The Opelousas courier., 1901-01-19

the vinaigrette and walked quietly
away.
It was lucky / had not moved,
should have looked rather foolish.
Some curious instinct babe me cross
the conservatory, and look at the vim
aigrette again. Without thinking
about it, I put Il to my nos
The next thing l remember Is that
found myself sitting In a chair. Gradu-
ally things became clearer. The vim
aigrette lay by my side. I was drug
ged. For a few minutes / had lost
consciousness. / still felt dizzy and
sick, but knowing that everything de-
pended or my being prompt and acute,
I managed with an effort to pull my
self together.
Then arose the question? What
should I do next? Should I go straight
to the man who had tempered with
the vinaigrette? A moments thought
showed ME that that would be worse
than useless. I had no proof Of any
thing. The situation must be allowed
to develop itself before I interfered.
After some little reflection, I decided
to 60 back to the drawing-room,
where I could see what was going on.
Under any circumstances I must not
lose sight of the girl to whom the vim
aigrette belonged.
For nearly half an hour I waited in
vain. She danced with two or three
different men, but did not seem to have
missed it.
At last, after one of the dances, she
appeared to be looking for something.
With what was, l presume, an apology
to her partner, she skipped across the
room to a grodp Of girls. Evidently
she was asking If any Of them had
seer her vinaigrette. For some time
she got no information, but presently
a girl who was passing, leaning on a
mans arm, turned round and made
some remark, pointing with her fan
to the conservatory door. The owner
of the vinaigrette gave a little nod Of
thanks and hurried across the room.
All this time I observed that the
man who had drugged the scent bot
tie, and who was chatting with some
Of the people standing about, watched
the girl closely.
AS soon as she had left the drawing
room he broke off his conversation
and strolled quietly toward the conser-
vatory. AS he passed through the cur
tains I noticed that he glanced round
to e If he were being followed.
That settled it; / had found my man,
and must act promptly. Lady Bar
mouth was standing near the piano.
Remembering her %injunctions that
there was not, under any circum-
stances, to be an expose OIL scene, it
was necessary to proceed with eau
ton. / caught her eye without much
difficulty. She understood ut once
that 1 had something to say, and dis
engaged herself from her friends.
"Wi1l you come with me to the con-
servatory| I asked, quietly. 81 be-
lieve / have solved the mystery"
She turned pale. Every WELL" she
said. "Give me your arm. Be care
full what you do. Mr.. Lowe" she add
ed. In a troubled voice. at must be
hushed up"
When we reached the conservatory
we found, just as / had expected, the
young lady lying back in a chair un-
conscious. Her ear-drops were miss.
ing.
Miss Dainton has tainted" said
Lady yarmouth.
zone moment" I said; "there is no
cause for alarm. Do you see what has
happened? Her diamond ear-drops
have disappeared"
do you know who 1t isl" she
whispered.
"Yes. Her vinaigrette has been
drugged-not sufficiently to do her
any harm. I saw it DONE"
"What shall / do? Fetch Lord Bar
mouth, will you? He must advise me-"
(Which is Lord Barmouth?"
She came to the curtains and point
ed him out to me.
Every WELL" said I. "Chafe Miss
Dainton's hands, and try to bring her
around, but don't send for any help at
present"
I don't think | ever felt so reluctant
to proceed with a case as I did at that
minute. The man whom Lady Bar
mouth had pointed out as her hus-
band was the nan who had drugged
the vinaigrette-who had followed
Miss Dainton into the conservatory.
In a word, Lord yarmouth was a
kleptomaniac.
"WilI you come with me into the
conservatory, Lord BarmouthT I said.
AS I spoke I looked at him sternly In
the face. He turned deathly white,
and his eyes shifted nervously about
the room.
Whats the matter?" he asked,
huskily. SIS anything wrong"
Miss Dainton has tainted"
ooh" he murmured, with relief.
"And her ear-drops have disappear
ed" I added. For a moment I thought
he was going to drop down. I put my
arm through his and led him toward
the conservatory. He was trembling
like a leaf. When he got well into the
shadow Of the curtains, / stopped.
Lord Barmouth," I said, quietly,
take my advice and give them up to
me at once"
What do you mean?" he asked,
h0arselY.