Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-12-06

price! I knew it in moment. As moved the taper to and fro above them, and watched the fire glow and tremble in their depths, knew that held that which would buy the crazy inn and all its contents a dozen times over. They were diamonds! Gems so fine, and of so rare water-or had never seen gems-that my hand trembled as I held them, and my head grew hot, and my heart beat furiously. For a moment I thought dreamed, that my fancy played me some trick; and l closed my eyes and did not open them again for a minute. But when l did, there they were, hard, real, and an gular. Convinced at last, in maze of joy and fear, closed my hand upon them, and, stealing on tip-toe to the trapdoor, laid first my saddle on it, and then my bags, and over all my cloak, breathing fast the while.
 Then I stole back; and, taking up the light again, began to search the floor, patiently, inch by inch, with naked feet, every sound making me tremble as l crept hither and thither over the creaking boards. And never was search more successful or better paid. In the fragments of the sachet found six smaller diamonds and a pair of rubies. Eight large diamonds I found on the floor One, the largest and last found, had bounded away and lay against the wall in the farthest corner. It took me an hour to run that one to earth but afterwards spent another hour on my hands and knees before gave up the search, and, satisfied at last that I had collected all, sat down on my saddle on the trap-door, and, by the last fiickering light of a candle which I had taken from my bag, gloated over my treasure-a treasure worthy of fabled Golconda.
 Hardly could believe in it's reality. even now. Recalling the jewels which the English Duke of Buckingham wore on the occasion of his visit to Paris, in 1925, and of which there was SO much talk, I took these to be as fine, though less in number. They should be worth 15.0O0 crowns! And I held them in the hollow of, my hand-I who was scarcely worth 10000 sous.
 The candle going out cut short my admiration. Left in the dark with these precious atoms. my first thought was how I might dispose of them safe ly; which did, for the time, by secret ing them in the lining of my boot. My second thought turned on the question how they had come where I had found them. among the powdered spice and perfumes in Mademoiselle de Coche. foret's sachet
 A minutes reflection enabled me to come very near the secret. and at the same time shed food of light on several dark places. What Clon had been seeking on the path between the house and the village, what the good wife of the inn had sought among the sweepings Of yard and floor. I knew row-the sachet I knew. too. wka. had caused the marked and sud den anxiety had noticed at tho chateau-the loss of this sachet.
 And there for a while came to a cheek. But one step more.up the lad der of thought brought all in view. Tn a flash I guessed how the jewels had come 10 be in the saehst; and that 1t was not mademoiselle but VI. de Coch- eforet who had mislaid them And thought the discovery 90 important that I began to pace the room softly. unable, in my excitement. to remain still.
 Doubles he had dropped the jewels in the hurry of his start from the finn that night, Doubtlsss, too. he carried them ia that bizarre hiding plaos for the sake of safety. consider ing 1t unlikely that rO5bers. if he fell into their hands. would take the ssehet from him: as stfn less likely that they would suspect ft to contain anything of value Everywhere It wo1li pass for a 1oTs-gfft, the work Of his mistress
 Nor did my pe1etrstfOa stop there Ten to one the gems wsrA family prop erty. the last trszsars c the house: and N ds cochsforef. EhsA I ssE him al the inn vas on the EzyNo convey thsE out of ths couusry. titksr to sec1re ths7 iron szifars bykhs gov ern1s1t CT to rzise zoney bJt tsIlfrg ths7-zonsy to he spent Ia so last