Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1882-06-14

CURED many years ago in New Orleans.
~ possesses to sme now as think Of II,
| All the vivid interest ii had then. s
IL was among the first cases entrust-
ed to MY. l. and myself, and ve dsyo-
TED % Il an unvearying patience and
accIduity that fitted Us for their e1aR-
cise many time aftsrward. Ii was IN
mia winter that the circumstances / al
inde to occurred. The theatrical season
was at its hight. The S.. Charles was
nightly thronged with the bean.y and
fashion OF the city. A new star had ax-
peafed on Its boards, exciting an inter-
est prevalene and sbooebinR. Her beau
ty grace and accumpiishmSuts wefv tie
topic OF every c!ub-room -the on
subject that eu8aged the attention OF
Al the youth IN the city. Her nams
was Adele Laro0du. Very young
Scarcely twsnfy-and vefy beautiful
was tins young girl, around whom q
weo OF mystery was woven that seemed
70 defy human ingenuity to unravsl.
say that she was beautifm; bat the
word does not convey an adequate idea
OF her exceeding grace Of mind and
person. Petite in form, the slsudsr
ngure was exquisite in symmetry. A
wealth Of bright golden hair SHADED a
race rosy with health and brilliant
With genius Tho clear, hazel eyes
flashed with intelligence, and the d.
lcass curve of the exquisitsiy chissled
lips expressed hatred, or scorn, or in
tsnsifisd emotion. -
Night after night the thsatsr was
filled with her admirers. Passion in
every phase-the very VOL springs and
impulses OF our nature-seemed to find
IN ner an interpreter that nevef erred.
her analysis Of ohasaetsr was perfeos;
It was true 70 nature, and therefore per
feet
The night Of which I speak had Wit
messed her greatest triumph. She
seemed inspired, and the feelings and
emotions of her audience appeared alb
solutely under her control, ~ if she
welded the wand of an enchantre@,
The curtain fell on the last act of the
tragedy, and the audience dispersed.
Some meameric power bald mo to the
spot, and | fingered around the en-
trance 70 the theater.
An hour must have passed BY and
the last Of the company had crept out
OF the narrow isle leading to the stage
and sought their homes. Still the &C.
tress fingered; her carriage ct the door
the driver impatient. Suddenly from
behind the scenes-echoing wildly along
that narrow isle-came scream 90
piercing that it cut to the heart like a
dagger. Anguish, horror. grief, were
In Its tone. 1t chilled my blood.
stood rooted to the spot.
In a moment more / dashed open the
door rushed into the theater. Close at
my back came Mr.. I the driver, and
the porter of the establishments. The
light IN the green room was still burn
ing. The large mirror that hung from
the wall reflected from the opposite sofa
tho tinsel and mock jewelry of queen.
noticed this as dashed open the mar
row door that led to the dressins-room
assigned the actress. 1t was empty. l
called her by name. shouted antil
the walls OF the vast building echoed
back my voice. We searched every-
where, underneath and above the STAGE,
even among the rolled curtains in Che
loft, and the narrow aperture beneath
the scenes-in vain. The actress had
disappeared. The scream that had so
startled US at first was not repeated.
There was no avenue Of escape; still she
was gone. q T -
Mr.. l. visited her apartments at the
hotel. She was not there. The gas
was relit In the theatsr and our search
resumed. She was not to be found.
Her friends were visited; the most tran
silent acquaintance called on, with .
like result.
Each hour, instead Of revealing the
mystery, only deepened it. In the light
of the morning we continued the search
A single object was found which
could possibly give Us o clue to the
missing girl. On the floor Of the dress-
ing room vas diamond earring. 1t
looked as though it had bsen torn from
Its place. 1t was not such a one as was
worn by the actress. 1t established
beyond doubt the presence of another
person in her room, and that person a
female. This was all. The mysterious
interview and its termination was
genuity could not penetrate. If tho
earth had opened and swallowed her,
her disappearance could not have been
moro unacOuntable.
What was 70 DO done7 We knew she
was native Of France. brought here in
childhood. Her relatives had died, her
friends knew nothing, save that she was
an orphan. Genius had aided her rise,
industry bad secured her fame. The
architect Of her own fortunes. she had
climbed alone the steep whose ascent is
devious and hard to surmount.
One day stood leaning negligently
on the counter of q fashionable jeweler.
loved to gaze upon the brilliant gems
that strewed the case, and filled it with
weird, flashing light. Ny attention
absorbed in viewing them, l did not no.
tir~a thu mt M - n Il.
accent In addressing the jsweler caused
ring In her hand, and was inquirine
The first glance had Of it made tie
blood leap like fire in my veins. It was
the counterpart of the ono found in the
theater.
You may imagine did not lose sight
Of that woman. knew had struck
on the right clew.
traced her home. Tho panther new
or stole on Ito victim more silently than
I in tho footsteps Of the dark-brown
stranger. t..-r
scarcely knew how got back TO
The office. / seemed to have trium phed
over space and time. More like a ma
MAC than detective, rushed up to Mr.,
l. and impaired my intelligence. He
was not less excited than l. We both
felt an interest in the girl a. strong a.
if she had been sister. But We knew
that our steps must be vary, and our
movements secret al the grave We
had no common criminal to deal with.
II not the arch 6end himself, we knew
she was almost a. GINNING. The mys-
tsrious abducti0o Of the actress dis
closed quicknsss and sagacity at once
ingenious and profound. The subtle
spirit we did not doubt we would have
70 encounter again. Il was not there
fore with feeling OF assured success,
that We prepared to enter tho residence,
to which had traced the foreign
lady.
Il was not As officers of the law usu-
ally go that We went on that occasion.
We employed rather the subtle skill and
RnninGOf = man bsought up in the
6uGine14 FOR onCo hiS nefasious Ant
helped him 10 do noble deed. A life
Of crime was whitened by q single 4vir-
tue. Before the skill Of thh man the
door sprang back upon it, hinges, and
we stood within the portals whore the
issues Of this strange mystery we're of
be decided. Silently We assembled the
stairs A gas flame, burning from the
ceiling, flung mellow light along the