The Monmouth inquirer. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1865-1933, 1923-11-15

cincts Of her private boudoir.
A strange awkwaxdnsaa. however,
seemed to settle upon the tvs culprits
as they crossed the threshold Of that
severely Greak pest with ita Olym.
pfsn memories; HeTninine slowly and
silently unciasped her diamond neck.
lace and turned to lay it Upon table
near by, and Caesar, with equal slow.
ness, fumbled nerycusly with the but
tons of his eoncerthan paletot.
Then, just as the diamonds fell into
the bronze tray waiting to receive
them-fell with the light spatterng
sound Of falling te&s-the door open
ed again and NJ. de Givone appeared
Herm'uie uttered cry and fell
prone to the floor, and Caesar began
mechanically to rebutton his paletot,
his pale face conYulsed with terror.
The banker was pale, too. but omi-
nously calm.
"Sir" said he, quietly drawing re-.
yolTer from his pocket, you are poor,
you are a coward, and I know why
you are here. You came to steal my
wife Happily, had taken my pre-.
cautions. have placed on guard st
each side Of the servants hallway Of
my house two police officers charged
TO arrest and to search you. They viii
find pointing to the baronne's Jew
els glittering in the tray beside them
that diamond necklace concealed
between your shirt and waistcoat;
they will take you to the police sta.
ton, and there you win admit the
taclt; there, also. you viii declare
that you were here to see the baron
nes maid and this vulgar comedy viii
end BY a just application Of the law
that is to say. a certain number of
months IN prison. In consideration OF
recovering the diamonds, however 1
agree to do what / can to soften the
rigor Of the richly deserved sentence.
And smiling blandly, H. de Givone
placed his finger upon the revolyera
trigger.
But but monsieur" stammered
the comedian, entering the tragic role
in spite Of himself. you would CON-
rel me to sacrifice my homer
And NY kanor, sir responded the
banker, drawing nearer. what OF that,
sif? Appearances give rae the rigas
to blow out your brains here and now,
sir; put do not love scandal. Take
your choice. then Carry of the dla.
monds orr kill ycu!"
Briefly, nothing was more eleverly
arranged Caesar hes Was poor no
body, riddled with debt, of a physique
to please only chambermaids, and
Herminie de Giyone as aawiess be-
fore the world as the statue she re-
sembled.
With moist brow and chatterlng
teeth, Caesar made but step to the
table where famed the Respondent
necklace.
10 call out is useless" he grnm-
bled, essaying to smile. IF I told the
Truth, even, they'd take me for fool,
I suproset"
no one would believe you. SIR
Givone raised his arm again, and
Caesar saw the cleaning barrel Of
the regeleer almost against his brow.
1t was an inyincible argument. Caesar
yielded
Vel, if>I must, I must, said hes
better a prison than death, you
know" And the necklace vanished
into the hiding-plaee designated by NJ.
de Giyone, who followed him to the
threshold. pointing the way he should
go. and cropped behind him the por-
there
Caesar found himself alone IN the
corridor. To the left in the distance.
twinkled the lamp of the yestihule.
lighting the servants stairway; 70 the
right. shining panes of the corridor
window. Beyond that window was the
garden, beyond the garden the Bois de
Boulogne, the fields, security, and
freedom!
BAH why not?" thought Caesar
brusquely. dazzled and blinded by that
which he had suddenly conceived;
eve time enough to throw myself
into train eight hours lands me az
Havre, and once in England the devil
himself couldn't catch me. Houp|a'
my boy, and that"-snapping his
thumb lightly in the direction Of the
bankers closed door-"that for AL
the enraged husbands in Paris F."
He threw up the sash, hung leg
over the window-ledge, and-the dis
monds with him-was lost IN the
night.
six months have gone Stree thens
the worthy fnancier is still dc aring
the mistake he made IN persuaeing
Caesar to steal against his wiIi, and
Nine. la Baronne Giyone mere than
ever resembles a well-greomed statue
Translated for the Argonaut from
the French of Rachlide by E. c. Wag-
gener
IT,. k-a..t 4ba Aus,star