Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1884-03-11


I'd the countess, waking up to mild inter-
sst in the subject. eff so, he has been here
while you were away. He came on the
part of the empress, and carried off one OF
my earrings, which her majesty wished TO
compare with one of the Countess VS."
d.! Impossible! Twas talking
to him the whole time was absent, and ne
only left me at the top of the staircase TWO
seconds before l returned"
Nevertheless, mon ami he has been here.
and has taken,.my earring. See, it is gone.
effectively" agreed the count, Win a
grim smile; 'but D. has not taken IT.
1t is to the last degree unlikely that the
empress would make such a request. De-
pend upon it you have been the victim OF
thief, got up as an accurate copy OF Tie
distinguished looking D."
"Impossibler" cried the Countess IN her
turn. "The affair is absolutely as tell
you. 1t was Monsieur D., the verl-
table Monsieur D. see opposite, who
came into this box and took away my dia-
mond. Only wait a little and he will bring
it back intact
''To wait little is to lessen the chance
of It's recovery. In any case will go and
inquire of D., if l can get at him,
whether he has been seized with sudden
attack of kleptomania; because The IDEA OF
the Empress having sent him roaming
about the theatre, borrowing a lady's Jew
els, l regard as preposte Gus. All, these
Partisan .flous! You do not know what
scientific geniuses they are in their way"
With this the Count departed, and the
second act was nearly at an end before ne
returned.
In the meantime the Countess perceived
Il. L. r. &c 1ntn fp NJ
cupants Of the imperial box, and NOTABLY
to the double of her late aristocratic-
looking visitor, who, she could still solemn
" declare. had stood before her in the
flesh.
81 was right, whispered the Count, re-
entering and bending over his wife's chair;
Do knows nothing of your earring,
and, needless TO say, the Empress never
sent him or any one else upon such an er-
rand have put the matter into the hands
of the police, and they will do all that IS
possible to recover it. 4"
"Really! How very droll!' replied the
Countess, with calm nonchalance-for she
belonged to that order of impassive statu-
esaue women who remain mistress OF them
selves though any quantity Of ''china fall, :"
81 will take out the other earring, or peo-
pie may fancy | am trying to set the fash
ion of wearing an odd one;' and she hand
ed the fellow to the purloined jewel to her
husband.
The play came TO AZ end, as even that
most excellent feast Of reason, good
French play well acted, must DO, sooner or
later, in common with all things mum
dane.
The Countess was duly commiserated by
sy,npathizing friends. who one and all de-
III L. 1@oa hot hay yvnr
never have been guilty of the imbecility OF
, trusting so valuable possession to the ten
der mercies of however fascinating strang-
) err; but nothing more was heard of the sto-
len Jewel until the following day at noon,
when Count Ivanoff received note from
!, D to the effect that as he could not
help considering himself partly responsible
for the loss of the diamond which had dis
appea red through the agency of his conn
terpart, he had taken an early opportunity
of interviewing the Chief Of Police, who
assured him he had good reason to believe
, the thief had already heer traced as far
: as Brussels.
Early in the afternoon the Countess was
about to start for her daily drive in the
Bots. The frozen snow lay deep upon the
ground, and her sledge, with its two jet
black Russian horses jingling their bells
merrily in the frosted air stood waiting in
the conrt-VafS WHARF thu Countless dOnned
4 servant entering announced that an OIL
Ger of police in plain clothes asked permis-
sion to speak with Nine. la Conltesse coz
corning the lost diamond.
"But, certainly" agreed madame gra-
ciously, 'let the officer Be sho wn into the bou-
doir.''
Iuto the beudoir presently came the
Countess, stately, beautiful, fur clad, but
= toniHg her little gloves. Near the door
4 stood a short giry looking man with keen
black eyes, closely egopped hair and COM
pact, erect military iguae, The small
man clicked his heels together aad begged
: profoundly in the presence Of so much
! high born loveliness, while he said with the
: utmost respect, at the same time laying a
letter upon the table:
Il am sent by an order of the Chef de
Police to inform Madame Ia Comtesse that
> the stolen diamond has been satisfactorily
> traced, bub there is unfortunately some lit
tie difficulty contested with Identification.
am charged, therefore, 70 beg that Mad
: anne la Comtesse will have the goodness to
intrnst the fellow earring to the police for a
: short period, in order that it may ba COM
pared with the one found in the possession
) Of the suspected thief Madame will find
that the Letter | bring corroborates my
statement"
: The Countess glanced hastily through
the letter, and ringing the bel desired that
Der maid might be told, to bring the re-
naming erring Immediately; this was done,
and the dapper little nan, bowling deiereu-
, TALLY, departed with the precious dupli-
cate safely in his possession.
The Countess descended to her sledge
and drove to the club to call for her hlIs-
band Gu route for the Bots. Crossing the
Place de la C0ncorde she related TO him the
latest incident in the story Of the diamond
earring.
you never were induced to give up the
other!'' cried Count Ivanoff incredulously
!. ''But l tell you, mon ami, an officer of
police came himself to fetch it. bringing a
letter from his superior vouching for the
truth of his statement"
''If the Project himself had come dom t
think I should have been cajoled into let
ting him have it after last nights expert
ence" laughed her husband. "However,
for the second time of asking. we will go
and inquire"
The cOachman turned and drove as di-
rected to the bureau of police, at which the
Count had lodged his complaint the night
before. After a somewhat protracted de-
lay the count rejoined his wife with semi
grim look Of amusement upon his hand
some, hirsute face.
"The police know nothing of your detec-
tive or his epistolary Efforts he said,
drawing The fur rug up to his chin as the
impatient horses sped away merrily over
the frozen saow; sit was the wrong man
they had got hold of at Brussels Your
second earring has been netted by another
member Of the light fingered fraternity,
and upon my honor think he was the
more accomplished artist of the two.''
And from that uulucky day to this the
Countess Ivanoff's celebrated diamond ear
rings knew her pretty ears no more
Alaric Carr, London Society.
"Isuppose you often want something to fill
up your paper with ?'' said man, coming
into country newspaper office with four
column communication on patent, duplex,
double back-action harrow of his own in