Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-10-27

few days ago from Monsieur du Laurfer.
and he was in despair AT their loss. for
they belonged to dear friend of hiS-an
inveterate gambler. but an adorable
woman. She dared not tell her husband
of money that shed lost, but begged
somehow have learned what was gong on
through the pawubroker with whom the
jewels had been In pledgs-for a few
thousand pounds only You can imagine
my establishment at seeing the necklace
returned in such a miraculous way.
thought that fvor Dundas must have got
Il back meaning to give it to me as a
rprise-and the letters aft erward. And
il was only to keep the letters out OF the
affair altogether at any price-evidences
in black and white of my silly Irritation
and also TO avoid any association o
Raoul's name with the necklace. that 1
told the commiSSary of police the dia-
monds were present from my lover
spoke impnlsivaiy in sheer desperation.
and the instant the words were cut OF my
mouth I would have cut off my hand to
take back the stupid faisehood. But
what good to deny what I had just said?
The men wouldn't have believed me.
when the police had gone l asked Mr..
Dundas for my letters. But he thought
he had given them to me-and he knew
no more of the diamonds in their red
case than I did-far less, indeed.
Il was distracted to find that my let
ters had disappeared, though l was
thankful, for Raoul's sake. to have the
necklace. MIR. Dundas believed that his
own leather case with the letters must
have been stolen from his pocket In the
train, though he couldn't imagine why the
diamonds had been given to him instead.
But he suspected a travelling companion
of his. who had acted queerly. ana he de-
termined to try and find the man. He
was to bring me news after the theater
at my house, about midnight.
He came fifteen minutes later. having
been detained at his hotel Friends of his
had Unexpectedly arrived. He had just
time to tell me this, and that after going
out on false scent he had employed a
detective named Girard, when Monsieur
had been made frantically jealous by
some Misrepresentation Of - the man
whose name we haven't mentioned. l
begged Mr.. Dundas to hide In my bou-
doir. which he disliked doing. but finally
did. to please me. I hoped that he would
escape by the window, but it stuck. and
TO my horror I heard him there, in the
dark. moving about l covered the
sounds as well l could. and pacified
Raoul, who thought he had seen some
one come in. l limited 1t must have been
the hance of a pretty housamaid | have
It was not tn long after one that 1vor
Dundas finally got away; this | swear to
you. What happened to him after leav-
ing my house you know better than [ do,
for | haven't seen him since, as you are
well aware
He says he found letter from the
thief in his pocket. and went to the ad-
dress named: that he couldn't get cab
and walked But you have read the
papers
Yes. and 1 know how loyal he has been
TO me- why he wouldn't even tell about
the diamonds. much less my letters
'As for these letters. you are still anx-
iOus about them. madenoisell=?"
My hope Is that Mr.. Dundas found
and had time TO destroy them. rather
than risk further delay
You would like to know their fate?"
Il would, indeed"
We'll, 1 applaud the Englishman's
chivalry. Vive Tentene cordiae!'
You are the man to understand such
chivalry monsieur. Now that I've hum
bled myself, can't you give me hope that
he'll soon be released. and yet that-that
/ shan't be made to suffer for my confess
sion to you? It's clear to yon. isn't 1t,
that the murder must have been done
long before he could have reached the
house in the Rue de la File Savage