Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1882-06-07

striking photographs OF the woman Of
whom he had been speaking SO dubi'
ously,
what Of this 10 you think he
reiterated, exhibiting u plcturelof Miss
Bardulph as she was standing In q
curious attitude Of eager and fearful
interest beneath one Of the great beech
trees beyond the lawn, At her feet,
beside pile of moss aud stones, opened
a small cavity, over which she was
bending, while holding low IN a loos'
ening grasp, what was quite surely a
number Of jeweled ornaments.
Il do not know what to think, enun'
ciated Mr.. Dorman, 1T would seem
that my mothers jewels have been &C.
creted IN that place and should say
that Anne haS accideptly discovered the
depository
If that Is so, why to you or to the
madame, she comes not-Nll 80 glad,
so animatc-and had the discovery so
so happy aud not so to be undcrsloodT
D'Razclly demanded with emphasis
'But-good heavens, Louis do you
mean that you suspect Miss Bardulph
of wrong doingsY was the panied cx'
clamaiion. Il must absolutely refuse
to believe that Anne-that ingenious
and serious girl, with her pure eyes
and innocent brow-is thiefY Al
though there may be something in
dcfnable and mysterious about her.
could never associate with the mystery
Of crime anything she might do
She was but his mothers housekccp-
cr; 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 unmovcd or acquies-
cent to any accusations made against
her.
While D'Razclly, who professcd for
her tender liking, although he doubt
ed her much, shrugged his shoulders,
sighed and looked vastly consequential
and melancholy, albeit he was not
scntancntalist, and had determined to
be austercly practical as BELTS a pro-
fessional of his kind.
Il know nothing of the mystery, not
evil, that you do mcan,' he said. And
to me it does seem that the diamonds
of much value must now to the mad
ame so disconsolate be restored, and
the woman of the eyes pure, and the
ways that so puzzling are, must to the
custody CO.
'But she never entered this house
until days after the diamonds were
missed. demonstrated Tony Dorman.
Il am decidedly mystified. What is
your theory or your explanation of it
ALI?
'She the accomplice of one other is
l do think announced the detective,
with grand eloquence of manner 'She
no longer here will stay. She will an
illness feign, as it may be, and then to
the other she will so away, the dia-
monds with her taking, if her we not
could prevent
That is all very plausible returned
her defender, unconvinced. But we
will secure my mothers precious orna-
ments, and then really must have
positive and irrcfutable evidence against
Miss Bardulph before l shall allow you
to denoupcc her.
The early dusk had already suhl'sed
the lawn with purple haze. The ccol
air was delicious with the fresh odors
of violets and hyacinths, and sweet
young grasses. The new, rosy moon
and 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 res
inous scents, strange, dreamy noises,
and uneasy and fantastic shadows.
Mutely and with soundless steps they
followed the grassy, winding walk that
led to the umbraneous beach of D'Ra-
zelly's singular photograph.
Suddenly both started, and simulta-
neously retreated around curve of the
path where they stood as silen. and
as the shade in which they
were hidden. Beyond, in the pearly
effulgence of starlight and moonlight,
they saw the suspected young woman
bending over that odd repository, from
which she removed the moss and peb-
les until her intent watchers beheld the
cold inextinguishable fire of the prec-
ious gems cleaning within the dark
black mould.