The Opelousas courier., 1889-07-27

contingencies In HattOn Gardena
AS / drove up another cab stopped at
the door, and out of it descended a
figure which filed me with astonish-
ment. It was the Earl of - himself!
He seized me hurriedly by the arnA
contrary to his usual dignifed manner
and bearing, and almost forced me into
the Office. Once there he lost no time
in telling me the occasion for his
errand, a narrative which, as it pro-
ceeded, more than confirmed my worst
fears.
II thought it best not to telegraph
you," he commenced; electric mes
sages get into suspicious hands occa-
~sionally, so / came up from M
straight here"
"You have only just arrived in town
my lord?" 1 asked feebly. DO l I'M
derstand that?"
II reach Iaddington scarcely half
an hour ago. The fact is, the jewels
had from you for my daughter have
been stolen"
$50 I have been informed" I re-
piled, mechanically, "only half an
hour ago." y
$50 you have been told! WhefR on
earth did you get your informatidp?"
AS %coherently as l could l told ny
tale; and fortunately was able to pro.
duce the two notes in evidence of my
sanity, which up to this time had been
open to argument.
The Earl put on his gold-rimnled
~spectacles and read them with q jn.
dicial air. II am afraid, very much
afraid, you have been the victim of q
cleverly-planned robbery. Yesterday
morning Evans came to me and asked
for two days holiday, a favor which l
need not tell you was readily granted.
1t was only last night that my daugh-
ter, who is staying at M with her
husband, discovered by the merest
accident that she had been rob-
bed. Of course none of us
suspected Evans. I should not have
suspected it now, if / had not seen you;
and my object in coming here's was to
get a technical description of the miss
ing gems for the use of the Scotland
Yard people. What a pity l did not
come earlier"
By this time l was in a frame OF
mind suspicious enough to make me
suspect any one, including the Earl
himself. / pointed out to him, none
too courteously, the fact of the letters,
and my conversation with the Honora-
BILE Claude.
II have a good memory, MI. -"
said my visitor, kindly, land l recog
nize these letters as the two | wrote to
you prior to my daughters marriage.
Evans, / understand, delivered both of
them. and must4hlave purloined them
while your back was turned, with a
view to this very robbery. It is true
that I have a son Claude, only, un-
fortunately for your theory. he is at
present with his regiment in the West
Indies"
But | could have sworn to you
lordship's figure as l saw you getting
into the cab; and pardon me, l could
make oath to your voice among a mill
ion."
you recall a little circumstance ]
had quite forgotten, the Earl replied,
in amused retrospection. Evans, I
regret to say, was uncommonly clever
at mimicry; indeed, on n occasion /
am informed that he presumed to coun-
terfeit my dress and general style, even
my voice, EOf the amusem mt of select
circle of friends, in a mans,er which
filed them with astonishmedt. e They
say, like master like man. Mr.. -;
but it is very sad to see SO clever a
man SO great a RASCAL. And now, as /
am in a measure the author of your
loss, and as we are, moreover, com
rades in misfortune, pray consider my
advice. need | say my purse likewab
at your convenience"
We drove to Scotland Yard together
and laid our complaint before the All.
thorities. They were very wise and
confident; but, as / imagined, the real
culprit was never captured. The
Honorable Claude" was pie,led up
some few months later, but he turned
out to be only a cats paw in the bands
of the older and ADLER scoundrel. but
the astute Evans, the successful
mimic, was never found; and
those two splendid parures remain lost
to the world to this day. But in con
sequence of the daring robbery being
committed under his own roof, the
Earl of - insisted upon making good
our loss, as a kind of penalty, he said,
for placing a premium upon tempta-
ton.
Were you not sue 1icious when you
were asked to part with your valua-
bles?"
SIN a general way / should not have
parted with them, not even to a rela-
ton of my customer; but the romance
of the thing deceived me, the half
vested air of mystery, and, above all,
hearing the Earl's voice SO close to me,
and every stray word I could catch
bearing upon the servants cunningly-
told tale. Usually | am caution itself,
but | was fairly had there. Cham
bers' journal.
|
Biblical Lore in England.
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