The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-07-02
Selected Storp.
A Butterfly.

much perturbed by her loss. For two
seasons Mrs. Westinghouse butterfly
had been an absorbing topic of CONVEX
sation whenever pretty Mrs. Walsing-
ham herself happened to be present,
and on more than one occasion had at.
tracted the attention of royalty And
now the butterfly was lost. The
world-or rather such portion of it as
was crowded into the concert on
that disastrous night-had seen the
ieweled insect flashing and scintillating
in Mrs. Walsingham'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 exclamation of dismay.
The butterfly was gone!
Everything had been done that is
usual in such cases. The colonel had
looked carefully in the carriage and
had made thorough examination of
each separate fold in his wife's dress.
Next morning he had gone off to the
hall, and had himself searched the
box in which they had been sitting.
Then, with commendable prudence, he
cautioned his wife against speaking
about her loss, even to the servants,
and in the advertisement in which he
offered a considerable reward for a
missing trinket he had described it as
"a jeweled insect paste), valuable to the
owner because specially designed for
the Polish wife of Prince Boris Ivan
witch, when she secretly sold the Ivan
witch diamonds to supply her COM
patriots with funds for revolutionary
uprising"
The colonel was much pleased with
the wording of this advertisement, and
read it aloud with great complacency
to his wife. Mrs. Walsingham was not
quite so pleased as her husband. She
objected to the slight put upon her
cherished possession by describing it
as paste, and the artistic flavor of its
mythical history did not console her.
Even if | do get it back" she MUIR
INJURED, plaintively, shan't care to
wear it if everybody imagines it is
paste"
When, however, the colonel pointed
out that he had referred the public in
the first instance to a neighboring sta
toner's, and that there was nothing
whatever in the advertisement to sug-
gest to a captious world that Mrs.
Walsingham's butterfly was in ques-
ton, she was greatly impressed by her
husbands cleverness.
That evening the Walsinghams did
not dine out, but had cosy tete-a-tete
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,'
said the colonel, as he thoughtfuly
peeled a banana. &" If the thief had
happened to be stray pickpocket, we
might hope to see the fly again.
It's more likely, though, that the vaga-
bond 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; she won't
give his name, but he says Foster (the
stationery has sent him, and that you
will know all about it."
Mrs. Walsingham gave a little start
of delight, and the colonel could
scarcely conceal his excitement. "Show
him in here, Bailey" he said, quickly;
" it is some one we are expecting"
The butler withdrew, and in few
seconds ushered in a slight, gentle
manipulating man, with sharp gray
eyes and smooth face.
" Colonel Walsingham, l believer"
began the stranger, taking, with easy
elf-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 it?" queried Mrs.
Walsingham, eagerly.
"Well, that's just what l wish to as
CERTAIN" said the stranger, suavely.
" My name is Sawder, Fred Sawder,
late of Scotland Yard" He continued,
turning to the colonel, " Pm a detect
i've, and few hours back ! came across
a piece of jewelry answering to your
description
"You don't mean to say SOP" cried
the colonel, excitedly. "Where did
you find it?"
Well, it's long story" said Mr..
Sawder, deliberately, "and brings in
matters which are, so to speak, profess
sional 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. Walsing-
ham waited anxiously for him to 90 on,
and after few seconds pause he was
graciously pleased to do so, pointedly
addressing himself now to Mrs. Walsing-
ham.
"Of course, madam, you have heard
of the great Fenton Court robbery?"
Mrs. Walsingham made motion of
assent
Er-wel-the fact is to-day | had
the good fortune to recover nearly all
that stolen jewelry. 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. Walsingham, in her pretty, impe-
rious manner, while her husbands face
seconded her request.
ooh, well, there's not much to tell,