Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1894-02-22

playing the part OF a spy.
THE princess seemed TO grow very
uneasy when the voyage was nearly
over. Our Christmas was spent of the
Banks. The day was warm and sunny.
and we had quoits on deck. While
was pitching them, the seam in one Of
the shoulders Of my coat ripped.
You will let me repair IL for you,
will you not2" asked the princess, lay.
ing her gloved hand on my arm.
II could not think OF allowing you
! said. The stewardess will attend to
it, daresay. Unfortunately haven't
another coat In my steamer trunk
Let me fix It,, she said, with
shade Of anxiety In her tone. 4 wish
to do So
Very WE'LL said You are too
kind
"She took the coat to her stateroom.
and was rather a long time. thought
in making the necessary repair. But
her dainty hands might not have been
accustomed TO needlework. She was
travelling alone, for her maid, French
girl, had been detained by the sudden
illness OF her mother. She was 10 fol-.
low, the princess explained, by the
next steamer.
"She sent the coat 10 me, and whom
we met at dinner she said, with a little
nervous. laugh:
"'Didyou find It to your satisfaction,
monsieur
at was beautifully done | said. 4
really don't know how to repay you for
your kindness
"'Shall tell you, then2 she said,
softly. When We arrive In New Yorl,
you will call upon me soon, will you
not? shall be quite desolate. And
you must come-it is only within. d
fancy OF mine-yes, you must come in
that coat Promise me this, monsieur
"of course promised.
AT what hotel shall you stop, prin
cess?' asked.
THE Russian consul, a dear old
friend OF my father, is TO meet me,
she said. 4 am to be his guest Yor
must give me your address, and thl
first moment have will write for yot
to call upon me-
WHEN we reached the steamer.
dock in New York. the princess seemcC
tremendously agitated, but all my
! proners of assistance were declined by
her.
"'No, monsieur she said TO me; my
dear old friend, Ivan Petravitch, will
be in waiting, ard he will attend t,
everything
81 arn not surprised Mt much. but II
admit ] was not quite prepared fo
what followed. The moment the gang
plank was thrown out two of Inspecto
Byrnes' detectives stepped across II
and placed the princess and the littl,
man with the snaky black eyes, wh,
had watched me SO closely during tn,
voyage, under arrest Almost In
jiffy they were being driven to polio,
headquarters.
"What had they done? Well, II
Paris they had stolen lot OF unsc
diamonds. My bogus princess was onl
a clever French woman. and the maj
her lover They had fed the countr
without detection, they thought, bu
the police over there were too cleve
for them. The robbery had been fast
ened on them, and, when IL was foun
that they had sailed for America, wor
was cabled over to hold them.
But the missing diamonds could no
be found upon them. A few days afte
Their arrest detective called upon me
and ! told him all I knew about tn
woman, not forgetting to mention tina
she had repaired my coat for me.
"'Will you be kind enough to let m
see the coat? he asked
Certainly said, and brought 1
out for him.
"lle took 1t, and felt the shoulders
which were pretty well padded. Tn
next moment he had his knife out, au
was ripping open the seams. To IN
great surprise. the stolen diamond
soon lay on the table. The woman ha
cleverly secreted them in the shoulde
padding, and had worn the coat will
out knowing IL.
What was her object? Well, IL
two undoubtedly were afraid the
were unable to smuggle the diamond
through the custom house, and so the
made me an unconscious confederat
The woman was confident Of gettir
them again from me, and am positi,
myself she would have, II the poll,
hadn't blocked her little game.
"My part of the transaction WI
hushed up, and the two were sent baC
to France. They are both in son
prison over there now. And the mora
well, the moral must be perfect
clear TO anyone. II you don't want
get into trouble, never have your CO.
; sewed up by a strange woman."-D
troit Free Press.