The Tabor independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1913-19??, 1913-06-19
CHAPTER XII.
MADAME ASSERTS HER DIGNITY

Placide answered the bell. q
Ali" said the baroness. $50 you
have returned! See,t / have spilled
some water. / have been washing a
dog. Fetch a cloth. to wipe II up, and
you an take the ever away No par
GELS nave come for me. l s~uppose?"
No, Madame" 81
The old man went OF with the ever
and returned in a momen with a cloth.
She took II from him. went down on
her knees and mopped up the water on
the parquet.
My legs are younger than yours"
said h q Here, take the cloth. / am
going out, and should any parcels ar
rive for me, tell Rosine to place them
in my bedroom"
Yes. Madame" ..
Stay said the baroness. What is
that" $50.
Voices sounded from below stairs,
and In a moment Rosine came running
Monsieur Boehmer has called, ma
DAME" g.t ..
"Roehmer, the jeweler?"
Yes, madame" o
h"Ah, he has brought my necklace.
Run down and show him up"
ERosine disappeared. and in a momen
returned. ushering in Boehmer. Placide
left the room, and madame found her
self alone with the jeweler. Boehmer
was a Hebrew, a German Hebrew, very
stout. soberly yet richly dressed, with
"a blazing diamond on the middle finger
OF his left hand, and a most seductive
smile presided over by a command
Ing nose. He was very we'll to do.
Jeweler to the court. he held a good
many secrets in his keeping. Losses at
cards brought many OF the nobility to
Monsieur Bpehfner. he lent money on
good security and sometimes even on
bad. He was gracious to every one
without p%retense, for he had a good
ness and had been known to give money
to those TO whom he had refused a
loan. But in business he had no heart
at all. ''.
Good day, Monsieur Boehnier,"
Good day, madame"
You have called about the dia-
monds?" .#l. @ f""
Madame" said Boehmer, taking a
parcel from his pocket, Il have brought
them. The necklace Is complete"
He took from the parcel a velvet COW
cred box, opened II, and exposed to
view a superb necklace OF pure white
stones, each a fountain of fire.
oh, mon Dieu; how beautiful"
cried the baroness. ~
rs not II sweet?" said ,Boehmer,
moving the casket so that the gems
|shone and flashed and leaped before
the fascinated eye OF the purchaser.
Quite. Excellent Workmanship! 1
must congratulate you, Monsieur Boeh-
mer." w ..ma
THANK you, madame"
She held out her hand to take 1T.
And the hill, madame?" said Boeh-
n.er, without relinquisbing the stones.
"Ah! the bill. $4,000 names think
you said the price would be-"
Yes, madame" a- 4
"Weii, / will pay you before I leave
for Vienna. You said Ii would not be
necessary to pay on delivery"
unfortunately, madame, when l said
that / spoke without the consent of
my partner, Monsieur B. Itang, and
since then we have nae some very
heavy liabilities to meet"
t'toh." said the baroness. You have
had some very heavy liabilities to
Before Boehmer could reply, a knock
came at the IGOR and Placide entered.
Madame" said Placide, Monsieur
Behrens has called nj wishes to see
| you" n.N t-.,. b. .. ...'
"Behrens, the haberdasher?
Yes, madame"
SHOW him up Then, turning to
Boehmer. You mistrust me. Take your
jewels away and keep them till you
hear from me-"
"Oh, madame, you are
Il am the Baroness Sophie Linden.
a woman Of her word. Good day. Mon
sieur BoehmeF." 3d.. 49,
Madame, II you will but listen to
| me--l @3 49, "
Good day. Monsieur Boehmsr. All,
Monster Behrens, come in"
Behrens entered, bowling, while
Boehmer, astonished, ~half-angry, half
filled with admiration for the woman
who had treated him so cavalierly.
bowed himself out, A of the
court would have raved or wheedled,
promised, threatened. As he descended
the stairs his acute mind told
him he had been misled by the
rumors he had heard; that this
woman was to be trusted; but II
was too late now to rectify matters,
SO he took his way back to his
shop, nearly certain that the Jewels
would be taken and paid for In the end.
well, Monsieur Behrens,'' said the
baroness. and my gowns?"
They are finished. madame."
And my hats?'