Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1895-07-05

q look that / shall never forget One
hand was passed convulsively over her
heart She had removed hen gloves,
worn the night before, and on one finger
blazod a dinmond-tie one j had seen
the previous day at tho jewelers. In
on instant I saw It Oh. I sprang for
ward and grasped her wrist-roughly
I am afraid.
Give mo back that necklace, you
their I cried. IEnOw you. You stood
by my sido yesterday in the jewelers.
shop on tho Avenue do lOpera. | re-
member that ring and your voice. You
heard me say that 1 was going 20 Nice
by this train. The liquor you gave me
was dragged, and you thought to os-
cape before your theft was discovered.
Il was a very clever scheme, but it has
failed. Give mo the necklace, or l shall
turn you over to the police.
Il stretched out my hand, thinking
that, seeing the folly Of further con-
cealment and the usolcssness Of denial,
she would return the stolen property. !
was wrong. She drew herself up haugh-
thy and looked me full in the face.
When she spoke, it was 81 a voice that
showed no trace Of the sweetness which
had at first attracted me.
"'You have brought a serious charge
against me-, she said, and n of which
I am innocent. ] am alono and q wom-
an, this with q momentary tromor in
her voice that somehow made mo
ashamed Of the way / had spoken TO her.
IF, as you say, you have lost a neck
lace, your only reason for accusing mo
of having stolen it is that we have been
the only occupants of this compartment.
The instant you opened the box and
found it empty I saw the position 1 was
placed ia. Fortunately, however, I can
prove my innocence
Perhaps you may hesitate before
again attempting to blaclmail an IN
protected woman. AS soon as VIC arrive
at Nice / shall insist on going at once
to the police station, where a thorough
search Ct my baggage and person shall
be made. 1 shall then ask you to prove
that you ever had a necklace. This re-
mark was accompanied by a smile thai
was not pleasant to see. Until we
reach Nice you will not address mo
again.
"Sho leaned back in her seat and
turned her face toward the window. /
felt rather than saw that she was crying.
81 begau to feel uncomfortable. What
if, after all, 1 had been too ready to
jump at conclusions and had been mis-
taken? Was it not possible that the box
might have been empty when I received
it from the jewelers.? l had not seen
tho necklace after it was left to be re-
paired, as the box was wrapped mp when
1 called for it. My companion had in
sisted en- On investigation that might
provo her innccenoe-an investigation
that o guilty woman would never have
proposed. Besides this she had ex
pressed n doubt as to the existence q
the necklace and had accused me of ~
attempt to blackmail. The more
thought Of it the moro unpleasant my
position became.
Suddenly my eyes fell on something
bright on tho floor of the carriage.
stopped and picked it up. 1t proved t.
be the little heart shaped paddock 1 hat
noticed the night before on the poodle'i
collar. Like a flash a Thought came K
me. Here might DO tho solution of the
problem. At any rate, 1 would put it tC
the test. No time should be lost, az VIZ
were Just entering tho station, and in q
moment more the guard would open the
carriage door.
Reaching across the seat with Z
quick motion, 1 drew the sleeping oni
NAL to my side. The woman sprang for.
ward to prevent me, but she was toC
late. I had already torn tho collar from
the dogs neck and was holding it t.
the light that entered dimly through
the windows from the station.
II breathed a sigh Of relief. Tho in.
side of the collar contained a hollow
groove, and IN this groove, securely fas
tened, lay the missing necklace. l turn
ed triumphantly to my companion. Tit
door was open. She was gone.
THAT moving a / entered Edith
parlor the little poodle trotted content
eddy by my side, and instead Of the col
lar he wore the necklace. AS for thu
woman, I never saw her again. Kat,
Eialdfa WngNiunfou