Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-01-20
The TINTED VENUS.
RFRRCIRL ROMANCE,
BY +. ANSTEY.

BY F. ANsTEY.
Leander saw this and yielded. After
all, it did not much matter, for of course
he would not touch upon the strange
sequel of his il-omened act; 50 he told
the story faithfully and circumstan-
tally, while the inspector took it all
down in his note book, questioning MIN
closely respecting the exact time of
each occurrence.
At last he closed his notebook with a
snap. I'm not obliged to tell you any
thing in return for all this he said
but l WILL and then you'll see the inn
portance of holding your tongue till I
give you leave to talk about it.
Il shan't talk about it, said Leander.
Il don't advise you to. l suppose
you've heard of that affair at WriclIes-
marsh Court? What! not that business
where a gang broke into the sculpture
gallery, one of the finest private collec-
tons in England? You surprise mer'
''And what did they steal?' asked
Leander.
They stole the figure whose finger
you were ass enough Gf you'll allow me
the little familiarity to put your ring
on. What do you think of that?''
! 4 wild rush of ideas coursed through
the hair-dresser's head Was this
policeman after the goddess upstairs
Did he know anything more? Would it
be better to give up the statue at once
ard get rid of it? But then-his ring
would be lost forever.
! 'It is surprising he said at last; 'but
what did they want to go and burgle
a plaster figure for?'
! That's where it is, you see; she amt
plaSter-she's marble, q genuine antic of
Venus, and worth thousands. The beg
CARS who broke in knew that. and took
nothing else They'd made all arrange
ments to get away with her abroad and
pass her off on some foreign collection
before it got blown upon; and they'd
have done it, too, if we hadn't been be-
! forehand with them. So what do they
: do then? They drive up with her to
| these gardens. ask to see the manager,
and say they're agents for some fine
! arts business and have 4 sample with
| them to be disposed of at a low price.
! The manage so he tells me, had look
ut it. thought it 4 neat article and s11ita-
bic to the style of his gardens He took
, it to be plain plaster, as they said, and
they put it up for him their own selves
| then they took the money, 4 pound or
two they asked for it, and drove away,
and he saw no more of them"
"And was that all they got for their
palms," said Leander
! The inspector smiled indulgentlv
Don't you see your way yet?'' he ask
ed Cant you give n guess where that
statues got to now, eh?'
NO" said Ieander, with what SEEM
| ed to the inspector 4 quite uncalled for
| Excitement. 'of course I can't, What
do yo1 ask me for? How should I
: know?'
/ Quite So" said tho other; you want
. a mind trained to deal with these things.
! It may surprise YOU to hear it. but I
/ know as we'll how that statue dis APP
peared and what was done with her as
! if IA been there
! "DO YOU. though?'' thought Ieandor,
who was beginning to doubt whether
his visitors penetration was anything so
abnormal
! "What was done With herr" he asked.
'Why. it was a plant from the first.
They knew all their regular holes We're
stopped. and they wanted a place to
dump her down in. where she wouldn't
attract attention: so they got her taken
in at the gardens. where they could
come in any time by the gate and fetch
her off again and very neatly it was
done too!'
"But where do you make out they've
taken her to now?" asked Leander
who was naturally anxious to discover
if the official had any suspicious of him
give my own theory about that
was his answer. 81 shall hunt thai
Venus down, sir; I'll stake my reputa
ton on it."
i, 'Venus is her name it seems" though
/ Leander "She told me it was Aphro
, dite. But perhaps the others her Chris
/ tan name. Tt can't be the Venus I've
| seen the picture dishes dressed to-
t decent"
yes" repeated the inspector, 6
: shall hunt her down now. I don't env.
? tho Moor devil who's Civin" her hons
5 room: he'll have reason to repent it."
Glow do you know anvono'S civin
: her house-room?" inquired Leande1
''and why should he repent it?''
"Ask your own common sense. The
=. daren't take her back to any Of thei
!, own places: they know better. The
;, haven't left the country with her. VIDA
!, remains? They've bribed or got owe
> some mug of an outsider to be the1
= accomplice md a bad speculation he
O find it, too
What would be done with him. aske
the hair-dresser, with quite unplea
ant internal sensation.
That's a question wouldn't Preten
to decide; but I've no hesitation In sa.
ing that the party on whose premise
a that statue is discovered will wish he
D. died before ever he set eyes on her.
Of You're quite right there" said Lea
Is der. well, sir, I'm afraid l haven
lie been much assistance to you"
OF 'Never mind that" said the inspect
Ks answered n