The Natchitoches enterprise., 1899-01-19
NATCHTTOCHEs. LOUISIANA, THURSDAY,

Un nauDsn to nave Una" recelpt win
yon, madame, or did yon destroy it?
For the jswels, mean.
Jewels? Destroy III? Not in dozen
years shall forget ny SENSATIONS as
madame repeatea that. her smile fading
into fixed stare. "Mrs Henryl What
ever do-wby, yoa have my jewsls in
the bank here
"W-whatr" Was she really mad?
How long we sat gazing at each other l
do not know. "Iudeedl' / got out at
length. "You surely-Mme. Otterburn,
l cannot appreciate jokes of this order i"
"Jokes?' She had swayed to her feet.
"Jokes?'' she Whispered again "Mr.
Henry l put them into your own hands
in your own house.
Certainly you did. Aud you called
ct nv house an hour alter midnight, on
the same day. and took them away
again.
81 called st yours eagain and
Mr.. Henry, explain yoafself, dol was
never at your house but the,once in my
life. gave you the case and dtook your
own receipt Really, this is too ri
diculousP
mime. Otterburn, think It was
about / o'clock You rang the bell
twice. You seemed to be in trolble--
your husband, You simply said, had told
you to get back tho jewels. IgaSs them
to you, and you left the housa before |
could get my hat You don't remember
-tbat!'
"I've been robbedI" She Put out
shaking hand Mr. Henry, as heaven
hears ME, have not touched that case
since l put it into your hands. did
have words with my husband that night
when he came home, bat for you to say
i go straight to the police. Please al
low ne to passl'
MADAME, one momentp l was
gathering my wits | must not let her
90 off impetucusly like that. "Will you
wait-just three days? If in three days
nothing transpires, III call in the first
detective in London at cur own expense.
Madame, you must, Ii there is any
mystery behind this, it is the most ex-
traordinary one that ever saw the light.
Will you promise that"
She did eventually, and walked out
to her carriage like person thoroughly
j daz2d
Those three days went by-how !
/ could never say. | had done bGthing
Was merely waiting il an agony CT saz-
pense. And then on the third cTening
received a telegram. 1t was f3om ma
! dame. "Come here instantly"
stood in sweat of hesitation for
awhile, and then took a cab direct to
| the Office of n we'll known private de-
tective. By fEe -hssssE chance he was
in. Five minutes later tie PR Il US
were bowling along toward madame s
! house and-w5at?
A maid, looking red, showed Us
up at once to madam boudoir There
lay madame on a ecu, 4 and there was
: a stencil Of eau de coAtg sInd a doctor,
STOPPING over her. held up a 1inger in
warning, but madame had seen me
She sprang NJ, with almost scream.
and held something out
The jewel case!
"Mr. Henryl Mr.. Henryl 1t was
there in my duohesse drawer under
some rubbish, and it was not there three
hours ago. See, they have not been
touched. Butch, heavens!-it was
not there three hours ago! Mr.. Henry,
come here! Inever called for them-I
never did in this world "
I took the case mechanically. Yes,
there were the pearls and opals safe
enough-and the diamonds above all.
The one thing that seemed clear now
was that madame's mind had gone
What else?
"Er-let me see those" 1t was the
detectives quiet voice at my shoulder.
"H'ml suppose the lady knows that
these stones are only the very best
paste?"
"It's false, came madame's husky
whisper. "Tt's''- she broke of.
TIE door behind had opened and
small, dark, pale man stood staring in
the opening
Before we could think or he could
turn husky whisper hissed across the
room and made ms all start
"Ah-h p it said, and her finger reach
ed out at him. 'You--you dare to
move. Otterburn, you got the case from
Mr.. Henry. You know how it was got,
how it was put back there. y
"Don't be a fool" be said, leaning
toward his wife. "The case-you got it
yourself. Oh, you may stare. / saw you
with my own eyes You never walked
in your sleep. did you?'
''There's Mr.. Marsh. He'll tell you
that he has known about madame's in.
somnia for years. Fer brain impels her
to do outrageous things in her sleep,
but she'll always deny it.
"Quite so." Ths doctor, looking
round from the copc1. as the first to
speak. 81 know Mrs q rerburn too If
/ may say go, this g Ieman here says
well, he ssates the real stones
have been extraoted Perhaps that can
be explained away
He halted, looking around No one
smiled. No one spoke. OF sudden he
snatohed small packet from his vest
pocket and flung it toward the couch.
"AIl right, then, there's her real
precious stones. Now she can say and
do what she likes. can't she?"-Tit-
Bits.