Evening star., 1897-01-02

| Tneir narrative interested me much, for Ii
| enabled me to explain the circumsta nee,
which had seemed strange
| now, am going to make a confession.
| l olo mean thing in that Luoerne Hotel.
l ed to wake in the night; noticing
Al: odd sound and. seeing the keyhole Of the
adjoining room shining like a bright spot
! In the darkness. i crept softly out Of bed
ana looked through There saw a woman
| away? On the contrary. 1 kept my eye at
| the keyhole. 1t was indefensible admit
out curiosity got the better of me. and /
| saw very strange thing. On the table lay
| an oFen case or surgical instruments. and
| this woman was cutting part Of a moro eco
| purse into strips. then burning them one
| py one In the flame of the candle. 1t was
s .edlons process and l now got tired Of it
| All that this story proves is that you
are mean-spirited, shameless fellow and I
Know not why you weary me with it." said
| maoame trying to look dignified.
| But now comes the entertaining part"
resumed the Pink Sheep, for 1 recognized
this woman as Madame Cambria. the COM
panion OF the Misses johnson Il think 4
| was Johnson), and you can fancy that /
| am. IL not actually pleased, still much in
| terested to find her at Boulogne, passing
under the somewhat similar name of Cam
| boux. in the company of Mrs. Yates a
| lady who has mysteriously lost purse
containing a considerable sum: nor is my
interest lessened when 1 see her turning
out the electric light and paying a visit TO
my private room"
You have told your story. and I now
Understand low through being deceived by
some fancied resemblance to a woman You
have once seen through a keyhole and
| meeting me just as 1 have made a mis-
| take in my ROOM your suspicious have
| been, not unnaturally, aroused. Still. II
you are the chivalrouS gentleman your ap-
| pearance proclaims you to be, you will ac-
cept the word of lady when 1 assure you
that nave never been to Switzerland and
| that have never used the name of Cam
/ Dfal, and will pprTnif m n
| That is not my intention. You are In
| error when you say 1 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 1 the least
until you restore to Mrs. Yeates the money
you have stolen from her.
| At these words madame completely
| changed her tone, and replied In a low
/ voice:
| Certainly the name of sheep which your
protege, Mrs. Yates. so aptly bestowed
upon you Qor you must have heard her if
| you understand English) is most applica-
ole. You must be silly sheep indeed if
| you think that. granting 1 had stolen the
purse, l should be afraid of risking my
liberty Ito say nothing of the money.
| when you have no evidence whatever to
| connect me with the theft"
| AS to your risking your liberty. you can
be easy upon that score. L am not your
| of bringing the dishonest to punishment
but here is countrywoman of my own in
| great distress through your act. She is a
foolish woman. no doubt, and her remarks
l about me were not complimentary, but
| that Is no reason why 1 should not help her
| out of the difficulty into which you have
| brought her."
"Ah." said madame. raising her eyebrows,
how stupid 1 am not to see your hope to
| get your share of the money, but then with
that face how could 1 read your true char
acter? Let me tell you, however. you, too
| are poor physiognomist if you think
| will give you anything.
| I'VE shall see: do not care to waste fur
| ther time in explanation, and L 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 IT may be a danger
| Gus business to make a charge without 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 Italian:
| still, / assume you know something of the
| French law. In another minute l shall
| ring the bell and tell the servant to ask
gentleman from the bureau of police (who
| must be here by this time, for 1 sent for
| him Immediately after dinner to come up
stairs. L will say to him, Here is a lady
whom l have found in my room. All i
Know of her Is that in Switzerland she
passed under the name of Cambria: in Lon
| don she calls herself the Marquise de
! Montereau. and at this hotel inscribes her
| self as Nine. Camboux.' You probably
know that you will be arrested and de-
| tained until inquiries be made. Your
| luggage will be searched, and no doubt your
| interesting case of instruments will be
| found
Madame had turned very pale She lifted
| the skirt of her dress, and. finding a con-
| ceaied pocket, she drew forth handful of
gold. which she handed to her antagonist
He took the money and counted it slowly
There are only thirteen sovereigns here"
! he said, "and want twelve more
but how do 1 know that you will not de-
nounce me when you have them?''
For that give you the word of a Pink
Sheep an animal that Is not given to lying
Nay. more. l promise that l will not re-
turn the money to Mrs. Yates before 3
O'Clock tomorrow morning; so that you
| may be miles away from Boulogne before
sne knows that the suspicious she already
entertcins are we'll founded. In case she
should be viniictive and anxious to have
you punished, there is time for woman
| OF your resources to disappear"
Reluctantly madame produced the re-
remaining sovereigns. AS she passed to
the door, which was now opened for her,
she sail, L don't suppose you are going to
be fool enough to give the money to that
empty headed Mrs. Yates; but. in any case.
l rely on your promise not to do so before
O'Clock tomorrow"
The Pink Sheep made no answer.
That Eight madame contrived to pick
WIN MIS-. ateS. Sne lett the MOTEL,
saying that she would not pass another
hour under the same roof with her, and de-
claring that she would take the night boat
to London.
The next morning, when Mrs. Yates was
at breakfast with the Kibble Whites, a
small. heavy packet was brought to her by
one of the chambermaids. She opened it,
and found a rouleau of twenty-five sover-
eiSns. with the following note:
Madame: You were right. Your travel
ing companion Is swindler. Before she
left 1 forced her to return your money,
which 1 now irclose. If it is any consola-
tion to you, you may rest assured that she
will perpetrate fresh thefts, and so inev-
itably fall into the hands of The police In
sending you your money, 1 take the liberty
of Offering you little advice, which you
will accept or not, as you think fit:
Il. Below you will find particulars as to
your route to Brindisi, with times of
trains, information where to get your
meals, etc. 1 advise you to start this day.
If you follow these directions you win not
need to rely upon chance companions.
-. Never believe an advertisement with
out corroborative evidence.
'3. Judge less hastily. Had you done So
you and your husband might have been
saved many an unhappy hour.
~. Take for granted when travelling that
every one understands all modern lam