The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-05-20
"Who is Dr." inquired the count

replied the count, smiling; "there are
several editions of his biographical
different, probably none of them true.
He is successful, which is the chief
point; moreover, he is entertaining,
and at any rate, looks and speaks like
a gentleman, which in these evil days
is something-even much. Tenez, he
has just eutered the emperor's box.
the man in the black coat"
as that M. D-?" exclaimed the
countess, waking upto a mild interest
in the subject; if so he has been here
while you were away. He came on the
part of the empress, and carried OF
one OF my earrings, which her majesty
wished to compare with one OF the
Countess w, g."
o.! Impossible Twas talking
to him the whole time was absent,
and he only left me at the top of the
staircase two seconds before / return
ed"
Nevertheless, mon ami, he has been
here, and has taken my earring. See!
it is gone"
Effectively" agreed the count, with
a grim smile; "but D--has not taken
it. 1t is to the last degree unlikely
that the empress would make such q
request. Depend upon it, you have
been made the victim of thief, gotten
up as an accurate copy OF the distin-
| guished looking D."
Impossible" cried the countess, in
her turn. "The affair is absolutely as
l tell you. 1t was NJ. D., the verita-
BILE NJ. D--I see opposite, who came
into this box and took away my dia-
mond. Only wait q little, and he will
bring it back intact"
"To wait q little is to lessen the
chances OF its recovery. In any case
l will 60 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 hav-
ing sent him roaming about the thea
tire, borrowing a lady's jewels regard
as preposterous. All! these Partisan
ftous! You do not know what scien-
tiic geniuses they are in their way"
With this the count departed, and
the second act was nearly at an end
before he returned.
In the meantime, the countess per-
ceived that she was an object OF inter
est to the occupants of the imperial
box, and notably to the "double" Of
her late aristocratic.looking visitor,
who she could still solemnly declare,
had stood before her in the flesh.
II was right" whispered the count,
e.entering and bending over his wife's
chair; D-knows nothing of. your
earring, and, needless to say, the en-
press nevss SEM hiIl ar any one else
upon such an GRAND. have put the
matter into the hands OF the police,
and they will do all that is possible
to recover it,"
"Really! How very droll!" re-
marked the countess with calm non
chalence- she belonged to that Or
der OF impressive statuesque women,
who remain mistress OF themselves
though any quantity OF ''chlna tall"
II will take out the other earring, or
people may fancy am trying to set
the fashion of wearing an odd one;;"
and she handed the fellow to the pur-
lolned Jewel to her husband.
The play came to an end, as even
that most excellent feast OF reason, a
good French play, well acted, must DC
sooner or latter, in common with all
things mundane.
The countess was duly commisser-
ated by sympathizing friends who one
and ali declared, behind her back, that
they would never have been guilty OF
theimbecility OF trusting so valuable @
possession to the tender mercles OF
however fascinating a stranger; but
nothing more was heard of the stolen
jewel until the following day at noon,
when Count Ivanoff received a note
from D. to the effect that. as he
could not help considering himself
partly responsible for the loss OF the
diamond which had disappeared
through the agency ofhis counterpart,
he had taken an early opportunity OF
} interviewing the chief of the police,
who assured him he had good reason
to believe the theft had already been
J traced as far as Brussels:
Early in the afternoon the countess
J was about to start for her daily drive
in the Bots. The frozen snow lay deep
upon the ground, and the let-blaek
= Russian horses jingling their bells mer'
rily in the frosty air, stood waiting in
, the courtyard while the countess
donned her furs.
A servant entering announced that
an officer of police in plain clothes
: asked permission to speak with Nine
la Comtesse concerning the lost dia'
mond
"But certainly" agreed madame
3 graciously; "let the officer be shown
) into the boudoir."
l Into the boudoir presently came the
countess, stately, beautiful, fur-clad
2 buttoning her little glove. Near the
{ door stood a short, wiry looking man
with keen black eyes, closely-croppeo
E: hair, and compact, erect military fig
ure, The small man clincked his heels
together and bowed profoundly in th'
4 presence OF so mnch high-born love
9 illness, while he said with the utmost
: respect, at the same time laying a let
: ter upon the table:
II am sent by order of the chef d.
: police to inform Nine. Ia Confess
v that the stolen diamond has been sat
i isfactorily traced, but there is unfor
. tunately some little difficulty cpnnect
Is ed with It's Identification: Tam charg
J. ed, therefore, to beg that Nine, Ia Com
o Jesse will have thegoodness to intrus
the fellow earring to the police for (
J, short period, in order that it may b
:, compared with the one found in tn
possession of the suspected thief
: Madame will find that the letter
0 bring, corroborates my statement"
|, The countess glanced hastily through
II the letter, and ringing the bell deslret
s= that her maid might be told to brin
the remaining earrine immediately
n this was done, and the dapper littl
s man, bowling deferentially, departed
J. with the precious duplicate safely il
possession.
70 The countess descended to her sledg
>; and drove to the club. to call for he
3 husband On poute Tor the Bots. Cross
= ing the Place de la Concorde, she relat
e ed to him the latest incident in tn
Re story of the diamond earring.
" "You never were induced to give u
y the other!'' cried Count Ivanoffincred
J. ulously.
l. | nD,,x Al 900, ,,o4c 49,: ~