, 1890-08-28
A BUTTERFLY.

"A bUl EMILY.
When Mrs. Walslngham lost the
diamond butterfly which her hus-
band had given her on the first an
niversary of their wedding day, she
was naturally much perturbed by
her loss.
For two seasons Mrs. Waising.
hams butterfly Lad been an absorb
ing topic of onversation, whenever
pretty Mrs. Walsingham herself
happened to be present, and on more
than one occasion 1t had attracted
the adnliring attention of royalty.
And now the butterfly was lost.
The world--or rather such portion
of 1t as was crowded into tn Q Court
theater on that disastrous night
had seen the jeweled insect flashing
and scintillating in Mrs. Walsing-
hams pretty brown hair all the
time of the performance. But when
husband and wife stood in the light
of their own hall lamp, the former
had uttered an exclamation of dis
may.
The butterfly was gone!
Everything had been done that
Ia usual in such cases. The colonel
had looked carefully I'm the car
riage, and had made q thorough
examination of each separate fold in
his wife's dress. Next morning he
had gone off to the theater and had
himself searched the box in which
they had been sitting. Then with
commendable prudence he had
cautioned his wife against speaking
about her loss, even to the servants,
aud In the advertisement in which
he offered a considerable reward for
the recovery of the missing trinket
he had described 1t as "a jewel in
sect (paste), valuable to the owner,
because specially designed for the
Polish wife of Prince Boris Ivano-
witch, when she secretly sold the
Ivanovitch diamonds to supply her
compatriots with funds for u revolu-
tionary uprising"
The colonel was very pleased with
the wording of this advertisement,
and read it aloud with great deal
of complacency to his wife.
Mrs. Walsingham was not quite
so well pleased as her husband. She
objected to the slight put upon her
cherished possession by describing
it as paste, and the aristocratic
flavor of its mythical history did
not console her.
'Even if l do get it back,n she
murmured plaintively, ~ shan't
care to wear it, If everybody i'm
agines it is PASTE"
When, however, the colonel
pointed out that he had referred the
public in the first instance to a
neighboring stationer's, and that
there was nothing whatever in the
advertisement to suggest to cap
tious world that Mrs. Walslngham's s
famous butterfly was in question,
she was greatly impressed by her
husbands cleverness.
That evening the Walsinghams
did not dine out, but had u cosy
tete-a.tete dinner at home, so as to
be ON the spot If any one came with
news of the stolen jewel.
mot that ] am at all sanguine,n -
said the colonel, as he thoughtfully
peeled banana. "If the thief had
happened to be stray pickpocket,
we might hope to See the fly again.
It's mere likely, though that the
vagabond who has the thing now,
had his eye on 1t for some time
past"
But even as he spoke the solemn
butler came softly In.
"A person to see you, sir" he an
nou need, deferentlally; "he won't
give his name, but he says Foster,
the stationer, has sent him, and
that you will know all about It,"
Mrs. Walsinghan gave u little
start of delight, and the colonel
could scarcely conceal his excite
ment. "Show him In here, Bailey"
he said quickly; sit is some one we
are expecting"
lut Dutlei WithuIcW, duu III
few seconds ushered in slight,
gentlemanly looking man, with
sharp gray eyes and smooth face.
"Colonel Walsingham, believe"
began the stranger, taking with
easy self.possession the chair which
the colonel indicated at the far end
of the table.
The colonel assented. "You have
come, presume"
ITO give information about some
lost property of yours. Precisely !"
.Have you found it?" queried
Walsingham eagerly.
swell, that's just what wish to
ascertain" said the stranger, suave-
ly. "My name is Sawder, Fred
Sawder, late Of Scotland Yard" he
continued, turning TO the colonel.
"I'm detective, and a few hours
back came across piece OF jewelry
| answerinp To yOur deacrlption