The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1897-06-12

wait little and he will bring 1t back
intact" fa
ITO wait a little is to lessen the
chance Of its recovery. Twill 90 and IN
Quire OF Dumont, II can get at him.
whether he has been seized with sud
den attack Of kleptomania, because the
idea Of the empress having sent him
roaming about the theater borrowing
lady's jewels 1 regard as preposterous.
All, these Partisan thieves! You DO not
know what scientific geniuses they are
In their way"
With this the count departed, and
the second act was nearly at an end be-
fore he returned. In the meantime the
countess perceived that she was an OBJ
ject Of interest to the occupants Of the
imperial box.
Il was right" whispered the count,
re-entering and bending over his wife's
chair. "Dumont knows nothing Of your
earring, and, needless to say, the en-
press never sent him or anyone else
upon such an errand. / have put the
matter into the hands of the police
and they will do all that is possible to
recover it."
The countess was duly commiserated
by sympathizing friends, but nothing
more was heard Of the stolen jewel I'M
til the following day.
Early in the afternoon the countess
was about to start for her daily drive in
the Bots. The frozen snow lay deep
upon the ground. and her sleigh, with
its two Jet black Russian horses jingling
their bells merrily in the frosty air,
stood waiting in the courtyard while
the countess donned her furs.
A servant entering announced that
an officer of the police in plain clothes
asked permission to speak with Mime.
la Comtesse concerning the lost dia-
mond.
Certainly" said madame, graciously.
Let the officer be shown into the bou-
doir."
Into the boudoir presently came the
countess, stately, beautiful, fur clad,
buttoning her little gloves. Near the
door stood a short, wiry looking man,
with keen, black eyes, closely cropped
hair and compact, erect, military figure.
The small man bowed profoundly while
he said, with the utmost respect, At the
same time laying a letter upon the ia
BILE:
81 am sent by the order of the chief of
police to inform Nine. la Comtesse that
the stolen diamond has been satisfac-
torily traced, but there is unfortunately
some little difficulty connected with its
Identification. am charged, therefore,
to beg that Nine. la Comtesse will have
the goodness to intrust the fellow ear
order that 1t may be compared with the
one found in the possession Of the GUS
pected thief. Madame will find that the
letter l bring eorroborates my state
ment."
The countess glanced hastily through
the letter. and. ringing the bell. desired
that her maid might be told to bring
the remaining earring Immediately.
This was done. and the dapper little
man, bowling deferentially, departed
with the precious duplicate safely in his
possession.
The countess descended to her sleigh
and drove to the club. to call for her
husband, en- route for the Bots. Crossing
the Place de la Concorde. she related to
him the latest incident in the story of
the diamond earring.
You never were induced to give up
the other" cried Count Ivanoff incredu-
lousy.
But tell you, mon ami, an officer Of
the police himself came to fetch II,
bringing a letter from his superiors
vouching for the truth Of his state
ment."
IF the project himself had come, /
don't think / should have been cajoled
into letting him have it after last
nights experience" laughed her hus-
band. However, for the second time
of asking, We will go and inquire"
The coachman turned and drove, as
directed, to the bureau Of police at
which the count had lodged his COM
plant the night before. After a some
what protracted delay, the count re-
/ Joined his wife with look Of amuse-
ment upon his handsome bearded face.
The police know nothing Of your de-
teetive or his epistolary Efforts" he
sad. drawing the fur rug up to his chin
as the impatient horses sped away over
the frozen snow. "YouI second earring
has been melted by another member of
the light fingered fraternity, and, upon
my honor, think he was the more &C
complished artist Of the twor'
And from that unlucky day to this,
the Countess Ivanoff's celebrated dia-
mond earrings knew her pretty ears no
more.-San Francisco Argonaut.
The Real Good.
"What Il the real good ?f'