The Raymer enterprise., 1912-05-02

. W iuNo WI do Oil dull-
dote TO grief. and had posted 1t but
an hour when the mystery OF the
green diamond necklace began
! The circumstances were these. My
clerk had left with the letters, and |
was sitting at my table examining a
few unusually large cat's.eyes which
had been offered to me that morning.
| heard the shop door open and saw
from the small window near my desk
a man in fur coat. who seemed in
something OF hurry when he went TO
the counter. Three minutes after,
wards Michel came up to me, breath,
lessly and stammering. He carried in
his hand the Identical necklace which
| had made for my friend Brewer. and
which he had buried with his wife. as
his letter said, not month before.
My amazement at the sight OF 1t was
SO great that for many minutes sat
clasping and unclasping the snap OF
the trinket. and reading again that
strange inscription, major lex amor
est nobis, which had caused me SO
much amusement when | had first or.
dered 1t 10 be cut Then | asked MI.
chel:
Who brought this"
"A man in the shop below-the
agent of Green & Sons, who have been
offered 1t by customer at Dieppe."
Have they put price upon it,"
They ask one thousand five hun.
dred pounds for IT,"
oh, five hundred less than we sold
1t for; that is curious. Ask the man
II he will leave It on approval for a
week"
Il have put the question already
His people are quite willing"
Then write out receipt"
He went away to do so, still fun.
bling and amazed. The thing was so
astounding 10 one who knew the whole
OF the circumstances, as did, that |
told him nothing more, but examined
the necklace minutely at least half a
dozen times. Was 1t possible that
| there could be two sets OF matching
green diamonds, two infatuated lovers
who had chosen the same pattern OF
ornament, the same strange inscrip,
ton, and the same tint Of stones
Such 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 presupposed his return TO his
normal common sense-or some scoun.
drel had stolen It from her coffin. |
determined to wire to him at once,
and had written out message when
, the second mystery in the history OF
the trinket began TO unfold itself. II
came to me in the form OF a cable,
gram from Brewer himself, who asked
me to go to him at Paris without de.
lay. as something which troubled him
beyond description had happened
since he wrote me.
| need not say that at the time
when | received this telegram | had
no idea that second mystery had en-
gendered 1t. | believed that Brewer
had discovered the loss OF the neck.
lace. and had sent for me to trace tie
thieves. This tack | entered upon
very willingly; and when | had in.
struCted Michel to ask Green K Co.
with whom We did large business
to give me a special and private favor
the real name OF the seller Of the neck,
lace, took the eight o'clock train from
Victoria; and was in Paris at dawn
on the following morning, Early as II
was. Brewer waited for me at the
Care du Nord, and greeted Inc with
a welcome which was almost hysterI
cal in its effusiveness. This could
not return, for the shock OF the sight
OF him was enough TO make any man
vOiceless. He had aged in looks 90
years in as many months His clothes
hung In folds upon a figure that had
once been the figure OF a robust and
finely built man; his face was wan and
COlorless there were hOllows above
his temples, and furrows as OF grea,
age In the cheeks, which erstwhIle
shone with all the healthy coloring
that physical vigor can give. His as
pect, indeed, was pitiable; but made
q great effort TO convince him that
had not noticed 1t, and said, cheerily:
well, and how is my old friend?"
"l am a widower," he answered;
and there was more pathos in the sim
pie remark than in any lament | ever
heard from him. II was quite evident
that his one grief still reigned In his
thoughts; and | made no other at
tempt to conquer IT,
"You have important news. or you
would not have summoned me from
London" said, as we left the station
in facre. Won't you give me an
idea OF It now?"
When We reach my place | will
tell you everything and show you
everything. It's very kind OF you tc
come, very kind indeed; but Id soon
er speak of such things at my own
house"
you are still at NIllenmoble?"
Yes; but have an apartment by
the Rue de Morny, and am staying