The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1895-02-23

wv ldltl was III u CstD VII my
way to the lake in the Bois Heavens how
far it is from the Cafe Anglais to the skat-
ing club, at two o'clock in the morning,
with the thermometer 20 degrees below
freezing point, when one is in cab and
his head filled with awful ideas
''Evidently," said | to myself, "the hus-
band suspects something. Tomorrow that
Othello will move heaven and earth to find
his wife's muff-and my note. And fool
note it is, now that think over it in cold
blood But one needn't write like Noltaire
to get a woman into horrible hole. |
must find that muff The princess gayety
was only feigned. | could see that in the
look she gave me just now. Not only my
life depends upon it, but hers too. Oh,
the devil fly away with love"
At the lake last torches were being eX-
tinguished. The glittering arena was
almost empty. At the buffet, in the dres-
sing room, on the ice-everywhere my
search was useless had offered 100 francs
reward for the mutf, but in vain. Many
things had been lost that night-handker-
chiefs, gloves, jewelry and even-pardon
my attention to details-three or four cir
cets of silk elastic of various hues. That
was all. There was no moe sign of the
muff than there was of the "Nenus de
| Milo,n who had no need of muff, and for
an excellent reason.
Perhaps it had been stolen. Perhaps
whoever had found it intended to deposit
it with the police next morning. Perhaps
it had already been left with some officer of
the police. In any event. must be before
the prince. Without losing another minute
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
bewildcred 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 it should be brought
to him, promising him 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.
minded neither fatigue nor cold. must
save woman-an adored woman, but not
too clever. The idea of a woman forgetting
her muff in such weather! She would have
forgotten her umbrella on Mount Ararat in
the deluge!
One last precaution, and the most essen
tial remained to be taken. | absolutely
must 20 to the prefecture of police. The
first difficulty was that the Siberian cold
| it was now past three in the morning-had
been too much for my driver. The un
happy 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, while the other was passed around
my .Jehu. who was snoring away like an
steam engine, emitting fumes that feared
would intoxicate me myself by simple odor
alone
At the prefecture | had a 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 he might be
called on at any hour, he lived in the same
building. | had no scruples in having him
aroused, so after having set my driver near
a stove to thaw | strutted into my uncle's
apartment in such disheveled state that
the old man-who really loved 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 SO
cold my tongue refused to do its work. 81
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 a mill, ! told him the story of
the note and the muff.
My uncle began by delivering me a 20
minute lecture. which, however, had the
virtue of giving me time to get warm
again.
"And as for your dscreetness," he con-
cluded, 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 the
truth, the princess has since had adven-
lures much more renowned than that
gave my uncle the princes name and took
my leave, having his promise that the muff
should be delivered to me alone if it were
brought to the prefecture, and at about five
o'clock in the morning | let myself into
my rooms, after having walked home to
restore the circulation of my blood.
At about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, with
"a trembling hand | rang at the princess
hotel, had plausible pretext-too plausi
Bile, alas!-to explain my early visit-that