Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-06-21
L BUTTERFLY.


When Mrs. Walsingham lost the dia
mond butterfly which her husband hat
given her on the first anniversary of thei
wedding-day, she was naturally much per
turbed by her loss.
For two seasons Mrs. Walsingham's but
teray had been an absorbing topic of con
versation, whenever pretty Mrs. Walsing
ham herself happened to be present, ane
on more than one occasion it had attracted
the sdmiring attention of royalty.
And now the butterfly was lost. The
world-or rather such portion of it as was
crowded into the Court Theater on that
disastrous night-had seen the jeweled in
sect flashing and scintillating in Mrs. Wal
singham's 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 ex-
-clamation of dismay.
The butterfly was gone!
Everything had been done that was
usual in such cases. The Colonel had
looked carefully in the carriage, and had
made a 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 COM
mendabie prudence, he had cautioned his
wife against speaking about her loss, even
to the servants, and in the advertisement
in which he offered considerable reward
for the recovery of the missing trinket he
had described it as ga jeweled insect
(paste), valuable to the owner because
specially designed for the Polish wife of
Prince Boris Ivanvitch, when she secretly
sold the Ivanvitch diamonds to supply her
compatriots with funds for revolutionary
uprising"
The Colonel was much pleased with the
wording of this advertisement, aud read it
aloud with great deal of complacency to
his wife,
Mrs. Walsingham was not quite SO
pleased as her husband. She objected to
the slight put upon her cherished possess
sion by describing it as paste, and the aris-
tocratic flavor of its mythical history did
not console her.
even if do get it back" she MUIR
1t, if everybody imagines it is paste"
out that he had referred the public in the
first instance to neighboring stationer's,
and that there was nothing whatever in
the advertisement to suggest to a captious
world that Mr.. Walsingham's famous but
terfy was in question, she was greatly i'm
pressed with her husbands cleverness.
That evening the Walsinghams did not
dine out, but had cosy tete-a-tete dinner
l. al
came with news of the stolen jewel.
"Not that | am at all sanguine," said
the Colonel, as he thoughtfully peeled
banana. IF the thief had happened to be
a stray pickpocket, we might hope to see
the 'fy' again. It's more likely, though,
that the vagabond who has the thing now
had his eye on it for some time past"
But even as he spoke the solemn butler
came softly in.
"a person to see you, sir" he an
nounced, deferentially; che won't give his
name, but he says Foster, the stationer,
has sent him. and that you will know all
about it."
Mrs. Walsingham gave little start of
delight, and the Colonel could scarcely
conceal his excitement. "Show him in
here, Bailey" he said quickly, sit is some
one We are expecting.
The butler withdrew, and in a few Sec
onds ushered in a slight, gentlemanly-
looking man, with sharp gray eyes and
smooth face.
Colonel Walsingham, l believe ?" be-
gan 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"-
'To give information about some lost
property of yours. Precisely"
''Have you found t." queried Mrs.
Walsingham eagerly.
"Well, that's Just what / wish to ascer-
tain,' SAID the stranger suavely. "My
name is Sawder, Fred Sawder, late of
Scotland Yard" he continued, turning to
the Colonel. "Pm detective, and few
hours back came across piece of jew
elry answering to your description"
"You don't mean to say so ?" cried the
Colonel excitedly. where did you find
it?n
"Well, it's long story" said Mr. Saw
der, deliberately, "and brings in matters
which are, so to speak, professional secrets
at present. But there-the whole account
will be in the papers tomorrow, so there's
no harm in my telling you"
Both the Colonel and Mrs. Walsingham
waited anxiously for him to go on, and,
after few seconds pause, he was gra-
ciously pleased to do so, pointedly
addressing himself to Mrs. Walsingham.
''Of course, madam, you have heard OF
the great Fenton Court robbery"
Mrs. Walsingham made motion of
assent.
"Er-well-the fact is, to-day l had
the good fortune to recover nearly all
that stolen jewelry. 1 have Just tele-
graphed to Mr.. Fenton to come up and
identify the things tomorrow"
"You have got back the diamonds"
Everything, madam, as far as we can
tell"
"Tell us all about it." commanded Mrs.
Walisngham, in her pretty, imperious
manner, while her husbands face seconded
her request.
ooh, we'll, there is not much to tell
ma'am. From information received, we
made this morning raid on the house Of
a party called Sleepy Jim-sleepy, because
he just isn't sleepy, don't you see, madam.
Well, Jim was very easy and careless, and
We searched and searched, and not thing
could we find, and at last we gave it up
was the last to go, and as went, heard
for my ears are quick-l heard jim
give the least bit of a sigh.
"'Come back, men, l shouted; the
things are here, and we won't be sucl
numbskulls as TO go away without them
Let's have one more look around Their
it occurred to me that Sleepy Jim had no
been sitting on the table for nothing al
the time we were turning his place upsid,
down. So just pushed him and 1t OIL
one side, kicked over the square Of carpe
on which the table had been standing
and 10 and behold, there were plain sign
that the boards had been raised pretty re
Gently.