Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1873-01-29

subsequent to that on which the supposed
criminal had called, II ,nri sent Irene into
J the eltv on visit to some friends with the
explicit understanding that she was not tt
return until he came for her. Following
close upon her departure, came the arrlv.
al ottwo gendarmcs, who were forthwith
secreted in her but recently vacated bed
room, thereafter to make their re entree
IN the presence of the expected stranger
or not, rs he might or mi ght not criminate
himself in the interview with Henri
All the preliminary arrangements beng
made, our artist detective took his
station at the window, and behind closed
blinds became silent and intens watch,
er lie was brave and resolute man
but neVertheless an occasional misgiving
fitted across his mind. The business
before him was of an extremely hazard
GUS nature Should the supposed criminal
prove TO be the real criminal, his capture
would-be likely to be preIuded by des-
pefdte encounter, If fatal, fatal to
whom Henri thought of this, then OF
irene, and closed his eyes. Then he
thought os fte gendarmes In The next room
set his law, and in q spirit of grim defiance,
put all iorbodiugs from him Morning,
noon, afternoon, and evening, glided by,
with no result. Henri yawned with
impatient dlscoura cement. His allies took
to the bedroom floor and cards early in
the forenoon. Hitherto the excitement of
the chase Ind been strong enough to sus-
tain Henri's interest. But now? Would
the expected not come, after all /? A brief
consultation with the ofhcers--who adher~
ed to the opinion that he would come
and was much more likely to make his
appearance within the next three hours
than at any previous time during the day
especially If he was rogue, and was not
lacking In their usual cunning, braced
Henri somewhat, Lighting lamp for the
quondam gamesters, and another for him.
self, he camped on the lounge, He had
but got comfortably settled, however,
before resonant rap on the street door
brought him instantly to his feet. School
ing himself to meet the probable crisis
with quiet deliberation, he lsisurely pro.
oeeded to the door and opened it. From
Irene's graphic description he had no DIFF.
tculty IL recognizing his visitor. The
! expected man of the cross stood before
him. His heart gave tremendous thump
! against his breast bat his voice was
steady and quiet, as be saluted the stran-
! ger with, " Good evening SIR
Coed evening, sir" responded the Wis
/ itur, ecrutiniziug Henri CLOSELY. aIs the
! madam at home 2"
"Mv wife is the lady to whom You refer,
/ presume said Henri. "She Is abse ut
on visit. Can I serve you in anything?
VIII you not step in, sir" Henri threw
the door wide open, that the man might
see the room vas vacant; and henee
might imagine him to be alone. aa
I All you are the husband of the LADY,
remarked The stranger, who after peeriDg e
/ Ill, walked IN
$ have tie hon2r Pray be seated" !"
will trespass upon your hospitality
I but for few moments --."
No trespass, assure you, Solitude
/ not the best OF companions.n
/ Without remoting his hat, the stranger
! took the preferred chair. II can tarry but
/ Il short time," he said. Probably your
wife has informed yoE Of an offer she
received, week age, for a small, fanciful
/ cornelian cross that was In her posses
gion2o
/ " Yes she did mention the matter to
me, and we both wondered at the strange
/ fancy Of the man; and the excessive price
he offered
"Well," replied the stranger, with a
forced laugh, the fancy can not matter
/ to you; and as for the price, if you get it
that ought to satisfy you on that point,
! ] am the man and | renew the Offer"
ALI No, certainly not, the fancy does
not concern us---ot cohrss Got,n and Henri
eyed the stranger keeniv. "But you
the least curious of mortals to surmis-
sing"
"OE course---of course" said the stran-
ges with strong symptoms of uneasiness,
People can not help thinking-that's
what brains were made for. But to ths
point, if you still possess the cross, and
will exchange it for the sum offered, that
sum is yours. Your answer You will
excuse my seeming abruptness | am
pressed for time, and can not daily"
hold you perfectly excusable,D said
Henri, drawing the coveted cross from his
| pocket, and noting the eager flashing of
the strangers eyes, as his gaze fell upon
1T, Decl ding to thrust the probe home at
once, he deliberately added: Another
reason, other than want of time, may exist
to occasion your abruptness, my friend !;
waht of confidence"
What sir T" CALCULATED the man, start
ing up in Threatening, apprehensive way.
What do you moan by that rematk 2"
"Listen, and | will tell you,' replied
Henri, fully convinced that he was on the
! right track, as his visitor indecislvely sat
! down again. Listen, and will tell you
what ! mean. This cross, for which you
have taken such an inezplicable fancy,
came into my possession Under very
peculiar cIrcumstances-circum
that invest it with extraordinary interest"
Pauslng moment to note the effect of his
language, Henri fixed his burning eyes on
the strangers. Speaking slowly, and
emphasizing every word, he continued :
found this cross on the Sd OF January,
l849, on the Rue de Germaine, on the
very spot on which three days previous
the Comte de st. Armande had been bru-
tally murdered
/ During the utteranUe Of the concluding
words OF the above, the countenance of the
listening man underwent most appalling
change-as dreadful indeed, as though he
| had heard the sentence for his Immediate
execution pronounced The muscles of
his face tWitohed convulsively, his under
aW tell, and his eyes rolled in their sock
cts as though following the fantastic
e7olutlons of some horrid goblin.
The paroxysm lasted but for Il moment.
BY u superhuman effort of the will he
recovered his bewildered faculties, sprang
to his feet, and with the demoniac fury OF
a madman, dashed at Henri kissing be-
tween his teeth, Cd you; the telling
OF that tale is your death-knell,"
just as lis muscular hand closed op-
pressively on Henri's throat, he was
violently jerked backwards, and found
himself in the tenacious clutches of the
two gendarmes
So bo! my fine fellow p calculated
one OF the officers. "We are altogether
! too deeply concerned for the future well
fare ofyour soul to permit you to perpe-
! trate such crime. You have done bad