren press., 1877-04-24


She passed into room Immediately
back of the parlor and, closed the door.
| told my companion to step into the
hall, and keep his eye on the other door,
while remained in the parlor. had no
fear of the birds escape, for had pref
tv accurate mental plan Of the house in
my head, and knew she could not leave
it, without being seen by my men outside.
She was absent very long time, during
which | heard an animated discussion go.
ing on in the adjoining room in which the
shrill tones of child's voice could be
plainly distinguished. The words, how.
ever were unintellgible.
l had become thoroughly tired of wait
ing, and was on the point of making a
disturbance. when the door opened and a
hideously deformed boy appeared limp
ing on q crutch He was humpbackea,
and dreadful scrofulous mark distisur-
ed one half of his ugly face. As he open.
cd and closed the door caught glimpse
of Madame D'Orsay seated in an arm.
chair, with lace handkerchief to her
eyes. evidently weeping.
Mother told me to give this to you
said the dwarf in the same shrlll cracked
voice which had lately overheard She
will be out herself in moment You
won't arrest her, will you, sir?"
Il don't know" l answered shortly,
taking the diamond, cross and putting 1t
in my pocket. Where are the two hun.
dred dollars p
q am going to get this changed said
the boy, holding up five hundred dollar
bill. "Ifyou will wait moment | will
bring back the money
| let him 60, and he limped cut the
front door and down the street, dragging
his club feet painfully. was glad to
have the hideous little monster out of my
sight.
l waited some fifteen or twenty minutes
after that, but neither Madame DOrsay
nor the boy put in an appearance. AT
last my patience became exhausted, and
tried the deer leading into the inner
room. 1t opened readily, but there was
no one in the apartment except madam
herself, who still sat in the arm chair be-
fore the dressing table, with her face bu
ried in her handkerchief
Come, come" said, "this won't do.
You've had time enough to cry in Put
ON your things and follow me. I've
some friends outside who are waiting for
you
A loud coarse laugh greeted this speech
as | tapped the woman gently on the
shoulder. The handkerchief fell. and
disclosed the features ofthe bony servant
girl who had admitted us to the house.
Her lovely person was dressed in her
mistress clothes and fiery shock OF hair
was concealed by blonde wig, the exact
counterpart Of the madame's own hair,
whiah was wig i,seit, for nl l know
"Ye thought it was the lady Of thu
house, did ye? exclaimed this interest.
ing female, jumping up Well. you
see it isn't. Thanks to your politeness
in waiting so long, the madame has got
well out of your reach by this time, II her
crutch and that beautiful club foot don
interfere with her speed"
Ten thousand furies!' exclaimed /,
seizing her roughly by the arm, and sha-
king her, do you mean to say
Yes, l do" she replied, with broad
grin. "Ye couldn't bring yourselfto to be-
lleve that her pretty ladyship could make
herself SO ugly, could YEP Mister Po-
liccman, you're nicely sold.'
dropped her arm, and seiz:ng the
salesman AS | ran through the hall, drag
ged him out Of the house.
"The bird has escaped US" said, as
soon as we reached the sidewalk, and
could recover my breath. Madame
d 'Orsay has given us the slip, but we
have recovered the cross at all events.
took the jewel from my pocket and
handed it to him. lie took it, and turn
ed 1T over aud over in the sunlight.
Its beautiful thing l remarked
looking over his shoulder
Yes he said, =" it is beautiful thing
"These diamonds are Of unusual bril-
liancy," ventured again, as h. continu-
ed to examine it.
Yes he replied, "of unusual bril-
liancy-tor paste! In fact they are the
best imitation ever saw"
Isn't that your crossI" exclaimed
in tones of thunder.
The setting is ours" he said. 1.-The
diamonds are probably ofJumplng John
ny's own manufacture"
1t could not be helped, the clever wo.
mand had walked off under my very nose
with her stealings in her pocket. We
went back to New York that night, and
| gave up all further attempts to trace
her. From information that l afterward
received from Jumping Johnny, | sus
pected that the couple had gone to Eu
rope Perhaps Madame D'Orsay has ere
this found her match among my brother
La In