The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1872-05-21
A Night Adventure.
The Detectives Story.

A BOUT halfpast seven in the evening,
IN toward the fall of the year 1874, two
men were seated at table-Balzac, the host,
Vidocq, the guest
Said the latter: an. de Balzac, why do
you tax your imagination for fiction when
you can get reality, before your eyes, close
to your ears, under your hand ~
"You believe in reality? I'm delighted.
did not imagine you so innocent. 'Tis
only we novelists who create reality and
make it visible. Whenever any one comes
to me with M. de Balzao, I've got splen-
did subject for you,' know before hearing
it that it's worthless If the subject is
good there are no details; if the details arc
excellent there is no subject. No reality
only half a fact"
"But can give you one"
"Complete?"
"Complete."
"Ahr'
And Vidocq commenced: son the 14th
of December, 1884 or '35, fearfully cold
night, was on duty at the prefecture de
Police. The room in which my colleagues
and myself were stationed opened on to the
staircase leading to the offices of Monsieur
lie Prefet. The glass in the upper part of
the door was rendered almost Opaque by the
condensed moisture which had settled on it;
but about o'clock noticed two shadows
fit past, and opening the door l saw two
women, lady and her servant, the former
dressed in full evening costume. This puz-
zled me. What could lady want, one
hour after midnight, with the Project of
Police? Strangely dressed, too; the flowers
in her hair put in at haphazard; her hair
hardly even looked as if it had been comb
ed, and beneath her rouge, (for she had
used some, although she was very young
and marvelously beautiful, her face was
ghastly pale. But what struck me as being
the most extraordinary in this strange toll
ct was, that while on the one foot she wore
black boot, the other was protected by
white satin slipper.
On my asking what brought her there,
the lady, without even stopping or looking
round, answered curtly that she wanted to
speak to Monsieur le Prefet, and before
was able to reply that he could not be seen
ut such an hour of the night, the door of
the magistrates apartment was opened and
the lady entered; it was closed again imme,
diately, and the servant, thus left alone or
the staircase accepted my invitation tC
come into the room l had just left. AL
though her dress was not as strange as that
of her mistress, she was equally excited
and in the few words she spoke in answer
to me noticed nervous trembling which
was not caused by cold alone.
But let us see what was taking place
meantime in the Prefet's apartments. AZ
ter an exceptionally heavy and fatigueing
days work, he had gone to bed at midnight
giving strict orders that he was not to be
awakened till o'clock on any pretex
whatever; and such orders were neve
known to be disobeyed. The huzzier, as
tonished that both the sentinel and TIN
porter had allowed these two women to EN-
ter, desired to know the object Of the lady
visit.
"To see Monsieur le Prefet."
"Impossible."
The lady stormed, entreated, threatened
but all in vain, till at last tearing OIL he
pearl necklace and diamond bracelets, sh
thrust them excitedly into Pere Caron'
hand, crying;