The Lost Necklace

"I was retnrning froni Paris, where I had been to pnrcbasea diamond necklaoe for Eflitb, my íiaiicee. I had for u;y ooiupanion in the compartment a very lovoJy yonng wonian and a little poodle dog tbat sho addressed as Chico. It geeiñed t;o me that somewhere, and uot vary long ago, I had met my fuir oompanion before. "I sat íur some time vainly tryiug to recall the ircumstaiices of our meeting, but the more I pondered on it the more helpless seemed the task. "Alittle later od, looking up, I fouud that my oompauioo was without book or papori So, taki;igan illnstrated maga;-.ii:_j f rom my eatchel, I otfered it to hor. Sist' thanked me and smiled sweet)y. Ai ter a time I grew tired of my novel aud resolved to attempt a little oonversation with my neighbor. I asked her if he was going to Nioe. She replied that sho was aud went on to Bay that her sister, whom she bad expected would go with her, had disappointed hor at tho last moment. She, however, could not wait until the following day, as her father, who iyas at Nice for his health, had wired heV to return at once. "She spoke of her dislike for traveliug; that, as the compartment reserved for ladiex was full, she had been obliged to enter mine. She was sorry to intrude, but the train was about to start, and the guard had told her all the other seats wero taken. "I hastened to assure her that I was glad oí the incky chance that had given me so oharming a companion. She smiled and asked me if I was to be long at Nico. She chatted on about the place, mentioning the ñames of inauy well known people, who, she múc, were her í'riends and whom I shonld no doubt meet. "As the evening wore on she opeced a basket containing a dainty lunch. 'Would I share it with her?' The cook evidently had a ridicnlous idea of her appotite. Why, there was enough for six!' This seemed to be the case. So, as we were by this time very well acquainted, I accepted her invitation, and we were eoon doing justice to a really excellent lunch. " 'What a charmiiig creature she is!' I thought. 'How Edith will like her!' Growing coufidential, I spoke of my visit to Nice and of the dear girl who was iwaiting me there. She seerued interested and listened patiently to the recital of my fair one's many charms. 'Yon wül meet her and can see for yonrself if all I say of her is not truel' I exclaimed. 'She will be very gratefnl to yon for having made this stupid journey pleasant for me. ' "'Wowill drink her health!' cried my companion gayly, drawing a small silver flask of exquisite woikmanship froni the depths of her basket. 'I always carry a littlo cognac with'' me in caso of sickoess, ' she explained. Opening the fiask and filling a dainty glass with the amber liquid, she hauded it to ine, with a radiant smile. 'To Edith's health, ' she said. "I dráined the glass. It was brandy of the flnest quality I had ever tasted. She seemed to read my thoughts. " 'You are a judge of good liquor. That is Otard of 1870.' "Taking the glass from my hand, she poured a little of the liqxior iuto it and barely touched it to her lips. " 'You must not jndge my good wishes by the amount I take. I wish you all the happiuess that lifecan give, but I cannot drink as you ruen do. To me it is siinply a medicine. ' "Soon af ter this I bogan to grow sleepy, and as my companion did not seem inclined to talk I made ruyself as comfortable as circumstances wonld permit. I turned my head toward the window, tbrough which the surrounding country could be seen dimly in the moonlight, as we rushed along, and resi gned myself to a night of comfort. The next tbing it was broad daylight. I awoke with a dull pain in my head and a sense of weariness that my sleep bad rathor increased than dhninisheö. "My companion was sitting by the window reading the book I had given I lier the night before. On perceiving that I was awake she pnt down her book and remarked tht I was a sound sleeper and that she envied me. She had passed awretched uight and was glad that we would soon be in Nice. I thought of Edith, whuin I should now see so soon, and theu of the surprise I had iu store Cor her. "I hoped that the necklace would alease her, and then, for the fir.st time, :t occurred to me that perhaps it would a-we been better if I had consul tod some woman of taste before buying it. A ,'il]iaut idea i-'truck me - iny companïon was just the one to decide. I would ask her opinión. It was iiot too late to ihange the necklace for something else f she thought it not suitable. I was sure sho would teil me candidly just what she thought. "Unbuttoning my coat, I drew the ackage trom my pocket and laid it on my lap. Removing the wrappiugs, I opened the little blueeasket. For u moment I could not believe my eyes - it was empty ! "I turued quickly to my companion. She was leauing forward motionlesa, bieathlef., her face pale and in her eye i a lo !; !: . : 1 h.:U never forget. One !i:uii .i ,. i : uonvnlsively over her hearl Sbfl h.id removed lier glovas, worn the night before, and on ooe finor bl . il a diamond - the ono I had seen tüe previous day at the jeweler's. Iu an instant I aw it all. I sprang forward and grasped her wrii-t - roughly, I am afraid. '■' 'Give me back that n&cklace, you tliief I' I c-ried. 'I kiiüw yon. Yoostocxi by my sido yestoïday in the jewe or's shop on the Avenue de l'Opera. Í reniember ihr.t ring and your voioe. Yon hoard me say that I was going to Nioe by this train. The liquor yow gave mr was drngged, and you thongiit to escape before yonr theit was li?covered. It was a very clever soheme, but it has failed. Give me the neoklace, or I shall turn yoa over to the pólice. ' "I stretebed out my hand, thinking that, seeing the folly of farther concealment and the nselessness of denial, she wonld retara the stolen property. ] was Wrong, iiho drew herself np haughtily and looked me full in the face. When she spoke, it was in a voice tbat showed no trace of the sweetness which had at first attracted me. " 'You havo brought aserious charge against me, ' she said, 'and oneof which I am innocent. I am alone and a woman, ' this with a momentary tremor in her voice that somebow made me ashamed of the way I had spoken to her. 'If, as you say, you have lost a necklace, your only reason for accusing me of having stolen it is that we have been i the only occupants of this compartment. The instant yon opened the box and found it empty I saw the position I was placed in. Fortuuately, however, I can prove my innoceuce. ' " 'Perhaps you inay hesitate before again atterupting to blaokmail an unprotected woman. As soon as we arrive afc Nice I shall insist on going at once to the pólice station, where a thorough search of my baggage and porson shall be made. I shall then ask you to prove that you ever had a necklace. ' This remark was icrompanied by a smile that was not pleasbnt to soe. 'Until we reach Kice you will not address me again. ' "She leaned back in her seat and tnrned her face toward tho wiudow. I feit rafcher than saw that she was crying. "I began to feel uucomfortable. What if, after all, I had been too ready to jump at conclusions and had been mistaken? Was it not possible that the box might have beeu e.mpty when I received it from the jüv iur's? I had not seen the necklace altor it was left to be repaired, as the box was wrapped np when I called for it. My companion had insisted on an investigation that might prove her innocence - an investigation that a gnilty woman would never have proposed. Besides this she had expressed a doubt as to the existence of the nocklace and had accused me of an attempt to blackmail. The more I thonght of it the more vmpleasaut my position became. "Suddenly my eyes feil on something bright on the floor of the carriage. I stobped and picked it up. It proved to be the little heart shaped padlock I had noticed the night before on the poodle's collar. Like a flash a thought carne to me. Here might be the solution of the problcm. At any rate, I wonld put it to the test. No time should be lost, as we were just entering the station, and in a moment more the gnard would open the carriage door. "Reacliing across the seat with a quick motioii, I drew the sleeping mal to my sitie, ine woman sprang rorward to prevent me, bnt sho was too late. I had already torn the collar from the flog'.s neek and was holding it to the light that entered dimly through the Windows i'rom the station. "I breathed a sigh of relief. The inside of the collar contained a hollow groove, and in this roove, securely fastened, lay the missing necklace. I tnrned triumphantly to aiy coiupanion. The door was open. Sho was gone. "Tliat morning as I entered Edith's parlor the little poodle trotted contentedly by iny side, and instead of tbo collar he wore the necklace. As for the