The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1882-05-19

definable and mysterious about her. |
could never associate with the mystery
of crime anything she might do"
She was but his mothers house
keeper; she had refused his love, and
the name and station he would have
given her; yet was he right royal
friend, and would not listen unmoved
or acquiescent to any accusations made
against her.
While D'Razelly, who professed for
her tender liking, although be doubt
ed much, shrugged bis spruce shoulders,
sighed, and looked vastly consequential
and melancholy, albeit he was not a
sentmentalist, and had determined to
be austerely practical, as BELTS a pro.
fessional of his kind. f~
81 nothing know of the mystery, not
evil, that you do mean," he said, impa
tiently. Sand to me it does seem that
the diamonds of much value must now
to the madame so disconsolate be re-
stored, and the woman of the eyes pure,
and the ways that so puzzling are,
must to the custody 60" , u
"But she never entered this house
until days after the diamonds were
missed, demonstrated Tony Dorman,
shuddering; II am decidedly mystified
What is your theory, or your explana-
ton, of it alli' I.,.r
"She the accomplce 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 other she will 60 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 at once secure my mothers prec-
ious ornaments, and then | really must
have positive and irrefutable evidence
against Mics Bardulph 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 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 resi-
nous scents, strange, dreamy noises,
and uneasy and fantastic shadows.
Mutely and with sOundless steps they
followed the grassy, winding walk that
led to the outrageous beach of D'Raz-
elly's singular photograph.
Suddenly both started, and simultane-
ously retreated around curve of the
path where they stood as silent and
motionless 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-
bles until her intent watchers behed
the cold, inextinguishable fire of the
precious gems cleaning within the
dank, black mold.
"What think you nowi" whispered
D'Razelly excitedly. "The diamonds
she will take See is it not soi"
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 fear.
lessly, smiling with calm defiance and
some unassumed amusement.
"Hush !" she mumured, imperiously,
as he began to speak. SIN another
moment the mystery of what you have
presumed to be robbery will be eluci-
dated, and precisely as ! believed it
would be. Look
Down the path, with an unsteady
and unnatural gait, came surprising
apparition-the figure of 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 state,
and gazing with unseeiug eyes upon
the priceless, sparkling things that she
touched lovingly with her delicate
withered hands, and then carefully
covered again with the thick, silky
moss. Then she smiled family, sighed
as with satisfaction, turned and slowly
moved away.
The countenance of Louis D'Razelly
at that moment was not that of an in
dividual conscious of superior discern
ment, and the glance he ventured to
vouchsafe Anne was deprecatory.
"What l should say | know not" he
stammered. "What / did ink-what
| did do-so very stupid was. All, if
the kind mademoiselle would me but
pardon" he concluded, with gallant
entreaty.
Very demurely she assured him that
his suspicious were quite pardonable,
and perhaps creditable TO his zeal as q
detector and denouncer of the unright-
eous.
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 dia,
monds induced me to come here as her
housekeeper," she explained II had an
inexplicable feeling that l might find
the missing jewels. | consulted no one
no one advised me. was really
ashamed of my project, that l knew
was quixotic, if not impracticable, and
a failure would have made me ridicu-
lous. Shortly after coming to Mrs.
Dorman, | learned that she had latterly
been haunted by an excessive and in
creasing fear of being robbed learn
ed, too, that she had only recently
manifested somnambulic symptoms.
The truth came to me as an inspiration,
but only by merest accident and only
this morning, while | was exploring
+ Al. n