Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1886-02-12
An Austrian Countess Surprised.
From Town Topics.

FROM Town ropes.
Vienna is much agitated over q
scandal there. The Countess of L., q
great lady moving in the court circles
there, is passionately fond of pearls
IN fact, she is the female counterpart OF
Lord Topaz,in "Lothair." A few week
ago the Countess received e. visit from
her jeweller, who very strongly recon-
mended her to become the purchaser
of a most magnificent "rope OF pearls. y
'"They are quite unique, madame, !
assure you, said the jeweller, land
the price to you is only g. hundred
thousand tlorins:" "Only q hundred
thousand FORMS" repeated the Coun-
tess, with smile; "but, n :importe,
let me have look at your gems,
feel strong enough to resist the temp
tation to buy" Thereupon the Jew
eller opened the casket which contained
his treasure, and displayed a. string OF
pearls of such fault]ess beauty that
Lothian himself would have been
proud to present them to the Lady
Corisande. Meanwhile the opening OF
the casket acted like magic upon the
Countess. No sooner had she caught
sight of it's contents than she over
whelmed the jeweller with, heap of
questions. "Where, when, how did
you come by these PEARLS? How much
did you give-1 mean from whom did
you buy them?" II did NOS buy them
at all, /" replied the astonished jeweller;
''neither do they belong to me. They
were merely intrusted to me by a lady
to sell on commission. should have
hesitated a long time before buying
such pearls as these, for which one
cannot find a customer every day in
the year, madame; no, indeed, Sthey
might have been upon my hands for
months-years."
At the urgent request of the Coun-
tess footman was at once despatched
to bring the lady who had deposited
the pearls with Mr.. - to the palace OF
the Countess OIL. After a brief delay
the lady arrived, young, handsome,
and elegantly dressed in the height OF
the reigning fashion. She listened with
a subdued smile to the series OF cues.
tions which the Countess of L. ad-
dressed to her. Nettled, but still re-
tanning the command other temper, the
Countess wound up by touching Sc,
cret spring in the fastening of theneck-
lace. '"rhere," she exclaimed, point.
ing to her arms and motto engraved
on t he side OF the fastening, "however
you came into the possession OF these
pearls, you will hardly venture to dis.
pute that they belong to me. -Four
years ago they suddenly disappeared
from my jewel case, and now after all
inquiry had proved Ruthless, they are
found with you! I am under great
obligations to the lady who has res
tored to me that which is my own. .
The Countess accompanied these
words with bow and q smile of pro
found irony. In answer to this tiradt
the lady uttered not a word, but
opening small reticule which she car
ried in her hand, produced q highly
scented billet-doux and handed it tc
the Countess, who started as if a ser
pent had stung her, and swooned up
on the spot. Onrecovering conscious
ness she went straight to her WRITING
table, wrote check for the amoun1l
demanded by the lady, and gave it tc
her without uttering single word
The billet-doux was in the hand writinf
Of the Countess only son. 3