The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1882-08-09
THE MISSING JEWELS.

Anne Bsrdulph was not very youth
ful, Dol was she particularly handsome;
spd she was housekeeper for the ailing
Mrs. Dcrman.
This invalid lady resided in a fine
wooden house of many rooms through
which ran a wide hall with walls Pom.
peiian red, and q gilt-edged ceiling that
was painted in some curious and uncer-
tain tint of psly, pinkish brown. The
floor was tessellated in brown and red,
and tb SIX carved doors opened upon
q columnar portico with broad, brown
steps leading down upon a great lawn
fanked with thick trees Of beech and
pine. ,
Across The greening lawn in the sweet
yellow April sunshine walked Anne
Bardulph-a slim, straight woman with
regular and severe features, and wonder.
fully large eyes of darkest gray. She
had an abundance Of neatly arranged
dark bsir, and she vas neatly attired in
8 serviceable suit Of some clineing, dull
blue fabric, with collar and cuffs OF
linen-white, prim and immaculate.
Two young men coming upon the
portico saw her-aa interesting and not
unlovely figure moving under the grim,
whispering pines.
1.-THE new %housekeeper of madame
pleases you-her you admire perhaps"
one remarked rather quizzingly.
"Would you suggest that Miss
Bardulph may not merit admiration ?
returned the other evasively and with
some %perceptible irritation.
now do nothing suggest" was the
protesting sharp foreign accents II
here am come to see much, to much
think but I nothing say until the
how say you it?-till the one exposure
grand"
Tony Dorman smoked thoughtfully
for several silent minutes. Finally he
tossed away his cigar and turned to-
ward bis companion.
"D'RszelIy,' he began, pleasantly ;
"you are here ostensibly only as my
guest and intimate friend"
"On the what do you call the osten.
sible, I impose not" interrupted Louis
D'Razelly, quickly and proudly. 81
but the detective sm-the servitor
hired Of madame to her diamonds OF
value find and the thief to discover"
"Yes, I know," interrosed the young
eentl. man ; shut I have become aware
of yonr worth as q man, and I really
regard yoo as q friend. No friend
will ever be more warmly welcomed to
nv house than you. II l did not feel
like this I should not be likely to on
fess to YOU that l have been refused by
Miss Bardulph- for whom be sup
plemented gently and with hesitation
II fancy you to have q tender prefer
ence, wen though you would appear to
dieparage her."
The young Frenchman WINGED, and
in bis bright black eyes, was an ex.
preston of trouble and distrust, as he
pazed steadily toward tha stately pines
that doomed in sharp spires against the
sweet blue April sky.
cit is so," he acknowledged pres
emily, q hot color %reddening his swartby
face. "For her I have the one liking
that is very tender; but also have l the
doubt that is much and not good. What
of this do you think :"
D RazelIy-who bad become q detec-
tive only because he had IN odd and in
born fondress for what he considered
an exciting and most delectsble voca-
tion-opened what one would presume
to be, from it's exterior appearance, q
quaintly.bound book, and nothing more.
1t was, however. a detective camera
by which he had shortly before OBJ
tanned, and without her knowledge,
several striking photographs of the
woman of whom he had been speaking
so obviously.
what Of this. do you thinkY he
iterated, exhibiting q picture Of Miss
Bsrdulph, as she was standing in o cu-
rious attitude of eager and fearful inter.
est beneath one of the great beach trees
beyond the lawn. At her feet. beside
Q pile of moss and stones, opened a
small cavity, wei which she was bend
ing, while holding low in q loosening
grasp what was quite surely a number
Of jeweled ornaments.
81 do not know what to think" enun-
ciated Mr.. Dorman, in tones of dismsy.
1T would seem that my mothers jewels
have been secreted in that place; and I
should say that Anne has accidentally
discovered the depository"
off that is so, why to you or to the
mad me honored she comes not-all so
glad, SO animate and tell the one dis.
covery (" happy and so not to be under
stood?" D'Razelly demanded with en-
phasis.
"But-good heavens, Louis! do you
mean that you suspect Miss Bsrdulph
of any wrong doina p was the panied
exclamation. II must absolutely re-
fuse to believe that Anne-that ingenu-
Gus and serious girl, with her pure eyes
and innocent hrow-is a thief? Al
though there may be something indie.
Unable and mysterious about her, I
could never associate with the mystery
of crime anything she might do"
She vas but his mothers house.
keeper; she had refused his love, and
the name and station he would have
given her ; yet vas he a right loyal
friend, and would not listen unmoyed
or acqu' escent to any accusations made
against her.
While DRazelly, who protested for
her a tender liking, although he doubted
her much, shrugged his spruce should
era, sighed, and looked vastly conse.
quential and melancholy, albeit he was
not 8 sentimentalist, and had deter
mined to be austerely practical, as BELTS
q PROFESSIONAL of his kind.
81 no,hiug know of the mystery, hot
evil, that you do mean," he sad. impa
tiently. "And to me it does seem that
the diamonds of much value must now
to the madame so disconsolate be re-
stored, and the ways that &c puzzling
are, must to the custody 60"
iBut she never entered this house
until days after the diamonds were
missed" demonstrated Tony Dorman.
shuddering; " I am decidedly mystifed
What is your explanation Of it all9'
"She the accompJ Q Of one o her 8
I DO think" annou Ell the detective
with g,sndiloquence Of manner. "She
no longer here will stay. She will an
illness ieign, as it may be, and then to
the other she will go away, the dia-
mopds with her taking, If her We not
could prevent"
"Thst's all very plausible, returned
her defender, u~nconvinced. "But We
will at once secure my mothers precious
ornaments, and then I really must have
positive and ilrcfutable evidence against
Miss Bsrdulph before I shall allow you
to denounee her."
The early dusk had already suffused
the lawn with a purple haze. The cool
air was delicious with the fresh odors of
violets and hyaciuths and sweet young
grasses. The new, rosy moon and a
great golden star glittered in the blue
western sky; and out amen the gloomy,
complaining pines the night birds were
tuuefully calling.
The two young men crossed the lawn
and entered the dim grove, full OF
resinous scents, strange, dreamy noises,
and uneasy and fantastic shadows.