New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-05-19
A French Diamond Robbery.

verdant and fresh; Sedan, with all it's
bitter humiliation and disastrous
train of tragic consequences, doomed
in the misty future, undreamed of
amidst the almost fabulous luxury
and incredible frivolity which paved
the way for the final terrible fasco.
1t was an evening in mid winter.
The Partisan season was at it's height
and brilliant audience had assem-
bled at the Theater Franchise to wit
ness the performance Of Jules San
deau's delightful play, "Mlle. de la
Seiglierre," in which the role of Des-
tournelles was filled by the great Reg
nier, and that OF Helene by Madeline
Brohan, then in the zenith of her fame,
radiant with youth, beauty, and those
destinations, the outcome of innate
talent and refinement, which rendered
this gifted lady one ofthe most charm
ing and perfect actresses OF modern
days.
The empress was present, graceful
and beautiful; the emperor at her side,
wrapped in his favorite air Of gloomy
abstraction, which, like Lord Bur-
leigh's celebrated nod, was supposed
to mean so much, yet which, viewed
by the impartial light of subsequent
veracious history, seems to have sig
nified SO very little. Several officers
in glittering uniforms were in attend
ance, sparkling with decorations
showered upon them by grateful
sovereign; and, among these gallant
warriors, conspicuous by reason of
the sombreness OF his attire, was
solitary, humble, black-coated civil
ian in ordinary evening dress, with
the inevitable speck of red at his but
ton-hole.
In a box almost Immediately oppo-
site that occupied by their imperial
majesties, was a young and exceeding
ly handsome Russian lady, the Count
ess Ivanoff, concerning whose mani
fold graces and facinations the great
world OF Paris elected to interest it.
self considerably at this period.
The beauty and wit Of this fair
northern ench&ntress were the theme
Of every masculine tongue, and her
magnificent diamonds the envy and
admiration of all feminine beholders.
The countess was accompanied by
her husband, fine man of distin-
guished, prepossessing appearance,
who looked an embodied refutation of
the celebrated Napoleonic aphorism,
as though no amount of Scratching"
could ever unearth the Cossack ele-
ment underneath his refined polished
exterior.
The curtain fell after the first act.
The emperor and empress withdrew
during the cntr' acte. Many humber
mortals followed their example; among
them Count Ivanoff, apparently in no
wise disturbed by the fact that the
golden youth in the stalls were bring
ing a small battery of opera glasses to
bear upon the dazzling charms of his
beautiful wife, with brazen persist
ency which we chivalrous Britlshers
like to fatter ourselves is the monop-
oily of foreigners.
The countess leaned back in her lux
urious fauteuil, tanning herself dream
lily, serenely Indifferent to the interest
she was exciting. In the dim light OF
her curtain shaded box the glitter OF
her splendid diamonds seemed to form
a sort of luminous halo around her
graceful head; myriad starry brill
iants cleaned among the masses OF
her gold. brown hair, and two priceless
stones, popularity reported to be
worth that unknown quantity, a kings
ransom, flashed and twinkled like twin
planets in her little shelled ears.
| The count had not been gone five
minutes when there was gentle knock
at the door, and in answer to the
countess "Entrez," the ouvreuse ap.
peared and said deferentially:
pardon, Nine. la Comtesse, a gen
tleman charged with message from
her majesty the empress waits in the
corridor, and desires to know if mad
anne will have the goodness to re-
ceive him.
Certainly! Enter, I beg of you, mon
sieur,' replied the countess in low
sweet voice which was not the least oil
her many attractions, bowling grar
ciously, as she recognized the distin.
guished Hooking civilian she had al
ready noticed in close proximity tc
the emperor in the imperial box
The visitor advanced few steps,
and, still standing in a deep shadow
said with grave dignity:
81 trust my intrusion may be par
doned. am desired by her najestyte
ask a favor OF Nine. la Comtesse, and
at the same time, to beg that she viii
have the goodness to excuse some
what unusual request
"The obligation will be mine II I car
fulfill even the least of her Daiesty's
Wishes answered the countess grace
fully.
s'The case is this,'' explained tn,
gentleman, in a tone of well-bred ease
san argument has arisen concerninI
the size of the diamonds in your ear
ings and those of the Countess w. TIL
empress begs that you will intrust on
Of your pendants to her care for a few
moments as the only satisfaotor.
method of disposing Of the vexed cues
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