The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1904-08-20
JEWEL MYSTERIES.
Bv MAX PElNBER7OW.
The Necklace of Green Diamonds.
Copyright, 1904.

"Then write out q receipt"
He went away to do 50, still fumbling
and amazed. The thing was 50 astound-
ing to one who knew the whole of the
circumstances, as / did. that told him
nothing more but examined the necklace
at least half dozen times. Was
it possible that there could be two sets
of matching green diamonds, two infatu-
ated lovers who had chosen the same pat
tern OF ornament the same strange in
scription and the same tint of stones?
Such g thing was out of the question.
Either Brewer had made a mistake when
he said that the necklace had been buried
with his wife-a theory which presup-
posed his return to his normal common
sense-or some scoundrel had stolen 1t
from her coffin. I determined to wire
to him at once. and had written out q
message when the second mystery in the
history of the trinket began to unfold
itself. 1t came to me in the form of
cablegram from Brewer himself, who
asked me to go with him to- Paris with
out delay. as something which troubled
him beyond description had happened
since he wrote to me.
l need not say that at the time when
received this telegram I had no idea
that a second mystery had engendered it,
believed that Brewer had discovered the
loss of the necklace. and had sent for me
to trace the thieves. This task I had en-
tered upon very willingly; and when I
had instructed Michel to ask Green &
Co.--wlth whom we did large business
to give me as special and private favor
the real name Of the seller Of the neck
lace, I took the eight o'clock train from
Victoria; and was in Paris at dawn on the
following morning. Early it was,
Brewer Waited for me at the Care du
Nord. and greeted me with a welcome
which was almost hysterical in it's effu-
SlVennSS T hp
shock of the sight Of him was
enough to make any man voiceless. He
had aged in look twenty years in as many
months. His clothes hung in folds upon
figure that had once been the figure Of
a robust and finely built man. his face
was wan and colorless; there were hol-
lows above his temples and burrows as
Of great age in the cheeks, which erst-
while shone with all the healthy coloring
that physical Vigor can give. His aspect,
indeed, was pitiable; but I made great
effort to convince him that had not no.
ticed it, and said cheerly,-
"Wel. and how is my old friend?'
II am a widower," he answered; and
there was more pathos in the simple re-
mark than in any lament I ever heard
from him. 1t was quite evident that his
| one grief still reigned in his thoughts; and
/ made no other attempt to conquer it,
you have important news, or you
would not have summoned me from Lon
| don" l said, as we left the station In a
| f1acre. Wont you give me an idea of 1t
now?"
when we reach my place I will tell
| you everything and show you everything.
It's very kind Of you to come, very kind
indeed, but I'd sooner speak Of such
things at my own house."
! "You are still at Villemomble?'
| Yes; but have an apartment by the
Rue de Morny, and am staying there now
the old home Is not the same. She is
dead, you know"
| I thought this remark very strange, anG
his manner Of giving it no less curious
He nodded his head gravely, and contin.
| ued to nod 1t, repeating the words anC
holding my hand like some great school.
boy who feared to be alone. He was
scarcely better when we arrived at his
lodging, and he took to a luxurious
apartment which was we'll worthy of his
consummate taste; but the moment he haC
shut the outer door his manner changed
becoming quick, interested, and distinct
ly nervous.
4 Bernard he said, II brought you tt
Paris because tho strangest thing ha
happened. You remember the necklac,
of green diamonds I gave my poor wife
and buried with her?'
Am I likely to forget that folly?''
asked.
WELL" he continued, cit was stolel
i,
Raincy-'
Il know that" said T.
You know it!'' he cried, looking u
, aghast. How could you know it?'
Because 1t was offered to me yester
day."
, Good God" he exclaimed, Offered t
+ you yesterday! But it could not hav
, been, for my servant bought it in shabb
jewelers. near the Rue St. Lazarre! Loo
l., for yourself, and say what do you ca
, that?"
! He had unlocked a small safe as h
spoke, and he threw a jewel case upo
the table. I opened it quickly, and it wa
then my turn to call out as he had done
, moment before. The case contained
t second necklace Of green diamonds exactl
resembling the one I had made, and ha
| then in my pocket; and it bore even tn
, memorable inscription-majorl lex amor es
T nobis.
, When made this discovery Their
9 seemed something so uncanny and terribl
about it that the beads Of perspiratio
n stood on my forehead, and my hand
e shook until nearly dropped the case.
a Frank" I said, there's deeper wor
: here than you think; this is the necklac
r which you believe you buried with you
0 wife; well, what is this one, then, that
@ have in my pocket?"
q I opened the second case and laid TIL
g jewels side by side. You could not hav
/ told one bauble from the other unless 70
q had possessed such an eye as mine, Whic
" will fdget over sham diamond when it
q yet a yard away. He had no doubt thu
d they were IDENTICAL; and when he sa
It them together, he began to cry like
It frightened woman.
:, What does it mean?" he asked. 'Hay
It they robbed my wife's grave? My God!-
d two necklaces alike down to the very er
II craving. Who has done 1t? Who cou
do such thing with a woman who nevt
g harmed living soul? Bernard, If sper
D every shilling I possess, I will get to tt
. bottom Of this thing Oh, my wife, m
G wife,
His distress would have moved an ada
n mantine. heart and was not thing
: cavil at. The mystery, which had con
o pletely unnerved him, had fascinated n
O so strangely that determined not to lea,
v Paris until the last line of it's solutic
q was written. The robbery of the grave
a could quite understand, but that the
r. should be two necklaces, one of them wi
4 real stones and the other with imitatio
: was fact before which my imaginatit
, reeled. AS for him, he continued to
: in his armchair, and to fret like a chill
20 and there left him while went to col
. suit the first detective I could run agains
- The difficulties In getting at the poll
:, Of Paris are proverbial. The officia
=, there hold it such an impertinence for
u mere civilian to inform them Of anythil
Y at ALL that the unfortunate pursuer
l. the criminal comes at last to believe hir
10 self guilty of some crime. put up wi
"a some hours, badgering at the nearest b
n reau, and then having no French but tn
10 which is fit for publication, / returned