Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1911-12-15
-, diamond Horseshoe.

CHAPTER l.

,Srps scream clasneo Win INC
-.,o's high note in the Jewel
and in a moment the Metropoli-
q onera House was in confusion
=. en-. half suppressed. broke the
n ,eculiar to a Faust" night The
.sebst portly Marguerite, her
-. soaring like a cage-born bird
-sSserlv freed, was decking her ma
rersou with the glistening stage
Ieft on her scenic doorstep by
- ..axest of devils. AS the singer
80 about her neck the rope of pearls
~ which Mephisto planned to fet-
II ter soul. Mrs. Missioner, swinging
= an with q freer motion, struck
80 .leuderest part Of her diamond
.,urratta The blow was sharp. The
s-,ssp thread on which the choicest
~ Missioner Jewels In their per-
s,,,trd settings were strung, snapped.
,.s..ntIy most Of the freed drops OF
,-,,ep IRE that constituted Mrs. Mis-
<,.ays magnificent necklaee-the
=. vith the Maharanee diamond
ere rolling on the floor Of the box.
Mn. Missioner, as the little scream
.-,ts nom Dorothy March, a debu-
..,ts she lad taken under her wing
a. he evening, clutched at the few,
nsmopds that fell into her lap. Miss
u.reh drew her skirts tightly about
- ankles and shrank into corner
= sse box. making room for the man
IA sprang to Mrs. Missioner's aid.
usfors another moment sped. Curtis
oasrold was on his knees scooping
,oestber the scattered jewels with
<nox-eloyed hands. Bruxton Sands,
.loxer Of movement, bent With more
fiznity to the task. In the next box.
.epsrated from Mrs. Missioner's only
b. 4 low velvet rail. man Of Orien-
All features and complexion turned
a watch the scramble for the jewels.
though be did not stir from his place,
Ia hawk-like face seemed to thrust
tseif into the center Of the excited
group.
"continuel CONTINUED" the singer
urred. as she bent her gaze from the
box to the conductor.
whats the matter? Go on! Go
on!" the stage manager cried In I'M
6srtonss from the wings. Ushers In
ne back Of the house sought to cover
tie confusion with ill-timed applause.
me moment was big with potential
tragedy. One cry of "Fire!" might
ksyo sent those thousands Of startled
women and men battling along the
zlzles In an elemental fury Of self
preservation. Mere prolongation OF
he situation without that terri
be tocsin might have ended In q
smaller panic But the liquid tones
4 tho soprano soaring again in the
p5rotechnics of the Jewel Song re-
claimed the attention Of the audience.
The conductor. evidently eager to hide
be own momentary loss Of poise, fair
b lifted bis men through the intri-
oscies Of the accompaniment
nomptness Of action by the stage
manager restored order behind the
seeneG
Nothing Of all those incidents STRUCK
ne sense Of anyone in the Missioner
box All four of its occupants were
>onoerned for the immediate recovery
the diamonds that had sprung from
1rs. Nissioner's neck to her lap, and
tsn stampeded across the floor
oriswold. still on his knees. rescued
ne greater number. Sands, a man o.
tction as well as of millions, picked
~ the larger gems. Miss March
'lrsnk further into her corner OF thu
<x and dragged her petticoats eve
nore closely until her immature form
,eened chiseled In tulle.
Look In all the corners-lool
s7eryvhere," Mrs. Missioner urged
There's one behind the chair" sh'
pointed
There's another cried Dorothy
po'nting at Griswold's feet. A glanc'
ION the dark stranger In the mex
px directed the searchers towart
sull another part of the floor. ant
"sry move was rewarded by the re
rfsry Of q cleaning stone. One b,
me ~ twos. by threes. the diamond
ssn gathered. and still the search
*ent on. Fast as they scooped then
y Sands and Griswold poured tn,
ta''ering treasure into Mrs. Mis-
noner's lap.
Are they all there?" asked tn,
Millionaire.
NO no." answered the widow
There are several more. Please lool
an-look everywhere. Dorothy
nslp ne count them"
urisEold and Sands renewed thei
,esch. peering into the remotest cor
pushing chairs about, looking
acnlns, gasping with the zeal o
noikers, urged again and again
" tas owner Of the jewels.
me glittering horseshoe Of the Met
nAn deserves its name. Tn,
aur OF Kimberly, the pearl-diveri
rolynesia. the gold-seekers of tn,
e'onolke. the diggers into eartb's Sc
~ me world over toll ceaselessl,
maintain the brilIiance of that BIZ
1ei snow. They send their dia
es and rubies and emeralds an,
ppniles, their pearls and opals an,
49, 70 CLEAN on the heads an,
ass and gowns Of women whom
80. INDUSTRY Of one generation. or tn
narket luck of another. ha
sn. neo With riches. A night at tn
- parade Of the wonder
49,. - can work and Of that which to
sh gems eaa huy