The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-08-29
THE, PRESS.
London Society,"
Three Shots With a Revolver

l.
Naturally, considering the nature of my
calling, have always been particularly at
trscted by the scores of stories-not, am
inclined to think, always based upon actual
occurrences-which tell of the ingenious
plots contriyed by scoundrels to gain posses
sion Of other peoples jewels, especially dia-
monds. In many cases such stories are, OF
course, pure fiction. But as to those which
profess to narrate facts, whether plain or
colored, have only too much reason, from
personal experience, to suspect that the real
owners of Jewels have, very often, more to
do with their disappearance than easily i'm
agined brigands, swindlers or thieves. New.
ertheless, there is enough substratum OF
truth to make even purely-invented stories
of this kind probable. Mine is not an in
vented story; but my reason for telling it is
not so much its truth as its supremacy ex-
traordinary character. Its like, in any sim
gle detail, never happened to anybody else
in the world. Were it not for this, | would
assuredly refrain from adding to the pile
of iewel-stories in which some jewellers
agent plays the part of hero or victim. For
I was myself agent to a very great firm of
jewellers in London-I need not say to
whom-where there happened to myself
that terrible experience, terrible almost be-
yond the power of words to describe, which
/ am, for the first time in my life, about to
tell in words.
remember, as if it were yesterday, how
one of our partners called me into his pri-
vate room and said to me:
morris, must ask you to be good
enough to start for Paris this very evening
that Is to say, by the very first possible train.
You know that parure of the Princess
Mouranov that we had put into new set
tings?"
.'Of course do"
ssWel, you know the Princess as a GUS
toner, she is rather Eighty, but she's too
big a gun for us to disregard her whims.
The parure is just out of hand, and was to
have been delivered to her in Portland
Place tomorrow morning; but-it's just
like her-she's taken it into her head to set
off ON voyage to America, and, an hour
after she took the within into her head she
was off, so hear. It's just like her, any
how. l believe she goes to Patagonia,
when her diamonds-that is to say, her
parure-she thinks, will be indispensable to
her. l shouldn't have thought SO myself,
but suppose she knows. Anyhow, she's
going to spend the whole of tomorrow in
Paris, and her diamonds must be delivered
70 her there and paid for-you understand.
If we don't deliver the parure she'll never
forgive US; and if she doesn't pay before GO
ing off Heaven knows where, why, we shall
never forgive ourselves. You'll have to be
sharp, for it doesn't follow that she'll stay
in Paris whole day because she says she
will; and you'd better avoid having to fol-
low her if you possibly can"
Naturally Where is Madame to be
found?'
A place called Les Bosquets. It's outside
Paris; but here's the address written down.
l needn't tell you to be cautious"
'sWhy?' asked l. SIT all seems simple
enough. I've only got to give the parure to
the Princess-into her own hands, of course
receive the money, give and take receipt,
and come away. There will be no difficulty
about the Princess's money, Isuppose?"
''No. But, don't you see, I'm afraid
you're still a trife young, Morris. Those
Mouranov diamonds are as well known to
all the diamond-hunters in Europe-and
they swarm abroad-as they are to me.
Better than they are to you, by along way
BY some means or other, you may take your
oath, one of those gentry will know you to
have the charge of them. It's no good TAX
ing precaution against that; they'll know all
the same, and precautions are only way Of
putting people on the trail. Take care you
60 to the right house, my friend. Take
care you see the right lady. Don't eat and
don't drink, however much you may be
pressed, till you're safe back at your hotel.
Don't shut yonr eyes till it's all over. Ii a
strange woman speaks to you, cut her dead
if a strange man; knock him down. And
"Well, what else? But I'll take care OF
myself, never fea-."
'sYou're an unusually handsome man, you
know" said he, with wink and a knowing
smile, ''and 1 suppose, like all handsome
men, you're bit of a lady-Killer without
meaning it, you know. A mods as good as
wink you know; and you're not blind
horse, whatever you may be- Paris is a
lively place, you know, for man of your
make, with diamonds next his heart worth
thousands of pounds. 1t isn't the men I'm
afraid of in your case; it's the women"
Every man likes that sort of chaff and
was really weak enough in those days tc
take an especial pride in what l could moi
help knowing to be my personal advantages,
Sol was in the best temper as answered,
modestly,
swell, sir, nobody knows everything about
all women; but do think l know enough
about few to guess good deal about what
the rest may be up to. l don't think Pm
likely to be come over that way. And
should think this little fellow" l added,
showing him a new revolver, twill be
enough for common odds, not in petit
coats"
"Don't put yourself in o position that'll
oblige you to use it, said my employer.
"And you won't if you keep clear of he
common odds-in petticoats, you know.
must be- off now. Call at my house for the
psrure in an hour"
Full of confidence in my own resources,
proud of the trust that had been placed in
me, and altogether in well satisfied and
fearless frame of mind, started with the
Mouranov parure by the very next train for
Dover. The magnificent parure was safely
packed by my employer himself before my
own eyes, and placed the packet securely
in a case which I fastened round my neck
and waist under my clothes with couple OF
light but strong steel chains. In effect, the
parure was absolutely safe from secret theft
-efectually from any violence short of
downright murder. / had hidden my moth
er and sisters a hurried goodbye, without
telling even them of the invaluable charge l
carried about me. And arrived at one Of
the first hotels in Paris without the smallest
adventure of any sort or kind. To imagine
that any of the fraternity of diamond hun
tiers, male or female, had been watching my
journey or could even be aware of it. was
simply absurd. To all with whom came
into any slight contact en- route must have
been an ordinary Englishman, making an
ordinary trip to Paris-nothing more. And
for that matter, except with booking clerks
and so forth, don't think had exchanged
a word with fellow-creature all the way.
That had never once closed my eyes,
know.
had just ordered some refreshment after
my journey before proceeding to Les Bos-
quets, when
"Monsieur Alfred Morris from Londonp'
asked one of the walters.
"Yes," said l, though wondering how my
name could possibly be known 10 him, see
ing that had but just arrived, and had not
even written my name in the list of persons
staying in the hotel. Was my eyes" piece
Of imprudeDce? hardly know to this hour.
ga young lady," he said in English, "has
been waiting for an hour to see Monsieur"
A young lady in Paris waiting to see me!
What could that mean? My employers
warning came instinctively to my mind.
But could not very well refuse to see her;
indeed, it might prove important that
should see her, And certainly no possible
harm could come of my seeing he- in large
and crowded hotel.
"Mademoiselle waits in the salon. said
the waiter. So to the salon | went, more
curious than anxious about who the young
lady might be who expected me in Paris,
and who knew my name so well.
She was stranger, young Frenchwom-
an, "a. her pretty and exceedingly well
dressed, and yet with something about her
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