Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1870-03-24

me on business, and remained the night.
put him into the same chamber III,
In the morning he descended, looking
q little uneasy.
Bernard, mon ami, he said, did
leave my watch down stairs last night2'
"No," replied; 81 saw you look at it
just as we we're saying good night, out
side your chamber door" Na
:" 1t is very strange he observed ~
thought remembered winding itup and
putting it on the table last night. To-
day it is gone"
But who could have taken it? The
house has not been enteredY'
Do you fasten your chamber door,
mo; am afraid of fire. And do you
know that once in the night awoke, and
heard a movement in my room, asked
if any one was there and received no
answer. My night-light had gone out F"
felt seriously uneasy, We summoned
| the servants, and told them of the loss.
Suzanne turned visibly pale, and trem-
bled. The sharp eyes of the notary in
stantly detected her emotion
When the woman had left the room,
ostensibly to search for the lost watch,
Doricourt said to me: II trust | have
not led you into harm By begging you to
retain Suzanne. Did yon notice her
change of countenance Just now?"
"Yes; but, surely" / continued,
warmly "you cannot really think she
would be guilty of so barefaced rob
berry? Why not rather accuse Babette y
81 accuse neither; but Suzanne's look
staggered me, and Babette was not here
when my client was robbed year ago.
ABSENT Impossiblel
mot so absurd, not SO impossible as
you believe. You know that Suzanne
has worthless brother?
nodded assent aLI Dat4t 81
"Well, saw him only yesterday, hang
ing about your premises, and warned
him off j said nothing about him, be-
cause / thought he meant to obey me,
for he turned and walked off in the di-
rection of the town. /"
/ felt troubled and alarmed, | confess,
and rang at once When she obeyed the
summons, | asked her if she had seen
her brother on the previous day.
"No; she had not seen him since |
arrived at the farm.
And she looked the image of eandor as
she spoke.
IL don't believe her" Doricourt ex-
claimed, after / had dismissed her.
With your permission, | shall at
once place this affair in the hands of the
police"
But / persuaded him to wait an hour
or two, and to let me accompany him to
the town.
Have you lost anything yourself? F"
he added while we waited for our dejeuner
q la .fouchette
No; at least not that | am aware of;
but since this place is so mysteriously
haunted by an invisible robber, ! think |
will take my few valuables with me, and
place them in the care Of my banker.
With this intent went to my bureau
for the casket. TWAS not therel
/ fanoied | might be mistaken; that ]
had locked it up with the plate which
was not in daily use, and ] hastened to
ascertain the fact Alas some of the
best pieces of plate were also gone, and
the casket was not to be found Nor did
my losses end here Many small trea-
sures, only precious as heirlooms or
souvenirs of dear friends, were all gone,
and all had been removed from places of
which / myself retained the key.
The amazement of Doricourt and my
self was extreme.
"This cannot be endured he said,
Indignantly; | have to ask your forgive
ness for exposing you to such wholesale
plunder False keys have undoubtedly
been used Only a domestic traitor
could have done thisl expect that some
day you will awake and find yourself
utterly stripped, and Mademoiselle Su-
zanne gone"
But Babettep' / murmured.
"Tushl that stupid paysdnne accom-
plish such clever robberies Besides, as
| said they began in Madame Lemaitre's
time. No; you must remain here, and
watch that the women do not escape,
while go and bring the police to extort
confession from Mademoiselle Su-
zanne."
What could / say2 What could | OBJ
ject TO his proposalP
He ordered his carriage and drove of.
Suzanne, with a white, despairing face,
brought in my dejeuner. My heart
we're guilty land could not quite doubt
her, even yeti, / loved her still.
Suzanne" i said, do you know
what Monsieur Doricourt is gone to do3'
81 can guess, Monsieur, she said
sadly.
Listen" continued. 81 do not
wish to expose you to a long imprison-
ment; nor even to the questioning OF
the police. Fly while there is yet time.
The bailiff shall drive you over to the
station, and / viii give you a sum of
money to leave the country
Large tears rolled down her pallid
checks
|" Monsieur is too good" she said,
gently: but he will pardon me i ] say ]
would rather die first. Noi let them
make every inquiry; let them torture
me. If they Will am innocent. And
sometimes think if Monsieur, my good
old master, had not hushed up his losses
TO save me, it had been better for me.
The d5-adful mystery might have been
explained before now.
You are quite innocent then Su-