El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-02-29
The HeraId's Daily
ShOrt Story

hand on him and receives a staggering
LOW that sends him Keeling to the
other end Of the room.
Our host rings a bell and says to
the footman; show Monsieur Neville
To add to the horror of the situation
Nine Suzy DesteuX-Lumnaille comes
IN from the salon, young, blonde and
charming and asks: What has hap
pened hereg
When I came home I found Neville
sitting On the dark stairs.
When he was alone with me in my
room he asks:
DO you think me guilty2"
turn away from him without an
swering.
Search mel search me, I beg your
ne cried so insistingly that I consent
In the inside pocket Of his coat I
found three letters in a handwriting /
knew and besides, the little bouquet
which Nine. Suzy Destieux-Lumnaille
had worn at dinner.
Yes those letters are from her"
he said i should not betray this Sc
cret, but You will understand my de-
spair al the terrible situation"
He did indeed look the picture Of the
most hopeless misery.
To think that an hour ago I was q
perfectly happy man. with every
promise of q bright future before me.
And now! What an I to do now?'
embrace him. / assure him Of my
unaltered respect and friendship.
comfort him the best I can, and we
talk the matter over. What can he
do2 We agree that his only salvation
IS TO find not only the diamond, but
the thief
At 9 o'clock the next morning we
are at a private detective agency and
the chief listens attentvely 10 our
story. making several notes. Then he
~ int
matter and that the only thing we
can do is 10 wit.
The DAY after we are hiding with
him I'm q room behind the shop Of an
plainly dressed woman had offered 10
sell an uncut diamond and who was to
call again today.
After about an hours waiting we
hear voices and the jeweler joins Us
under some prOteXt and shows US the
diamond 1t is the one we are looking
for.
We burst into the shop and Neville
The woman was nobody but Nine.
SuZy estieuE-Lumnaille, wearing the
clothes Of her chambermaid.
She throws herself at our feet and
sobbingly confesses that she had
found the diamond in the morning II
had fallen from the table and had
been caught between the lining OF a
curtain and the curtain itself. She
found il by accident. and she had a
big modiste's bill TO pay
The detective wanted TO arrest her,
but Neville with trembling hand
opened the door to her and let her
out And, as I protested against his
magnanimity, which would ruin his
life, and told him that Desteux-Lum-
naille might be told of the theft with
out hearing anything of mis- wifes I'M
faithfulness. he said on tone OF
hopefulness; Nothing matters to me
any more. when she could do such a
thing"
The detective agency returned the
diamond under a pretext which de-
ceived nobody. Jacques Neville,
branded as thief. had to leave the
ministry Of foreign affairs and re-
signed from all his clubs. Then he
Travelled for two years
When he returned he was engaged
10 a charming young girl but an
anonymous letter revealed the story of
the diamond and the engagement was
broken off I went to the father OF
the girl and told him the truth, but
he would not believe me.
Then the poor fellow disappeared
and it was reported that he was dead.
Nine DestieuX-Lumnaille is still a
famous belle I sometimes see her
at the theater and she looks into my
eyes with her childlike innocent gaze.
Does she remember