Show 1 31 ME FHE LOST E K Is T was in hi th the 0 palm iest days daya of the I 1 second empire it 1 in I 1 was an evening in midwinter the I 1 parts paria season sea on was at its height and a brilliant audience had assembled at the theater francais to witness the p per e r finnance fon for nance mance of 0 t rules bandeaus Bande Sande aus delightful play mademoiselle emoi emol selle de la Seig liere the empress was present graceful and beautiful and the emperor at her side wrapped in his favorite air ot at gloomy abstraction which like rord lord Bur burleighn leighs celebrated nod was su supposed p to mean so much yet which viewed by the impartial light of subsequent I 1 ver veracious acio us history seems to have signified so little several officers fal cers I 1 in U glittering uniforms were in attendance sparkling with decorations showered upon them by a grateful sovereign and among these gallant warriors conspicuous by reason of his attire was a solitary humble black coated civilian in ordinary evening dress with the inevitable speck of rid red at his buttonhole in a box almost immediately opposite that occupied by their imperial majesties was a young and exceedingly handsome russian lady countess ivanoff concerning C whose fascinations the great world of parts paris elected to interest itself considerably at this period the beauty and the wit of this fair northern enchantress were the theme of every masculine tongue and her magnificent diamonds the envy and admiration mi ration of all fe feminine beholders the countess was accompanied by her husband a man of distinguished appearance the curtain fell after the first act the emperor and empress withdrew during the many humbler mortals followed their example among then count ivanoff apparently in nowise disturbed by the fact that the golden youth in the stalls were bringing a small battery of opera glasses to bear upon the dazzling charms of his beautiful wife the countess leaned back in her luxurious dauteuil fauteuil faut euil eull fanning herself serenely indifferent to the interest ehe ahe was I 1 exciting in the dim light of her curtain shaded box the glitter of her splendid diamonds seemed to form a sort of luminous halo round her graceful head a myriad of starry brilliants brilliantz brilli ants gleamed among the masses of her gold brown hair and two priceless stones flashed and twinkled like twin planets in her little shell tinted ears the count had been gone but a few minutes when there was a gentle knock at the door and in answer to the countess entres En trez the use appeared and said deferentially pardon mme ame la contesse Com tesse a gentleman charged with a message from her majesty the empress waits to in the corridor and desires to know it if madam will have the goodness to receive him certainly enter I 1 beg of your you monsieur replied the count countess eds as she recognized the distinguished looking civilian she bad already noticed in close proximity to the emperor in the imperial box the visitor advanced a few steps and still standing in deep shadow said with grave dignity 1 I trust my intrusion may be pardoned I 1 am desired by her majesty to ask a favor of mme ame la contesse Com tesse and at the same time to beg that she will unusual request the obligation will be mine it if I 1 can fulfill even the least of her majesic maje siy s wishes answered the countess the case is this explained the gentleman an argument has arisen concerning the size of the diamonds in your earrings and those of the countess I 1 woi the empress begs that you will one of your pendants pennants pend ants to her I 1 care for a few moments as the only ly satisfactory is method of disposing of the vexed question quI stion I 1 will myself return it the instant her majesty gives it back into my keeping with the greatest pleasure agreed the countess detaching the precious jewel forthwith and depositing it it without misgiving in the outstretched palm of the imperial messenger the countess bestowed jl smile and gracious bow of dismissal upon her maje distinguished ambassador who responded by have the goodness to excuse a somewhat a profoundly respectful inclination as he made his exit shortly afterward count ivanoff returned 1 I have bave been talking to du mor mort he rc remarked marked as he seated himself clever fellow dumont I 1 am not surprised at the emperors partiality re fc him he must find him useful asa ue be lein want of an idea who is dumont inquired the countess with languid interest that is A rather a difficult question replied the count smiling there are several editions of his biography all different probably none of them true loolu he be has just entered the emperors empe rora 1 tte the man in the black coat Is that M dumont exclaimed the countess count if so no he has been here hem wilile while you youve were away he cameon came on the part pait of ahe the empress and carried off doff oner bf my earrings which lier her majiski to I 1 compare with one of twe the countess wo arl J f I 1 Du impossible I 1 awas talk falk tag to I 1 him the time I 1 46 absent ant analie lie P only left e me e it at the ifil atop of th e italie staircase ase two se seconds da storey ufkie ire E thiv turned i Z I 1 fa nevertheless cion amlie has been p 1 here hem AAI hay brt ra v be see ek I 1 t tf Z al 1 1 4 4 3 T 1 bet 7 I 1 the h cafeo aa 11 feo grim amne e aft afif liioi t ak I 1 1 t 4 ernp 0 anfel felt aw ff acte aiji P st 1 fial ly I 1 1 r t 1111 1 11 I 1 it I 1 1 ada 1 1 impossible cried the countess counte iMin in ser er tum ahe the affair Is absolutely as aa I 1 tell you yon it wash was the veritable BL da mont I 1 see opposite who came lith into this box and took away my diamond only wait a little and be will brink bring it back intact 14 to wait a little Is to lessen chance chanc of its recovery r twill will go and inquire of dumont if I 1 can get et at him whether he has been seized with a sudden attack of kleptomania because the idea of the empress having sent se nt him roaming about the theater borrowing a ladys jewels I 1 regard as preposterous ah these parisian thieves you do not know what nac geniuses they are in their way with this the count departed and the second act was nearly at an end before he returned in the meantime the countess perceived that she was an object of interest to the occupants of the imperial box 1 I was right whispered the count reentering entering re and bending over his bis cifes chair dumont knows nothing of your earring and needless to say the empress never sent him or anyone else upon such an errand I 1 have put the matter into the hands of the police and they will do all that is possible to recover it the countess was duly commiserated by sympathizing friends but nothing more was heard of the stolen jewel until the following day early in the afternoon the countess was about to start for her daily drive in the bols bois the frozen snow lay deep upon the ground and her sleigh with its two jet black russian horses jingling their bells merrily in the frosty air stood waiting in the courtyard while the countess donned her furs A servant entering announced that an officer of the police in plain clothes asked permission to speak with mme ame la contesse Com tesse concerning the lost diamond certainly said madame graciously let the officer be shown into the boudoir into the boudoir presently came the countess stately beautiful fur clad buttoning her little gloves near the door stood a short wiry looking man with keen black eyes closely cropped hair and compact erect military figure the small man bowed profoundly while he said with the utmost respect at the same time laying a letter upon the table 1 I am sent by the order of the chief of police to inform mme ame la contesse Com tesse that the stolen diamond has been satisfactorily traced but there is unfortunately some little difficulty connected with its identification I 1 am charged therefore to beg that mme ame la contesse Com tesse will nave the goodness to the fellow earring to the police for a short period in order that it may be c compared with the one found in the possession pos session of the cus us pecked thief madame will find that the letter I 1 bring corroborates my statement the countess glanced hastily through the letter and ringing the bell desired that her maid might be told to bring the remaining earring immediately this was done and the dapper little man bowing deferentially departed with the precious duplicate safely in his bis possession the countess descended to her sleigh and drove to the club to call for her husband en route for the bols bois crossing the place de la concorde she related to him the latest incident in the story of the diamond earring you never were induced to give up the other cried count ivanoff incredulously but I 1 tell you mon ami aal an officer of the police himself came to fetch it bringing a letter from his superiors vouching for the truth of his statement if the prefect himself had come I 1 dont think I 1 should have been cajoled into letting him have it after last nights experience laughed her husband however for the second time of asking we will go and inquire the coachman turned and drove as directed to the bureau of police at which the count had lodged his corn com p plaint faint the night before after a somewhat protracted delay the count rejoined hla hi 8 wife with a look of amusement upon his bis handsome bearded face the police know nothing of your detective or his epistolary efforts he sad sa d drawing the fur rug up to his fals chin as the impatient horses sped away over the frozen snow houi second earring has been netted by another member of the light fingered fraternity and upon my honor I 1 think he was the more accomplished complis hed artist of the two and from that uri unlucky lucky day to this the countess Iva celebrated diamond earrings knew her pretty ears no more san ban francisco argonaut |