The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-09-02

believe that Anne-that ingenious and
serious girl, with her pure eyes and
innocent brow--is thief Although
there may be something indefinable and
mysterious about her, l could never
associate with the mystery of crime any
thing she might do"
She was but his mothers housekeeper;
she had refused his love, and the name
and station he would have given her;
yet was he right loyal friend, and would
not listen unmoved or acquiescent to any
accusations made againsfher.
While D'Razelly, who protested for
her tender liking, although he doubted
her much, shrugged his spruce shoulders.
sighed and looked vastly consequential
and melancholy, albeit he was not sem
timentalist, and had determined to be
austerely practical, as BELTS profess
sional of his kind.
Al nothing know of the mystery,
not evil, that you do men," he said inn
patiently. And to me it does seem
that the diamonds of much value must
now to the madame so disconsolate be
restored. and the ways that SO puzzling
are. must to the custody CO."
s'But she never entered this house I'M
til days after the diamonds were missed"
demonstrated Tony Dorman, shuddering;
I" / am decidedly mystiiied. WHAT'S your
explanation of it all?"
ssShe the accomplice of one other is,
do think" announced the detective, with
grandiloquence of manner. "She no
longer here will stay. She will an illness
feign, as it may be, and then to the 9TH
er, she will so away, the diamonds with
her taking, if her we not could prevent
That is all very plausible" returned
her defender, unconvinced. +" But we
will at once secure my mothers precious
ornaments, and then really must have
positive and irrefutable evidence against
Miss Barlulph before l shall allow you
to denounce her."
The early dusk had already suffused
the lawn with purple haze. The cool
air was delicious with the fresh odors of
violets and byacinths and sweet young
grasses. The new, rosy moon and a
great golden star glittered in the blue
western sky, and out among the gloomy.
complaining pines the night birds were
tunefully calling.
: The two young men crossed the lawn
and entered the dim grove, full of resin
Gus scents, strange, dreamy noises, and
uneasy aud fantastic shadows. Mutely
and with soundless steps, they followed
the grassy. winding walk that led to the
outrageous beach of d Razelly's singu-
lar photograph.
Suddenly both started, and simultane-
ously retreated around a curve of the
path where they stood as silent and mo-
tionless as the shade in which they were
hidden. Beyond, in the pearly efful-
gcnce of starlight and moonlight. they
saw the suspected young woman bend
ing over that odd repository from which
she removed the moss and pebbles until
her intent watchers beheld the cold, in
extinguishable fire of the precious gems
cleaning within the dark, black mold.
'.What think you now?n whispered
D'Razelly, excitedly. 1.-The diamonds
she will take. Sec! is it not SOP"
And before the other could silence or
restrain him, he leaped forward and
confronted Anne, who stood quite still,
and only lifted her comely head fearless
ly, smiling with calm defiance and some
unassumed amusement.
'Hush" she murmured, imperiously,
as he began to speak. ''ln another mo-
ment the mystery of what you have pre-
sumed to be robbery will be elucidated
and precisely as l believed it would be.
Lookr'
Down the path. with an unsteady and
unnatural gait, came surprising appa-
rition-the figure of "a lady. Bare were
her feet, and her gray, dropping head
was uncovered, and her thin white robes
glistened with the damp night dews.
"Mother!' gasped Tony Dorman,
amazed, and glad for the accused Anne,
who was so curiously exonerated.
Straight on came the somnambulist.
Pausing at length before the treasures
she had secreted in her abnormal sleep,
and gazing with unseeing eyes upon the
priceless, sparkling things that she
touched lovingly with her withered
hands, and carefully again covered with
the thick, silky moss. Then she smiled
family, sighed with satisfaction, turned,
and slowly moved away.
The countenance of Louis D'Razelly
at that moment was not that of an indi-
vidual conscious of superior discernmcnt,
and the glance he ventured to vouchsafe
Anne was deprecatory.
''What should say know not,n he
stammesed. 'sWhat did think-what
| did do--so very stupid was. All. if the
kind madamoiselle would me but par
don," he continued, with gallant en-
treaty.
Very demurely she assured him that
his suspicious were quite pardonable,
and perhaps credtable to his zeal as
detector and denouncer of the I'M
righteous.
Some time later, coming through the
handsome, brilliantly lighted hall, Anne
met the young master OF the house.
The tempting reward offered for the
recovery of Mrs. Dorman's diamonds in
duced me to come here as her house,
keeper" she explained. Il had an in
applicable feeling that might find the
missing jewels. / consulted no one-no