Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-11-08

/ Heinrich took his leave he seemed to
have forgotten his momentary irritation.
CHAPTER ii.
The beautiful Baden summer was now
at its height. and the figure of old Cor
nelius Van Heuvel might be seen every
dav sitting in his armchair beside his
open window. as he smoked his pipe and
/ drank his glass OF beer. Giuseppe and
/ Heinrich would frequently shout ont
words of greeting TO him from their win
/ dow across the street, and the old man,
whose voice was too weak to make itself
! heard even at that short distance, would
wave his pipe gently in recognition of
! the civility.
One bright afternoon the passers along
| the Blumen strasse saw the old man
seated in his customary place, with the
same placid smile of content upon his
face. All through the remainder of the
! day he never moved, though his head
declined to one side and he seemed to
have fallen asleep. Later on, as the day
faded away and the bright moonbeams
poured in through the window, they
lighted up the motiOnless figure, still
seated in the same position, but
rs he was accustomed to remain
for q long time in his armchair,
no one took any notice, and it was not
until o'clock in the morning, when the
Frau Yung came into the room with the
matutinal cup OF chocolate. that, after
brief glance at the motionless figure,
she dropped the tray 10 the ground with
a loud crash and dashed from the cham
Der, uttering piercing cries for help.
There was indeed cause for Frau Yung's
state of alarm. The features of Corne
lius Van Heuvel were perfectly calm and
placid, but life had fled and the blood
which flowed from a small circular orihce
in the neck had formed a cosgulated
patch of gore upon his breast.
A doctor at once pronounced that the
old man had expired from a bullet
wound, and that death, which must have
been almost instantaneous, had occurred
some eight or nine hours before. The
Blumen strasse was an essentially quiet
street, and the inhabitants seldom left it.
A shot fired in so peaceful locality
would have been certain to have attract
ed attention, and yet no one recOllected
any such sound. There were no signs
of a struggle, and the only appearance
| OF any intruder having entered the room
was that the drawers OF the ebony cabi-
net were half opened and heap of gilt
/ tering stones were scattered upon the
| floor beneath. Gluckstein, one of he
most celebrated detectives attached to
the Police Bureau of Heidelberg, who had
hurried to the spot upon hearing OF
the tragedy, stopped and picked up sew
eral OF these shining fragments, and as
he gazed upon them with his practical
eye he uttered half-suppressed excla-
nation of astonishment for instead OF
precious gems he held O quantity Of
counterfeit stones in the palm of his
hand. A small piece of folded paper in
one OF the drawers solved the mystery.
1t was the receipted bill of a Partisan
firm celebrated for their skill in manu-
featuring limitations of precious gems
and it was evident that the old curiosity
dealer, when he placed his genuine dia-
monds in place of security, had exact
limitations of them made, so that he
might feast his eyes upon them and to a
certain extent keep count of his wealth.
"But where is the poor old mans
nephew Where is Giuseppe Vol
toni ?" asked Professor Wagentriber.
All those in the room glanced across
the street at the window of the room oc-
cupied by the murdered mans nephew.
Contrary to the usual custom, it was
firmly closed and what was more, O faded
crimson curtain was drawn half way
across il.
81 will go and call him." remarked
Herr Ruprecht. 1.-THE poor young man
is doubtless asleep end is unaware of the
terrible deed which has been commit
ted" The aged man took q step or two
across the room, but before he reached
the door tho hand of Gluckstein gently
arrested his further progress
pardon me, mein Herr" said he !;
"but with your permission will go and
break the news to Herr Voltoni." With
quiet and noiseless steps the detective
descended the stairs and, crossing the
street, made his way to the room occu-
pied by the dead mans nephew.
"This is no time for ceremony" NUT
tered he as he reached the landing. and
turning the handle he entered Guiseppe
Voltoni's room. He crossed the room
and dnwlng the curtain let in q flood of
dazzling light.
The room was unoccupied. Quaint
images OF Egyptian gods scowled al him
from their glass-cases. A mummified cat
or SO seemed TO grim at him with malic
nant derision, while the sarcophagus of
hing Rameses stood in its accustomed
place in the centre Of tho room. There
was, however, no sign of Giuseppe Vol.
toni, and glance at the little pailet-bed,
which stood in one corner, showed that
it had not been occupied during the past
night. 81 thought So" murmured
Glucksteip.
Zach Himmel, he need only have
waited for few months. for do not
think the old man would have lasted
much longer. What mad fools the
criminals are"
his keen eyes swept ovor the room.
not missing single portion in the rapid
survey. There was no appearance Of
any hurried departure. The little chest
OF drawers filed to overfowing with
clothes and linen, while hali.smokod-
ont pipe and glass with about a tea
4 6pOOnful Of eafoa M ksuaav st,il .nr.a:-