The Caldwell watchman. (Columbia, La.) 1885-1946, 1912-03-02

All the painting loneliness Of Mrs.
Oelayoche shivered as the sharp Ques- il
ton bored its way to her inner con-
sciousness It was now her turn to be t
silent. She looked at the Headquar.
ters man as if he held in his hand her '
life. liberty, and whatever chance re. c
NAMED to her Of happiness. A CLEAN {
Of appeal glowed In her beautiful eyes ,
for moment. Plainly, II she did not s
speak it was not for lack of will Her
words were as frozen as the normal
condition of her thoughts. She put {
her hands to her breast and gazed at
the Central Office man as piteously as
a woman OF her Junoesque charms
could be expected to do. The ingenue
role was impossible to Mrs. Delaroche:
but had it not been so. undoubtedly
she would have assumed it in this emer-
gency.
Answer me, madam; this calls for
an immediate explanation. You told
this man these Jewels belonged to you.
How does 1t come you have the dia.
monds everybody In New York knows
as the Maharanee necklace Of Mrs.
Doris Missioner"
Mrs. Delaroche still struggled family
for speech. Her lids quivered; her eyes
alternately closed and then were fixed
upon the detective, and a tremor, be- !
ginning at the crown of her adorable !
head, moved in waves to her perfect
feet. She sank into chair and let her
head fall upon her arms as they
stretched inertly across little table.
There was no smallest streak Of pity
In the look Detective Britt bent upon
her. He had dealt with women Of her
type before many times, he told him.
self. and now that he was 80 near the
heart Of the great Missioner mystery
1t was not his purpose to be Influenced
IN the slightest degree by the distress
OF a Diana, to say nothing Of an Aphro'
dite. Dry sobs choked the woman.
Her eyes strained at Their tendons SO
painfully that tears would have been
divine relief. Whether she was grieved
or frightened was not so apparent as
that she was sorely distressed. Min
utes passed before she lifted her face
and once more looked at the detective.
The house sleuth and his porter had
retreated a yard or more, and the
erstwhile pajama squad, now an as
founded force of Cossacks and Bedouins
in varied array Of dressing gowns
and bathrobes, looked and listened In
hushed expectancy.
Come, Mrs. Delaroche," said Britt
> sternly. "You really must not waste
any more of my time. have spent al
hour in getting these jewels ava,
3 from you, and don't intend to put IL
many more words in getting the fact:
a from you. You have got to answer
t soon or late, and you may as we'll de
/ it at once"
n If there was to be any third degree
e in her case, the detective was deter
n mined to apply it then and there.
!, They were given to me-" said thu
|. woman family.
by whom?'
d "By-by q friend of mine," she re
Q piled.
!. "And his name?" inquired the detec
r. tive CURLY.
J, Il do not care to tell his name," sait
;. Mrs. Delaroche, who had recovered {
e little of her calmness.
n "You must tell it," Britt insisted.
II cannot" she said.
=. But tell you you must" returned
the detective. Don't you see you hav
got to tell 1t to square yourself?"
what do you mean, sir?" she aske'
with pretty show of indignation.
"Now, don't try any of those game
on me-" said Britt. In his impotence
he was descending close to the meth
DDS of Donnelly and Carson. He n
membered that in moment and r.
sumed more persuas!vely:
1T will save you great deal c
trouble for you, Mrs. Delaroche. II 20
tell me the truth, and tell it at once
without holding anything back. 70
n understand, l am a detective from Pt
lice Headquarters, and l was assigne
\ weeks ago to find Mrs. Missioner's di'
monds. l have found the diamond
and now l must find the thief"
5 Mrs. Delaroche shivered, and starte
slowly to her feet. She turned di
! dainful glance on the group at the doc
then faced Britt once more, and In
I voice little more than whisper. sh
= said:
"Whatever you may think, I did NJ
know the Jewels were stolen. l did nj
\ know they ever belonged to Mrs. MI
II sioner. never heard of Mrs. Missio
= or before tonight, except through Il
papers did not know that any OF n
- acouaintances knew her. was N
aware she had lost her diamond
What you tell me about the theft OF
necklace from Mrs. Missioner Is e
tirelv new to me. / seldom read Il
naners. and when I do, l do not res
accounts of crime"
"All you say may be true" Britz pc
sisted. "but you may take my word +
1.-THE Jewels are Mrs. Missioner
thew were stolen from her. and "
must tell me the name of the perst
~