Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-08-04
FILE NO. l13.
ONE OF THE MYSTERIES OF PARIS, AND HOW
1T WAS SOLVED


II
than any he mad yet suffered, made
him sink back in his chair in desapir.
suppose il be true," he mutteresl
\ TO himself. suppose I have been
niserably dupedi BY confding in my
wife. 7 shall put her or her guard.
and lose all chance. Of discovering the
truth
Thus were realized al Verduret's
| prescriptions.
He had said. IF Monsieur Fauvel
does not yield 70 his first impulse. IL
he stops 20 reflect, we have time 10
repair the harm done"
After long and painful medita-
tion. the banker finally decided to
wait. and watch his wife.
II was hard struggle for a man
OF his frank. upright nature 10 play
the part Of domestic spy and jealous
husband
Accustomed 10 give way 10 sudden
bursts Of anger. but quickly master
ing them. he would find il difficult 20
be compelled 20 preserve his self-re-
straint. no matter how dreadful the
discoveries might he. When he col
lected the proofs Of guilt one by one.
he must impose silence upon his re-
sentiment until fully assured of pos
sessing certain evidence.
There was one simple means % as
pertaining whether the diamonds had
been pawned
II the letter lied in this instance. he
would treat IL with the scorn il de-
served. II. on the other hand. il
should prove 90 be true,
At this moment. the servant an
nounced breakfast; and NJ. Fauvel
looked in tho glass before leaving his
study. 20 see IL his face betrayed the
emotion he felt. He was shocked a
the haggsrd features which IL re-
fected
Have ! no nerve2" he said 20 him.
self. "Oh, I must and shall control
my feelings until ] find out the
truth"
At table he talked necessarily. 80
as 20 escape any questions from mis-
wife. who, hc saw. was uneasy at the
sight OF his pale face.
But. all the time ne was talking. he
was casting over in his mind cNpcdi-
ents for getting his wife out az the
! house long enough for him 10 search
/ her bureau.
At last he asked Nine. Fauvcl II She
were going out before dinner.
! Yes said she. "the weather is
dreadful. but Madeleine and / must
DO some shopping"
AT what time shall YOU go2"
Immediately after breakfast"
He drew long breath as IL relieved
of a great weight.
In short time hc would know The
truth.
Ills uncertainty was SO torturinc 20
! the unhappy man that he preferred
The most dreadful reality TO his press
cut agony.
breakfast over he lighted a cigar.
but did not remain in the dining
room 70 smoke il. as was his habit.
Tie went into the study TO try and
compose his nerves.
He took the precaution TO send Lu-
Glen on message So as 70 be alone in
the house.
After the lapse OF half an hour. lac
heard the carriage roll away with his
wife and niece.
Hurrying into NINE Fauvers room.
be opened the drawer Of the chif-
fonier where she kept her Jewels.
The last dozen or more leather and
velvet boxes containing superb sets
OF Jewelry which he had presented to
her were gone
Twelve boxes remained. He nerv-
ously opened them.
They were ali empty'
The anonymous letter had told the
truth.
oh, II can not be-" he gasped in
broken tones. "Oh, no. no."
Tie wildly pulled open every drawer
in the vain hope of finding them
packed away. Perhaps she kept them
elsewhere
lie tried 20 hope that she had sent
them to be reset; but no. they were
all superbly set in the latest fashion:
and, moreover, she never would have
sent them all AT once. He looked
lagain.
Nothing! nor one jewel could he
lind.
lie remembered that he had asked
his wife at the Jandidier ball WHY
she did not wear her diamonds; and
she had replied with a smile:
OH what is the use? Everybody
knows them so well; and. besides.
they don't suit my costume"
Yes, she had made this answer with
out biushing, without showing the
slightest sign Of agitation or shame.
What barefaced impudencel What
base hypocrisy eonSealed beneath an
innocent, confding mannerl
And she had been thus deceiving
him for twenty years. But suddenly
CLEAN of hope penetrated his con-
fused mind-slightly, barely possible;
still a straw TO cling to
Perhaps Valentine has put her
diamonds in Medicines room"
Without stopping TO consider the
inaeEcaey of what he was about to
do. he hurried into the young girls