Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-03-02

Othello will move heaven and earth to find
his wifes muff-and my note. And fool
note it is, now that think 1t over in cold
blood. But one needn't write like Vol
taire to get a woman into horrible hole
l must find that muff. The princess gay
ETY. was only feigned. I could see that in
the look she gave me just now. Not only
my life depx,ds on it, but hers too. Oh,
the devil fly away with Lowell"
At the lake the last torches were being
extinguished. The glittering arena was
almost empty At the buffet, in the dress
ing room, on the ice-everywhere my
search was useless. I had offered 100
francs reward for the muff, but in vain.
Many things had been lost that night
handkerchiefs, gloves, jewelry, and even
pardon my fidelity to detail-three or
four circlets of silk elastic Of various hues.
That was all. There was no more sign of
muff than there was of the "Venus de
Milo" who had no need of muff, and
for an excellent reason.
Perhaps 1t had been stolen. Perhaps
whoever had found it intended to deposit
it with the police next morning. Perhaps
1t had already been left with some officer
of the police. In any event, I must be be-
fore the prince. Without losing another
minute I jumped into my cab again. The
driver, half dead with the cold and more
than half drunk with the brandy he had
taken to warm himself up stared at me
with bewildered air when ordered him
to drive me to the nearest police station.
There, after having aroused the unhappy
man in charge, charged him to deliver
the famous muff only to me if 1t should
be brought to him, promising him a goodly
sum If he returned it to me- At three
other stations did the same. If had
had time, would have visited all the "a
stations in the city. I minded neither
fatigue nor cold. must save woman
all adored woman, but not too clever. The
idea of forgetting her muff in such wealth
er She would have forgotten her UNI
brella on Mount Ararat in the delugel
One last precaution, and the most essen
tial, remained to be taken. absolutely
must go to the prefecture Of police. The
first difficulty was that the Siberian cold
it was now in the morning-had been
too much for my driver. The unhappy
man was dead drunk on his seat. had
to climb up beside him, gather up the
reins and drive his old nag with one hand,
with the other passed around my Jehu,
who was snoring away like steam en-
gine, emitting fumes that feared would
intoxicate me myself by simple odor alone
At the prefecture had relative, an
uncle whom never went to see because
he always read me lectures. The good
man certainly did not suspect that he was
going to receive his nephew that night
His functions being such that be might
be called on at any hour, he lived in the
same building. / had no scruples In hav-
ing him aroused, so after having set my
driver near stove to thaw irrupted into
my unole's apartment in such adisheveled
state that the old man-who really loyed
me-seized me in his arms.
my God, boy!" he cried "What ter
rible business is this?"
There has been no murder done yet
my dear uncle" stammered, for was
II have come to beg your aid to prevent
the killing Of two persons, in at least one
Of whom you are strongly interested"
Thereupon, my teeth chattering like
the clapper Of mill, l told him the story
of the note and the muff.
My uncle began by delivering me 20
minute lecture, which, however, had the
virtue of giving me time to get warm
again.
And as for your discreetness," he con-
ludod, "this Is no time for such foolish
ness. You must tell me the husbands
name, in order to prevent his finding what
he is looking for, and also what he is not
looking for
had to give in. Besides my uncle is
the most discreet of men, and to tell tho
truth, the princess has since had adven-
lures much more renowned than that. l
gave my uncle the princes name and took
my leave, having his promise that tho
muff should be delivered to me alone If it
were brought to the prefecture, and at
about o'clock in the morning let my
self into my rooms, after having walked
home to restore the circulation Of my
blood.
At about o'clock in the afternoon,
with trembling hand, rang at the
princess hotel. had plausible pretext
too plausible, alas!-to explain my early
of my life have had many cold in the
head, but tho one had that day exceeded
the limits Of belief
Madame" said, shifting like the
waste pipe Of a bath, II have passed the
night searching for 1t, or at least prevent
ing your husband from finding 1t. The
horse is foundered, the driver is probably
dead, and l, fear, am not long for this
world. ALI that the most devoted fore
thought could-cou'- "A sternutatory
cataclysm that made the very strings of
tho princess piano dance cut me short
Astonished, the princess started.
ut Is nothing" said, with the calm
that precedes new storms. 81 sneezed.''
Heaven bless you," responded the
princess mechanically, "'but how is 1t you
say you passed the entire night? I do not
understand"
"Tho muff," stammered
At these words the princess broke into
fit Of laughter which I punctuated with
hoarse coughs
1.-The muffy" she said at last, when she
could control herself to speak. "Why,
there 1t Is"
She pointed out on a table strange OBJ
ject, deformed by prolonged compression.
Where was itp" I exclaimed, Devil
dercd.
Where was it'" repeated the princess.
Never mind. Do you remember my fall
upon tho icer'-From the French For