San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-09-19
THE DANVERS JEWELS.

us at the door, and on a whisper from
the police inspector first shook her head,
and then, il answer to a further whis-
per, nodded ct another door, and a voice
calling her from within hastily disap-
peared.
The inspector opened the door she had
indicated and Went in, l with him.
Charles, who had grown very grave,
hung lack with Ralph, who seemed too
much GlZel torotice anything in heaven
above or the earth beneath. The door
opened into an clubhouse, roughly paved
with round stones, where barrels, slaves
and divers lumber had been put away.
There was straw in the further END
Of it, out of which a yellow cat raised
two cleaning eyes, and then few up a
ladder against the wall and disappeared
among the raftcrs. In the middle of the
floor, lying a little apart, were three fig
ures with sheets over them. Instructive
" we felt that we We're in the presence
of death. | looked back at Charles and
Ealph, who were still standing outside
il the falling snow. Charles wa bare
headed. but Ralph was looking absently
in front of him, seeming conscious OF
nothing. The inspector made me asign.
lie had raised one of the sheets, and now
withdrew it altogether. My heart seem
ed TO stand still.
1t was Aurelia! Aurelia changed in
the last great change of all, but still
Aurelia. The fixed artificial color in the
cheek consorted i'll with the bloodless
pallor of the rest of the face, which was
set in Il look of surprise and terror. She
was altered beyond what should have
been. She looked several years older.
but it was still Aurelia. Those little
gloved hands, tightly clinched, were the
same which she had held to the hbrar,
fire as we talked the day before; even
the dress was the same. y Alas! she had
been in too great a hurry to change it
before she left, or her thin shoes. Poor
little Aurelia!
And them don't know how it was.
but in another moment Ralph was
kneeling by her, bending wei her,
taking the stiffcned hands in his trem-
bling clasp, imploring the deaf ears to
hear him, calling wildly to the pale lips
to speak to him which had done with
human speech. could not bear it, and
| turned away and looked out through
the open door at the snow falling. The
inspector came and stood beside me. In
the silence which followed we could
hear Charles speaking gently from time
to time, and when at last we both turned
toward them again Ralph had flung
himself down on an old bench at the
further end of the clubhouse, with his
back turned toward us, his arms resting
on a barrel and his head bowed down
upon them. He neither spoke nor moved.
Charles left him and came toward US.
and he and the inspector spoke apart for
a moment, and then the latter dropped
on his knees beside the dead woman and,
after looking carefully at Il dark stain
on n of the wrists, turned back the
sleeve. Crushed deep into the round.
white arm cleaned something bright.
1t was an emerald bracelet which we
both knew. Charles cast a hasty glance
at Ralph, but he had not moved, and he
drew me beside him so as TO i~nterpose
our two figures between him and the in
spector. The latter quietly turned down
the sleeve and recomposed the arm.
Il l;2:.w she would have them on her.
if she had them at all" he said in a low
voice. We need look no further at
present, Not one will be missing. They
are all there"
He gazed long and earnestly at the
dead face, and then to my horror he sud
denly unfastened the little hat. made
IN involuntary movement as If to stop
him, but Charles laid al iron grip upon
1ne and motioned to me to be still. The
stealthy hand quietly pushed back the
fair curlS upon the forehead, and in an
other momeatthey fell still further back,
showing a few short locks of dark hair
beneath them, which SO completely al
tered the dead face that l could hardly
recognize it as belonging to the same
person. The inspector raised his head
and looked significantly at Charles.
Then he quietly drew forward the
yellow hair over the forehead again. re-
placed the hat and rose to his feet.
Charles AMI | glanced approximately at
Ealph, but he had not stirred. As we
locked a hurried step came across tho
yard, a hand raised the latch Of the door
and some one entered abruptly. 1t was
Car. For o32 monl4Ht he stood il the
doorway; fJrOne moment his eyes rested
&>"c'.".S,; u t. I'D woman. then
i, i-o~I Is to the IN ipector,
wA2 vt.D r,2.- ,rac&aiNg him, and-h2
va, t... %yla as suddenly rs ne hal