The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1903-05-30
WON BY LOYALTY.
The Tale Of a Diamond Robbery.


At that time | was engaged land
very pleased to be- to a most enig-
NAUTICAL young person. She spoke
rarely and in a way always a little
mysteriously, making voluntary Sc
crets of hundred little actions of
life, and loving solitude in an alarming
manner.
All this was offset by eyes so beau
tiful, by colOring SO marvellous. by
an expression SO divine, that | had not
the courage to reflect on the singulari-
ty of her character. | loved her, and
| often passed hours of the might sit
ting before her doorstep, simply
dreaming that she lived here" and
meditating on her presence as does
the believer on the transubstantiation.
l did not know, in the first place.
whether she loved me or not; she al
ways refused to answer that question,
referring to the wishes of her parents
and her confidence in their wisdom. If
l insisted, she generally ended by say
ing that she knew nothing about it,
but that she felt no antipathy toward
me. and that. according to her ideas,
was enough to decide a young girl on
MARRIAGE" In vain l duplicated, in
vain tried to animate this enigmati-
cal being; she remained as distant as
the manner in which she loved, as I'M
known as she was dominating.
One evening as l was dreaming a
little sadly of these things, a commo-
tion was heard in the house. l returned
to the salon, where everything was in
disorder, my hosts were distressed.
their friends embarrassed and troubled
and old Nine. Laroche horribly pale
and trembling.
What in the world has happened?"
I asked. They explained incoherently
tfAt Nine. Lariche's diamonds were
stolen-old family diamonds of great
value All the servants had been
summoned into an adjoining room-in
short, formal search was to be insti-
tuted. An old gentleman, NJ Cope,
had been unanimously selected to di-
rect this investigation just as l was
entering, and his first proposition was
that everyone should submit or. rath-
err. offer himself to be searched. AL
though the thing was rather offensive.
no one protested, and it was decided
that, after the servants, each person
present should be examined.
To tell the truth, all this seemed of
small Importance beside my personal
cares; and, with several Others, l
awaited the end of the adventure,
while M. Cope, his two witnesses and
our host, began the inspection of the
domestics.
Very soon fell again into my medi-
tation, my eyes fixed on the fireplace
as though there were a fire, when
suddenly felt a light touch on my
elbow. l raised my head with a start,
to see my fiancee looking at me most
beseechingly. We were alone near the
fireside and could talk in low tones
without being overheard. She MUIR
INJURED very low:
III you love me, arrange that they
search you first; then try to be near
me, and, without being seen, try to
conceal the object that l shall pass
you from behind"
My blood ran cold. This ANNOYING
incident became terrible, filling me
with the most passionate trouble.
looked at the girl in agony, but forced
myself to smile, and whispered:
1T shall be as you wish"
My knees trembled. my mouth was
hot and dry. The feeling that over
wheimed me was ipexpressible. It
was strange mingling of bitterness
and pleasure, that my loved one
should be weak to such a degree.
forced myself to have sort of dis
dainful pity, and in reality love beat
ardent, strong. stern in my breast.
understood, in a flash, how beauty
could become divine above baseness
OF soul. and how one could respect If
even in dishonor-and hundred 9th
er things in which were confused fer.
vent love, devotion without limit a
desire noble and perverse.
Jeanne had thanked me with hard.
ly perceptible movement of the Inns.
she stood by the wall with an air of
Indifference and pride.
They are very long about It." she
said sternly. M. Cope Is a man Of