The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-10-01
JEWEL MYSTERIES
Bv MAX PEMBERTON.
THE PURSUIT. OF THE TOPAZ
Copyright, 1904.

starched shirt, when the man knocked .
upon the door of my bedroom TOR me :
second time. / had heard him falntly y
five minutes before, when my head was
as far in basin as the limitations OF :
Partisan tableware would allow IL 10 !
90; but now he knocked imperlously, !
and when opened to h1m ne $1,000
hesitatingly with foolish leer upon
his face, and that which ne meant ior
discretion upon his lips. =,
"Well' said I, "what the devil DO
you wants Can't you see I'm dress
At this he looked with obvious pity
for me towards the basin, but quickly
recovered himself.
"Dame,'' said he, with a fine Gas.
con accent, "there is a lady waiting
for monsieur in the SALON.,
IA lady,, cried with surprise;
IT am but three days in Paris, - re-
piled he, "and she is a stranger to me.
If monsieur prefers it, 1 will ask her
some questions.
I'You will please do nothing Of the
sort; did she give her name4" -,
but it has escaped me. shall say that
you are engaged and will see her to,
morrow; monsieur leaves Paris at
o'clock, hein7''
He said this with another vulgar
leer, but I turned round upon MN
L
"You impudent poltroonl' exclaimed
7: Hleaye the room instantly, and tell
the lady that will be with her in five
HAh,'' said he, cit is like that,
then9 Very good; I shall safeguard
your interests; trust in me. May be
permitted to light the candlesY'; -,
He said this with fine eye to the
BILL, but I sent him away after some
81
dressing quickly, wondering all the time
who the woman was and what she
wanted of me. Altho I have lived in
Paris nigh as much as in London, l
have cultivated few acquaintance
path Of business. The domestic side Of
Partisan life has never appealed to mel
I am equally callous to the Wanted
attractions Of the dismal halls of light
and twaddle with which the foreigner
therefore, not only with profound sur
prise, but also with piquant curiosity,
that I fell to speculating upon the
sion w HIGH brought; her to me.
been in the French capital for one
week, being carried there by the an
nouncement of the sale Of the Countess
Boccalini's jewels. After my usual Gus
tom, had engaged rooms in the little
neighbor Of the Grand hotel, and hac
passed the week in the haggling a ,c
disputation which are the salt OF III
to a ieweler. The result was the pur
chase Of a superb necklace of brllllants
which subsequently I sold here for min
thousand pounds, and Of a quantity O.
smaller stones, and of chrysoprase, tn
gem which is now becoming exceed1ngl,
fashionable in London. But on tn
night of which am writing, my trao
ID VII l011a
to 90 to the opera ball alone kept m
in Paris. How the promise came t
be given to my friend Tussal canno
remember; but he had assured me tina
the ball was the event, OF April! an
feet until I had gazed upon the specta
Gle of calicots and faneurs rioting /
the great house which GARNER designe
and Delaunay painted. And so pressl.n1
was he and 50 laFgsAy dld ast t "a 6is VIZ 81
licitations, and agreed to accept sea
By the terms Of his invitation, I We
to meet him at the Grand Cafe at mi Il!
opera-house at half-past II. I had d
termined to dine quietly at my. oN
hotel, and afterward to spend the int
vening hours at the Theater de la Por
st. Martin; for which pup PURPOSE D.
dressed at comparatively cary ea;f nIu
Gascon' s message that lady wished
see me- Yet for what purpose s.
came, or who she might be, had n
an idea; and I turned over hundr
theories in my mind as l descended
- the little reception-room of the hot
and there found her sitting by the !
covered table with a railway guide
fore her, but obviously agitated, a
as obviously pretty. y,
When looking back upon the ext;
ordinary mystery of which this child
girl was for me the center, I ha
often remembered that she was one
the few Frenchwomen I have met "
had a thoroly English face: Her 81
olive tint which is SO prevalent
Paris; her eyes were wondrously BIZ
she had rich brown hair shot with go
en- tresses, which gave to the whole
free of that restless gesture which
the despair Of q man OF nerves. A
first saw her, she wore a captivat
~- apology Of bonnet, which seemed
consist of spray of jet and harp
but her hands we're Teragg i srs ,n as ont
cloak Of steel gray cloth edged W
fur, fell about her shoulders, yet 7
mitted one to see an exquisite outline
figure beneath. Indeed, she made ]
prettiness lost nothing for the rush
color to her cheeks when l spoke
her.
II am Bernard Sutton said I;
it is possible that I can be Of
service to you the privilege is mine
"Thank you, thousand times,'
she, speaking with an accent wi
added to the charm Of her English.
have heard of you often from Mad
Carmalovitch, whose husband owned
famous opal; you were very kind
'z~ her
II was exceedingly sorry for HI
Ireplied; care you relation Of her
ooh, no!' she exclaimed, ~
Mile. Edile Bernier, and
with my mother at 80 Rue Boiss
You laugh to hear why come to
It Is about something you alone
advise me upon, and, of course, you
guess it at once.'
CT won't waste your time by b
ambiguous said I; "you have {
to consult me about some Jewels;
let me see them.'
There was no one else in the s
at the time, the few people in the
being at dinner. The girl had, t
/ fore no hesitation in opening a b
| let case, which she carried under
cloak, and showing me a plain
- of gold which served as a mount
small circle of turquoise and an
ceedingly large rose-pink topaz, v
4 possessed all the luster Of dian