The Plymouth Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1869-1941, 1870-01-06

tOo?' The coincidence was getting more
than queer
"'And you,' pursued Monsieur Dard
took advantage of the crowd at the door
way to-
"And 1 will be shot, you know, if Mon
sieur Dard didn't pantomime precisely tht
maneuver my deraiseur just now must
have employed to cut my red morocco
portefcuille out of my inner breast pock
etr'
"Go on 1 said. astonished. 'Wha1
did do thcn?'
"Ycu rushed precipitately down the
staircase of the RedOutc.'
al wanted to catch the train you know.
"Ca sc comprehend! You jumped
into a panier waiting outside, and causet
yourself to be driven furiously to the sta
ton, where you arrived in time to take {
ticket, first class, to Paris by the 11:37 cx
press
al admit all that Go on
"In the meantime, though unfOrtu
nately too late, Monsieur Bourbon had be-
come aware of his loss. He instantly
communicated his suspiciOns-he had no
ticcd you repeatedly at his elbow-tO the
Commissaire of Police. Oddly enough,
continued Monsieur Dard, his eyes on mt
|
Saire was at that moment engaged with
the Sergeant Rokerre-yOu know the
Sergeant Rokerre, without doubt? No:
Really? Not the Sergeant ROkerre OF
your own Surete from ScOtlanyar? Well,
no matter; the Sergeant Rokcrre knows
YOU
"'The devil he doesr interjaculated.
ayes In fact it was precisely one
ThOmpsonne, with an infinity of aliases,
notorious English pickpOcket, who had
brought the Sergent Rokerre from Brux-
elles, where he had lost sight of his man,
to Spa, where he expected to find him
and it was precisely this ThOmpsonne that
! Bourbon described when he described
the individual he believed had robbed
him.
81 don't say he didn't commented !;
l only say he didn't describe me-
Z" Wait minute Monsieur Dard re-
turned by means of this description you
were traced TO the station; by means of it
it was asccrtained you had taken ticket
| for Paris. The Sergeant Rokerre then
communicated by telegraph with us, and
took other precautions in the event OF
your changing your mind with regard to
| your destination However, these proved
unnecessary. You arrived in Paris at
o'clock this evening. Monsieur Thomp-
some is too important a parsonage for us
not To possess his signalement. That tele-
graphed to us by the Sergeant Rokcrre
! from Spa agreed remarkably with the pen
portrait of the same which l of course
consulted when the affair was placed in
my hands SO remarkably concluded
/ Monsieur Dard, that though the tele-
/ graph specified such things as that travel
/ ing dress you wear, as that purple and
black plaid, as that peculiarly fashioned
/ cap, had need of none of them to feel
certain you were the Thompsonne
wanted the instant came into the ROOM
And you feel as certain OF it still,
| Monsieur Dard 2?
"' Undoubtedly he said, smiling in
sufferably. Yet had reason to know the
Surete, could boast of few ADLER dgenty
hear why he was 50 certain | was his
ThompsOnne.
90 Before | prove to you | am not, prove
to me | am asked him.
60 will prove that to you in two words,
he declared calmly.
"Well.'
"Hc looked me in the eyes with cool
triumph in his own, as he leaned across
the table and said
"The red portefeuille was distinctly
seen in your possession at the station u
6as at Spa
"'That is very probable, returned.
"Ah, You admit it? In effect, to
what good deny it,
al don't deny it the least in the world.
"'NO?' Monsieur Dard replied, rising
with that confounded touch of melOdrama
in his rising that taints all Frenchmen
more or less no, you do not deny it, and
it would be useless if you did, because that
same red porteteuille was again seen in
your possession at the station here in
Paris three quarters of an hour ago
al admit it was in my possession there
too, Monsieur Dard.'
g. Because ne went on, you have held
no communication with any one since, cX
cept with me; because, therefore, and III
short, that red portefeuillc and the forty
thousand
"'Excuse me, fifty thousand inter
rupted, spitefully, spelling his peroration
"' Because, he repeated, that red porte
feuille is-ttere = and he pointed with un
hesitating forelingcr straight at the innel
breast pocket of my travelling jacket
where indeed my red morocco notecas,
ought to have been.
Il could scarcely well help grinning il
his sallOw, blues -shaven face, at the sci
and the swindle that was coming
"'The devil it is,' L replied, turning Sc
as t. expose that clean, artistic cut in my
garment Il should be only too glad i
you wele right about that, at all events
But what do you make of tbs. Monsicu
Dard?'
"Monsieur Dard didn't seem to know
exactly what to make of it for minute o
two, L thought Then he smiled that con
founded smile Of his, and wagged his head
as it were admiringly
- 1t is very clever, he observed won
derfully clever. But, my dear Monsieu
Thompsonne, it will not do. All no,
will not do at all
Eventually gathered that Monsieu
Dard's opinion, belief, conviction, wa
Htat had been operating IN mysetf!
And to make ones self out SO far from
the robber as the robbed wouldn't hav
been such a bad move on the part of tn
real Thompson, would it, Itwas notion
though, which could only enter that in
diyiduars head-or Monsieur Dard's; 8
that, to Monsieur Dard, | was simply NOR
positively the real Thompson than evcI
don't you see?
But that too clever little mans trump
,
was of the briefest The next momen
the door opened with rush, and ther
entered, perhaps more precipitately tha
he had intended, an unmistakable subOrd
nate from the Rue de Jerusalem, whom
presumed Monsieur Dard had prudentl
5 put on guard outside, followed by som
one far more reassuring in the shape
We're Lucingham.
r - Some trouble to get Mt you, Dick
said We're, when he perceived me. 'Ah
t here is Monsieur Dard. Bon jour, Moi
[ sieur Dard'
notwithstanding its natural impertu
liability, the countenance of the agent I
+ the Surete betrayed signs of exquisite di
comfort at this salutation for Monsicu
Dard knew who We're was perfectly wei
c He had taken certain instructions from TIL
Second Secretary in matter in which I'll
Embassy had just employed him; and I'll