The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-01-10

to work her fingers to the bone to repay !
the money to these kind Jacksons-or was |
it not Johnson? They, however. did their
best TO console her, and being unable or
unwilling to spend any more money on
that tour, they paid for her ticket back to
Paris and returned home some weeks
earlier than they had intended. l did not
know all this al the time, l only learned
it from them about two days later when
[ happened to make their acquaintance in
a railway carriage. Their narrative inter
ested me much, for it enabled me to ex
piain the circumstance, which had seemed
strange.
Now, l am going to make a confession.
l did a mean thing in that Lucerne hotel.
l happened to wake in the night; noticing
an odd sound and, seeing the keyhole of
the adjoining room shining like a bright
spot in the darkness / crept softly out of
the bed and looked through. There l saw
a woman in rather scanty clothing. Did
l turn away? On the contrary, kept my
eve at the keyhole. 1t was indefensibe, l
admit, but curiosity got the better of me,
and l saw very strange thing. On the
table lay an open case of surgical instru-
ments, and this woman was cutting part
of a morocco purse into strips then burn
ing them one by one in the flame of the
candle. 1t was a tedious process, and 1
now got tired of it and crept back 10 bed"
IAN that this story proves is that you
are a mean-spirited, shameless fellow,
and / know not why you weary me with
it." said madam, trying to look dignihed.
But now comes the entertaining part"
resumed the Pink Sheep. for | recognized
this woman as Nine. Cambria the COM
panion of the Misses johnson q think it
was Johnson), and you can fancy that |
am, if not actually pleased, still much
interested to find her at Boulogne, pass
ing under the somewhat similar name of
CambouX, in the company of Mrs. Yates
a lady who has mysteriously lost purse
containing a considerable sum; nor is my
interest Iessened when l see her turning
out the electric light and paying visit
to my private room.
"You have told your story, and l now
understand how through being deceived
by some fancied resemblance to woman
you have once seen through a keyhole and
meeting me just as / have made a mis-
take in my room, your suspicious have
been, not unnaturally, aroused. Still, if
you are the chivalrous gentleman your
appearance proclaims you to be, you will
accept the word of a lady when l assure
you that l have never been to Switzer-
land and that have never used the name
of Cambria, and you will permit me TO
pass out"
THAT is not my intention. You are in
error when you say l saw the woman only
once through keyhole, for the lady with
the surgical scissors sat opposite to me
both the day before and the morning after
passing her night in the unusual operation
have described Nor have l the least
intention Of letting you leave this room
until you restore to Mrs. Yates the money
you have stolen from her"
At these words madame completely
changed her tone, and replied in low
| voice:
Certainly the name of sheep, which
| your protege. Mrs. Yates, so aptly bestow-
4 heard
hei if you understand Englsh) is most
! applicable You must be silly sheep in
| deed If you think that, granting l had
| stolen the purse, / should be afraid of
risklng my liberty Ito say nothing of the
money!, when you have no evidence what
| ever to connect me with the theft"
Gas to your risking your liberty, you
| can be easy upon that score l am not
| your Judge, nor do take upon myself the
! task of bringing the dishonest to punish
| ment, but here is a countrywoman of my
own in great distress through your act.
| She is foolish woman, no doubt, and her
| remarks about me were not compliment
airy, but that is no reason why l should
not help her out of the difficulty into
which you have brought her"
"Ahy' said madame, raising her eye
brows, chow stupid l am not to see your
hope to get your share of the money, but
then with that face how could read your
ever you, too, are poor physiognomist II
you think l will give you anything"
1--WE shall see; l do not care to waste
further time in explanation, and / give
you two minutes to hand over the money"
| So saying, he pulled out his watch.
"And 1 tell you at once you can call up
the hotel keeper and do your worst, and
you will then learn that 1t may be dan
| gerous business to make a charge with
out a title of evidence to support It,"
The Pink Sheep looked at her steadily
for a moment. Il think you are not
| French in spite of your good accent.
may be wrong, but 1 should take you for
an Italian; still, / assume you know
something of the French law. In another
minute / shall ring the bell and tell the
servant to ask a gentleman from the bu-
| reau of police (who must be here by this
time, for sent for him Immediately af-
ter dinner) to come upstairs. / will say
| TO him. Here is a lady whom l have
found in my room. All ] know of her 10
that in Switzerland she passed under the
name Of Cambria; in London she calls
| herself the Marquise de Montereau, and
at this hotel inscribes herself as Nine.
Camboux' You probably know that you
will be arrested and detained until in
auiries can he made. Your luggage will
be searched and no doubt your interest
ing case of instruments win be found"
Madame had turned very pale. She
| TED the SklTt OF ner uTesS, ana, Hnding
a concealed pocket, she drew forth a hand
full of gold, which she handed to her an
| tagonist.
He took the money ana counted it slowly.
| There are only thirteen sovereigns
here" he said land want twelve more"
But how do l know that you will not
| denounce me when you have them?"
FOR that / give you the word of Pink
| Sheep an animal that is not given to ly-
ing. Nay, more, 1 promise that l will not
return the money to Mrs. Yates before 8
o'clock tomorrow morning, so that you
may be miles away from Boulogne before
| she knows that the suspicious she already
entertains are well founded. In case she
should be vindictive and anxious to have
you punished, there is time for woman
of your resources to disappear"
Reluctantly madame produced the re-
| naming sovereigns. AS she passed to
| the door, which was now opened for her,
she said 81 don't suppose you are going
to be fool enough to give the money to
| that empty-headed Mrs Yates; but, In
any case, rely on your promise not to
| do so before O'Clock tomorrow"
The Pink Sheep made no answer.
Ill